Dunfermline Athletic F.C.

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Dunfermline Athletic
Full nameDunfermline Athletic Football Club
Nickname(s)The Pars
Founded2 June 1885; 138 years ago (1885-06-02)[1]
GroundEast End Park
Dunfermline
Fife
Capacity11,480[2]
ChairmanDavid Cook
ManagerJames McPake
LeagueScottish Championship
2022–23Scottish League One, 1st of 10 (promoted)
WebsiteClub website
Current season

Dunfermline Athletic Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in the city of Dunfermline, Fife. Founded in 1885, the club currently compete in the Scottish Championship after winning the 2022–23 Scottish League One title. Dunfermline play at East End Park, are nicknamed The Pars and are currently managed by James McPake.

The Pars' most successful period was in the 1960s, when the side won the Scottish Cup twice, in 1961 and 1968 under the management of Jock Stein and George Farm respectively. The club regularly played European football in this period, reaching the semi-finals of the 1968–69 European Cup Winners' Cup under Farm.

The club have played at East End Park since their formation in 1885; however, the pitch they initially played at – also known as East End Park – was slightly west of the present stadium.[1]

After a period of relative success in the 2000s marked by appearances in three major finals (the 2004 Scottish Cup Final, the 2006 Scottish League Cup Final and the 2007 Scottish Cup Final), all of which were lost against Celtic, Dunfermline were relegated to the First Division in 2007. The club then encountered financial problems and, in April 2013, applied for and was granted full administration at the Court of Session in Edinburgh,[3] and in October 2013, the fan group Pars United assumed control of the club.[4]

History[edit]

Main article: History of Dunfermline Athletic F.C.

Beginning (1885–1959)[edit]

Chart of yearly table positions of Dunfermline in the Scottish League.

Dunfermline Football Club was formed in 1874, when members of Dunfermline Cricket Club decided to establish a football section, with the intention of maintaining fitness during the winter.[1] A dispute over club membership caused some members to split away from Dunfermline Cricket Club, which resulted in the creation of Dunfermline Athletic Football Club on 2 June 1885. The club became the principal football club in Dunfermline and their first twenty-five years saw them compete primarily as an amateur team, until they turned professional in 1899.[5] The club first entered into the Scottish Football League in 1912 where they took part in the Scottish Division Two. The fifty years following the club's admittance to the SFL saw little success, with the side most frequently playing in the second tier, with occasional appearances in the top flight.

Stein and Farm (1960–1970)[edit]

Dunfermline's finest period came during the sixties. After being appointed manager on 14 March 1960 and saving the club from relegation to Scottish Division Two, Jock Stein – in his first managerial appointment – guided the Pars to their first major piece of silverware, winning the Scottish Cup in 1961 after just thirteen months in charge.

The years which followed saw Dunfermline consistently competing in European competitions, reaching the semi-finals of the 1968–69 European Cup Winners' Cup under George Farm. Although they lost by one goal on aggregate to eventual winners Slovan Bratislava, it remains the greatest achievement in Dunfermline's history.[6] This followed Farm managing Dunfermline to their second Scottish Cup victory, winning the competition in 1968.

Since 1970[edit]

After a period of decline during the 1970s and much of the 1980s, the club returned to the top tier in 1987 under club legend Jim Leishman, although they were subsequently relegated after just one season. The following years saw a similar pattern, with a handful of promotions and relegations throughout the 1990s. It was during this period that the club were rocked by the loss of club captain Norrie McCathie, who died on 8 January 1996 by carbon monoxide poisoning.[7]

The appointment of John Yorkston as chairman and the involvement of Gavin Masterton in 1999[8] saw the club enter a period of resurgence, with two Scottish Cup final appearances in 2004 and 2007, a Scottish League Cup final in 2006, as well as two short-lived excursions in the UEFA Cup in 2004 and 2007. In 2012 it emerged that the club had a number of outstanding tax bills with HMRC[9] following the financial mismanagement of the football club by Yorkston and Masterton. The club were put into administration on 11 April 2013[10] and after a points deduction, were relegated to the third tier for the first time since 1986.

The club were then taken over by the fans group Pars United,[11] and after three years in the League One, eventually won promotion back to the Scottish Championship under manager Allan Johnston.[12] Former striker Stevie Crawford was appointed head coach at the beginning of 2019,[13] following a restructure that introduced Jackie McNamara as technical consultant and Greg Shields as assistant head coach.[14]

Following Crawford's resignation at the end of the 2020–21 season,[15] the club appointed Peter Grant as manager. Grant was sacked after five months in charge with the club winless and bottom of the league.[16] John "Yogi" Hughes replaced Grant but ultimately failed to keep Dunfermline in the league, with the club relegated to League One after losing to Queen's Park in the end of season play-offs.[17] Dunfermline began life in League One by appointing former Dundee boss James McPake as manager on a two year deal,[18] with Dave Mackay joining as assistant. McPake brought instant success with the Pars winning the league by 14 points and losing only one league game all season.

Colours and badge[edit]

For much of Dunfermline's history their home colours have been black and white striped shirts, with black shorts and black socks, though recently they have worn white shorts and white socks. From the club's formation in 1885 until 1901, the club's home colours were a plain maroon shirt with either navy or white shorts and either maroon, white or grey socks.[19] The club then went through a period between 1901 and 1909 when their kits were blue.[19] The club first wore their now well-known black-and-white-striped shirts in 1909 and have worn these colours every year apart from the 1971–72 season, when they wore all white, the 2004–05 season, when they wore a white shirt with a single black stripe running down the left side of the shirt and during the 2007–08 season, in which they wore an all-white shirt with black shorts and white socks.[19] For the 2008–09 season, the Pars reverted to their well-known black-and-white stripes resembling the kit they wore for the 1997–98 and 1998–99 seasons.

Conversely, there has been no consistent colour or design of the club's away strips. Since the start of the new millennium, the club have most regularly had red kits of varying design; for example, the 2004–2005 away strip consisted of vertical red and black lines, whereas the 2016–17 kit was mostly red, with four horizontal lines of red, white and black across the chest. However, away kit designs have not been exclusively red, with the club having also had kits of purple, blue and yellow, as well as black, as was the case during the 2005–06 season.

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
1977–1980 England Bukta none
1980–1983 Braisby Roofing
1983–1986 Rennie
1986–1988 England Umbro Aluglaze
1988–1989 Thomson's World of Furniture
1989–1992 Landmark
1992–1994 Denmark Hummel
1994–1996 England Matchwinner
1996–1997 France Le Coq Sportif
1997–1999 England Avec
1999–2000 Auto Windscreens
2000–2001 England TFG
2001–2005 RAC Auto Windscreens
2005–2007 The Purvis Group[20]
2007–2008 Germany Adidas
2008–2012 Germany Puma
2012–2015 Spain Joma
2015–2023[21] SRJ Windows[22][23]
2023- Italy Erreà[24]

The current Dunfermline Athletic club badge design was created in 1957 by Colin Dymock, an art teacher at Dunfermline High School. It was allegedly inspired by one of Dymock's mysterious nightmares.[25] The "DAFC" represents the initials of the club, Dunfermline Athletic Football Club, whilst the tower is a representation of Malcolm Canmore's Tower. The tower was adopted by the town of Dunfermline to be used for the Burgh Arms and old seals. Malcolm Canmore was King of Scotland from 1057 to 1093, and made his residence in Dunfermline within what is now Pittencrieff Park. The park is represented by the stormy, ghostly blue and black night scene behind the tower, including the park's infamous hanging tree. The green area at the bottom of the crest is meant to represent the club's stadium, East End Park. Whilst the badge has been in use since the 1950s, it has undergone a number of alterations since its original incarnation, with the most recent adjustments in 2011 altering the outlines, font and colours of the logo.

Nickname[edit]

According to Black and White Magic, a 1984 book about the club by Jim Paterson and Douglas Scott, there are numerous theories as to the origin of the club's nickname, the Pars. The authors wrote:

"Most tend to confirm the more common belief that the name arose from the team's parallel striped shirts, their drinking habits or their style of play. The latter were both described as "paralytic". The earliest theory claims that in the early days when the Football Club was closely connected with the Cricket Club, the footballers were renowned for their performances at the bar and so were called the "Paralytics".

However, in the early 1900s it is known that Athletic's nickname was the "Dumps" – shortened from Dunfermline – and this is said to have been coined by English sailors visiting East End Park when their ship docked at Rosyth. After World War I they were known as the Pars and some believe the parallel black and white stripes to be the reason. Another school of thought involves English workers who came to work at the armaments depot at Crombie and at Rosyth Dockyard; they kept their association with their local team by forming the Plymouth Argyle (Rosyth) Supporters Club and it is said that the Dunfermline nickname comes from the banners in evidence around the ground."

Another view, which holds water with the older supporters is that the name derives from the word 'Parr' which is a juvenile salmon with dark vertical markings.

Club culture[edit]

Songs[edit]

Like other football clubs, Dunfermline has a number of songs and anthems. A popular song, and the anthem to which the team runs out is "Into The Valley" by local band the Skids. Since the 1950s the crowd have left the ground after the game to the tune of "The Bluebell Polka" by Jimmy Shand and his band. After Dunfermline score a goal at East End Park, the chorus of the Dave Clark Five's Glad All Over is played.

Rivalries[edit]

Main article: Fife derby

Dunfermline Athletic have traditional rivalries with local sides Cowdenbeath and Raith Rovers as well as contesting the Kincardine Derby with near neighbours, Falkirk. They have also participated regularly in the Fife Cup since their formation in 1885, winning the competition more than thirty times, most recently during the 2006–07 season.

In popular culture[edit]

In the STV television detective drama Taggart, the writer and Dunfermline fan, Stuart Hepburn used the names of the 1968 Scottish cup winning side for the characters in a 2003 episode.[26]

Hall of Fame[edit]

The club launched its Hall of Fame in 2004, initially with nine inductees. 50 individuals (ranging from players and managers to kit managers and the club historian) and two team groups (the 1960s cup winners) were members as of 2019.[27]

Notable managers and players[edit]

Managers[edit]

Players[edit]

Players[edit]

First-team squad[edit]

As of 13 February 2024[28][29]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Turkey TUR Deniz Mehmet
2 DF Scotland SCO Aaron Comrie
3 DF Scotland SCO Josh Edwards
4 DF Scotland SCO Kyle Benedictus (captain)
5 MF Scotland SCO Chris Hamilton (vice-captain)
6 DF Scotland SCO Ewan Otoo
7 MF England ENG Kane Ritchie-Hosler
8 MF Scotland SCO Joe Chalmers
9 FW Scotland SCO Craig Wighton
10 MF Scotland SCO Matty Todd
11 FW Northern Ireland NIR Lewis McCann
12 DF Scotland SCO Rhys Breen
14 FW Scotland SCO Alex Jakubiak
15 DF Scotland SCO Sam Fisher
16 MF Scotland SCO Ben Summers (on loan from Celtic)
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 FW Scotland SCO Owen Moffat (on loan from Blackpool)
18 MF Scotland SCO Paul Allan
19 DF Scotland SCO Miller Fenton
20 FW Scotland SCO Chris Kane (on loan from St Johnstone)
23 FW Scotland SCO Michael O'Halloran
24 MF Scotland SCO Jake Rennie
25 MF Scotland SCO Michael Beagley
26 FW Scotland SCO Taylor Sutherland
28 MF Scotland SCO Andrew Tod
29 DF Scotland SCO Liam Hoggan
33 DF England ENG Xavier Benjamin (on loan from Cardiff City)
36 DF England ENG Miles Welch-Hayes (on loan from Livingston)
38 FW England ENG Brad Holmes (on loan from Blackpool)
44 GK England ENG Max Little
64 DF England ENG Malachi Fagan-Walcott (on loan from Cardiff City)

On loan[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF Scotland SCO Sam Young (on loan at Gala Fairydean Rovers)
— MF Scotland SCO Ewan McLeod (on loan at Crossgates Primrose)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW Scotland SCO Jake Sutherland (on loan at Crossgates Primrose)

Club captains since 1985[edit]

Period Captain Vice-captain
1985–1988 Scotland Bobby Robertson
1988–1996 Scotland Norrie McCathie
1996–1998 Scotland Craig Robertson
1998–1999 Scotland Andy Smith
1999–2000 Scotland Andy Tod[30]
2000–2002 Scotland Ian Ferguson Scotland Scott M. Thomson
2002–2007 Scotland Scott M. Thomson
2007–2009 Scotland Scott Wilson[31] Scotland Stephen Glass[31]
2009–2010 Scotland Stephen Glass[32]
2010–2012 Scotland Austin McCann[32]
2012–2013 Scotland Jordan McMillan[33] England Josh Falkingham
2013–2014 England Josh Falkingham[34]
Scotland Andy Geggan[35]
England Josh Falkingham[35]
2014–2015 England Josh Falkingham[36] Scotland Gregor Buchanan[36]
2015–2017 Scotland Callum Fordyce[37][note 1] & Scotland Andy Geggan[38][39]
2017–2018 Republic of Ireland Callum Morris[40] Scotland Sean Murdoch[citation needed]
2018–2019 Scotland Lee Ashcroft[41]
2019–2020 Northern Ireland Paul Paton[42] Scotland Lee Ashcroft[42]
2020–2021 Scotland Euan Murray[43] Scotland Ryan Dow[43]
2021–2022 Scotland Graham Dorrans[44]
2022–present Scotland Kyle Benedictus[45] Scotland Chris Hamilton
note 1 Fordyce was initially appointed club captain for the 2015–16 season, however, after suffering a severe leg-break in September 2015,[46] Andy Geggan was given the captain's armband for the remainder of the season. The two are considered co-captains for the season, with both having lifted the Scottish League One trophy together at the end of the season.[47]

Management[edit]

Club officials[edit]

Backroom staff[edit]

As of 5 April 2024[48]
Position Name
Manager Northern Ireland James McPake[49]
Assistant manager Scotland Dave MacKay[50]
First team coach Scotland Martin Harty[51]
Goalkeeping coach Scotland Andrew Collier
Head of performance Republic of Ireland Tadhg O'Carroll
Club doctor Scotland Dr Paul Grealis
Sports scientist Scotland Euan Donaldson
Video analyst Scotland Davie Honeyman
Kitman Scotland Mo Hutton
Kit coordinator Scotland Sammi Connell

Board of directors[edit]

As of 1 June 2023[53]
Position Name
Chairman
Chief executive officer 		David Cook
Vice chairman Billy Braisby
Director Ian Hunter
Director Ian Laing
Director Drew Main
Director Thomas Meggle
Director Nicholas Teller
Financial director Stephen Taylor
Club ambassador Jim Leishman

Managers[edit]

Main article: List of Dunfermline Athletic F.C. managers

Achievements[edit]

Honours[edit]

Major honours[edit]

Minor honours[edit]

Club records[edit]

European record[edit]

Main article: Dunfermline Athletic F.C. in European football

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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  2. ^ "Dunfermline Athletic Football Club". Scottish Professional Football League. Archived from the original on 1 January 2018. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
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