Club History | Season 1985-1986
Centenary season, Pars win Second Division title by two points from Queen of the South. 91 goals with John Watson scoring 31 goals. Ian Westwater had 21 shut outs
At 8pm on 2nd June 1885, Dunfermline Athletic Football Club was born. After such a near miss last season, surely destiny would see to it that the club would gain promotion this season of all seasons. Jim Leishman had started the rebuilding and had done a marvellous job of getting the town and the fans behind the team. With Gregor Abel as coach and some good players to enthuse about, everyone was full of hope. Dave Houston was signed on a free from Alloa and the other signings were all youngsters. Willie Callaghan (Jnr) was given a full contract and also coming in were Roddy Grant, Willie McGinlay and Peter Pryde.
Pars legend Alex Ferguson brought his star studded and successful team down for the Centenary Match on 7th August. The Pars beat Aberdeen 1-0, with Ian Heddle scoring the goal. The season proper got under way with a 3-3 draw away to Arbroath. The League Cup was next and a home tie against Stenhousemuir was won 4-0, Ian Campbell scoring a hat trick. Berwick Rangers were beaten 4-2 at East End, then it was back to the League Cup away to Morton, The Pars losing on penalties. Another poor result followed when Queens Park won 3-1 at Hampden (Ian McCall scoring twice for The Spiders). The month ended with a 3-2 home win over Cowdenbeath.
A dull 0-0 draw away to Queen of the South brought in September. During the following midweek Football lost one of its greatest when Jock Stein died. Only a month earlier he had waved happily to the crowds at the Centenary Match. A lively 3-3 draw followed, at home to Raith Rovers, future Pars Craig Robertson and Paul Smith lining up for The Rovers. The following midweek saw a benefit match for Hugh Whyte, Bobby Robertson, Jim Bowie and the now transferred Paul Donnelly. Hearts provided the opposition and won 2-0. St Johnstone were beaten 2-1 in Perth before the month ended with a narrow 3-2 win at home to Stenhousemuir. Sandy McNaughton, now back with The Warriors, got both of their goals.
October began with the long trip to Stranraer and a 3-1 win. Meadowbank were the first visitors of the month and they left with a 1-1 draw. The Pars then found their scoring boots, first winning 4-0 away to East Stirling before demolishing Albion Rovers 6-0 at East End. The new month kicked off with a difficult away game in Stirling. John Watson scored the only goal of the game. The next game saw 4577 fans at East End Park to see a narrow 2-1 win against Queen of the South. the same score brought the points back from Kirkcaldy, with Grant Jenkins getting both goals. Another 4000 plus crowd witnessed a 4-0 home win against St Johnstone. Allan Forsyth and Andy Irvine both left the club.
The First Round of the Cup brought the first action in December and a crowd of 5558 saw a 2-0 home win against Raith Rovers. Jim Bowie scored the only goal to defeat Stranraer at home, before the last game of the year produced a dramatic recovery. Losing 3-1 away to Berwick Rangers, a second half onslaught saw the game finish 4-4 and allowed The Pars to finish the year in top spot. The first match of the new year found Dunfermline in unfamiliar territory, when they travelled to Meadow Park, Castle Douglas to meet Threave Rovers in the Scottish Cup. A crowd of around 1600 squeezed into the ground and were treated to an exhibition of goal scoring by John Watson who scored four with Ian Heddle scoring the other in a comfortable 5-0 win. The next two games were at East End Park. Queens Park were defeated 3-2 and East Stirling 2-0. The month ended as did The Pars cup hopes, with a hard fought 2-0 defeat away to Hibs.
February was a quiet month and it began badly with a 3-2 defeat at home to Stirling Albion. The only other game was a thrilling 3-3 draw away to Raith Rovers. Because of all the postponements, eight games were scheduled for March. In the first of these Trevor Smith scored to bring the points back from Cowdenbeath. A stuffy 0-0 draw at home to Queens Park was followed by another draw, this time 1-1 at Stenhousemuir. Another win at Central Park was next, 2-0 the score. Three days later, The Pars secured a 2-2 draw at Meadowbank and followed up with a 4-1 win at home to Stranraer. This kept Dunfermline in second place. The final game of the month was away to Albion Rovers and a 3-0 win.
Alloa`s midfield tiger Gary Thompson was signed but was in the middle of a four game suspension and as March gave way to April, there were other problems. Norrie McCathie was also suspended. Bobby Forrest and Bobby Robertson were both carrying injuries And Steve Morrison had been dropped after having asked to leave early for summer football in Australia (a remarkably ill timed request). With these problems, it was hardly a good time to be playing main rivals Queen of the South at Palmerston. Gordon Wilson made his debut covering for Norrie, but The Doonhamers triumphed 3-1. Worse was to follow, the next midweek, away to Meadowbank Thistle. Ian Westwater picked up a virus and with Hugh Whyte also unavailable, Dundee United legend Hamish McAlpine was brought in from semiretirement. Gary Thompson, now free from suspension, made his debut. a quite dreadful performance saw The Pars cuffed 4-0.
There were seven more games to go, six of them in April and the next four all at home. Here was the chance to get things back on course. The 12th April brought Albion Rovers to East End Park and with Westy back between the sticks, Athletic won 4-0. The following midweek, visitors St Johnstone suffered a similar fate. Next came East Stirling and yet another 4-0 win ensued. With Queens Park having lost their game, this meant that The Pars could not be caught and had gained promotion. Could they go on to be crowned Champions? The normally stuffy Arbroath were beaten 2-0 in the final home game. A trip down to Berwick was rewarded with yet another 4-0 win.
On 29th April, Dunfermline travelled to Ochilview, whilst second placed Queen of the South were at Cowdenbeath. If The Pars could match or better Queens score, they would be Champions. Despite being well on top Dunfermline just could not get a goal against Stenhousemuir and when news came through that Queen of the South were 3-1 up at Central Park, the fear was that the Stenny hoodoo would strike again, especially with the ever dangerous Sandy McNaughton in the opposition. The final whistle went at 0-0 and Pars fans started to trudge resignedly home, when an announcement from the Stenhousemuir loudspeaker gave the news that The Blue Brazil (bless them!) had fought back to draw 3-3.
A joyous journey home was followed by a right old hoolie at East End Park. May was an anti-climax, with the hard work done and the season petered out with two away defeats:- at Stirling Albion and Montrose. John Watson scored 31 goals in the season and Ian Campbell 18. Ian Westwater had 21 shut outs and a hard core of sixteen players used. CHAMPIONS !!!
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