Club History | Season 2017-2018
The Pars made the promotion play-offs but unfortunately the play-off opponents were Dundee United and after a 0-0 draw at East End Park, the bogey struck again when despite being the better team, Dunfermline lost 2-1 at Tannadice.
Allan Johnston and Sandy Clark had secured the club in the Championship, despite some mediocre performances. Games which should have been won or drawn were lost due to silly and careless mistakes. Fans were looking for improvement in both entertainment and results. Callum Fordyce had struggled with injury and his contract was not renewed. Also leaving were David Hutton, Lewis Spence, Rhys McCabe and Ben Richards-Everton. Much more alarmingly, Michael Moffat and Andy Geggan were allowed to leave and join Ayr United. Andy was our most inspiring midfielder and had captained the side. Moff, though not prolific as a goalscorer, was, by far, the most creative forward and a big influence on Faissal`s performances. Arriving at the club were defender Jean-Yves M`Voto and forward Declan McManus, both from Raith Rovers and Aaron Splaine.
To mark the fiftieth anniversary of The Pars winning the Scottish Cup, a project titled The Lap Of Honour would run throughout the season. Mikey Mlotkiewicz and Craig Brown were behind it and it was very professionally run, with many great features. One of these was to kit the team in an exact replica strip (except for the sponsor`s badge). When Dunfermline won the Cup, they became the only Club in the world to be denied their lap of honour with the cup. A shameful decision by Glasgow Police and the SFA and yet another occasion when the Old Firm have spoiled things for the rest of Scottish football. Their fans rioted after the League Cup Final. Why this should affect Dunfermline and Hearts, beggars belief. It was also a cowardly act, since they wouldn`t have dared denying either Rangers or Celtic their lap of honour if they had beaten either Dunfermline or Hearts, they would have had another riot on their hands.
The official season kicked off in mid-July with a League Cup tie at home to Elgin City. Four goals from Nicky Clark and one each from Michael Paton and youngster Callum Smith secured a 6-0 win. A stuffy 0-0 midweek away to East Fife was followed by another fine home win as Peterhead were beaten 5-1. July ended with a 2-2 draw at Tynecastle. As August arrived so did the Championship season and Athletic managed a 1-1 draw away to newly promoted Livingston. Dean Shiels and Fraser Aird, both former Gers, signed in time for a 6-0 cuffing at Ibrox, to end any hopes of progress in the League Cup.
The first home match produced an excellent display, led by two goal Joe Cardle, with one each from Lee Ashcroft, David Hopkin and young sensation Callum Smith and a 5-1 demolition of Inverness Caley Thistle. Arbroath were beaten 2-0 at East End Park, in the Challenge Cup, both goals scored by Andy Ryan. Pars fans were, at last, enjoying their football as The Pars beat Falkirk 3-1 at home, with two more goals from Joe Cardle, whose form had been electric. A most satisfactory month ended with a trip to Dumbarton and a 4-0 win.
The start of September meant a trip up to Buckie in the Challenge Cup and a comfortable 3-0 win. A slip up followed as Morton inflicted a 3-2 defeat at Cappielow.. The Pars got back on track by beating League leaders St Mirren 3-0 at East End Park and the following week returned from Brechin with a similar score. The month ended on a downer as the Dundee United jinx returned and they somehow conjured a 3-1 away win. October brought an exit from the Challenge Cup, losing 2-0 away to Falkirk. An away draw 0-0 at Palmerston was followed by a return to form as Livingston were beaten 3-1 at East End. A 1-0 defeat at Inverness completed the month`s fixtures.
Another trip to Falkirk, this time in the League, ended in a 1-1 draw. Scottish Cup duty arrived and a comfortable 4-1 win at Hampden. We didn`t bother with a lap of honour on this occasion. Two home draws completed November`s business, 1-1 against Morton and 2-2 against Dumbarton. The United jinx struck again as The Arabs got an undeserved 2-1 win at Tannadice. There were no excuses in the next game as The Pars were humiliated at home by Queen of the South to the tune of 5-2. Stephen Dobbie demolished our heroes. A narrow 1-0 defeat away to St Mirren was followed by a similarly narrow 2-1 win at home to Brechin City. The away match in Livingston was postponed, so the year ended with Dunfermline in third place.
The New Year arrived gloriously for Pars fans with a home win against old rivals Falkirk. The scorers were Nicky Clark and Declan McManus. The game was ruined by the orchestrated taunting by so-called Falkirk fans, of Dean Shiels. Dean has performed at a very high level throughout a successful career, despite having an artificial eye due to a childhood injury. New depths were plumbed as the Falkirk morons threw dummy eyeballs on to the park. At an earlier match, two Falkirk players had received SFA bans for sledging on the same subject.
The good form continued with a 1-0 away win at Dumbarton. Given recent results against them, a 0-0 home draw with Dundee United could be seen as an improvement. Sean Murdoch`s absence, through injury, had led to the signing of Lee Robinson and he had fitted in well. Also doing well was Jean Yves M`Voto who was covering for the injured Callum Morris and Lee Ashcroft. Unfortunately, the following week, a late winner by Jai Quitongo gave Morton a 2-1 win at East End Park. The next visitors were St Mirren and they also won 2-1. James Craigen had been signed to bolster midfield.
The month of February began inauspiciously, with another 2-1 reversal, this time at Cappielow. Two away draws followed, at Almondvale and Palmerston. Tom Beadling arrived from Sunderland, whilst loan signings James Vincent from Dundee and Dan Armstrong from Wolves would, it was hoped, give the side some momentum. Postponements meant that it was the 10th March before the team was next in action. Unfortunately a 2-0 defeat away to St Mirren ensued. A James Craigen goal brought a 1-0 home victory against Inverness Caley Thistle but the next home match ended in a 0-0 stalemate against Morton. Results improved markedly with a 3-0 win at Brechin, followed by a 1-1 draw at Tannadice.
The Pars were in the bottom play-off place as they took on Queen of the South at home. A splendid hat trick from Nicky Clark ensured a 3-1 victory. Club legend Ron Mailer died aged 85. Things were definitely looking up as April arrived. A 1-0 win home win against Livingston was followed by a 2-1 victory away to Falkirk, Fraser Aird and Kallum Higginbotham getting the goals. Brechin City were next to visit and were soundly beaten 4-0. The long trip to Inverness brought a share of the points after a 2-2 draw. The Pars place in the promotion play-offs was confirmed by a 4-0 win at home to Dumbarton in the final League game.
The afternoon was enlivened by a visit from Sir Alex Ferguson who met up with old pals Bert Paton, Willie Callaghan, Jim Herriot, Dan McLindon and Willie Renton as well as current players and management. Fergie had to get back to Manchester for a match the following day, so missed the evening`s Lap of Honour event, held that evening in the Glen Pavilion.
Members of the Cup Winning Team were there:- Tom and Willie Callaghan, Roy Barry, Bert Paton, Pat Gardner, Alex Edwards and Alex Totten together with family representatives of those sadly no longer with us:- John Lunn, Jim Thomson, Ian Lister, Hugh Robertson and Bobby Kinloch. The event was compered by broadcasting legend Archie McPherson and it was intertwined with Craig Brown`s excellent film account of when we took the lads back to Hampden earlier in the year. The whole event was another example of Mikey Mlotkiewicz`s organisational skills. Unfortunately the play-off opponents were Dundee United and after a 0-0 draw at East End Park, the bogey struck again when despite being the better team, Dunfermline lost 2-1 at Tannadice.
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