Archives | Davie Hay 2004-2005
Hay`s tenure saw him in charge for 42 first team league and Cup games, only eight of which were won and a further twelve drawn thus making him one of the least successful managers in Dunfermline`s history.
Following the resignation of Jimmy Calderwood and Jimmy Nicholl in the immediate aftermath of the 2004 Scottish Cup Final, the Dunfermline Board moved for David Hay who had recently enjoyed a profitable spell as manager of Livingston.
Hay appeared to have all the credentials to be successful but ultimately his spell as manager lasted less than a season and he left with the club staring down the relegation abyss with just three games of the season remaining.
As a footballer, David Hay enjoyed a flourishing playing career. A Jock Stein signing for Celtic in 1966, he was one of the so-called `Quality Street Kids` who were to provide the Parkhead club with unprecedented success for more than a decade. He made his first team debut as a right back in 1968, but was soon moved into midfield by Stein where he became a tremendous ball-winner and creator.
By 1970 Hay was playing regularly and appeared in Celtic`s European Cup Final team defeated by Feyenoord. During his spell at Parkhead, Celtic won five league titles and two Scottish Cups, but at a time when he was one of the most sought-after footballers in Britain he became increasingly disillusioned with Celtic`s failure to meet his wage demands and he left the club in 1974 after Celtic accepted a £225,000 bid from Chelsea.
During his time at Celtic, Hay had become a full international and he was one of Scotland`s best players in the 1974 World Cup Finals. He made 27 international appearances for Scotland with many saying it ought to have been more.
His Chelsea career was cut short in 1979 when a serious knee injury forced him to retire. He initially took on a youth coaching role at Stamford Bridge before moving to Motherwell as Assistant Manager in 1981.He was soon made manager at Fir Park, and his side romped to the First Division title in season 1981/82.He left Motherwell on the promise of a lucrative job in America but it failed to materialise leaving Hay high and dry. However, he wasn`t jobless for long, taking over as Celtic manager from Billy McNeill in 1983 at the age of 35.
His spell as Celtic manager was a mixed one - despite winning the Scottish Cup in 1985 and the league title the following season, he failed to break Rangers dominance and paid the price when he was sacked in 1987.
A year later he moved to Norway and took the unfancied Lillestrom to the league title. He was offered the manager`s job at Gothenburg but his family were in Scotland so he decided to return and he became Assistant Manager to Colin Lee at Watford. When Colin left, Davie decided to go too, and he became manager of St Mirren in 1991.In his only season there St Mirren were relegated, and he took on a variety of roles including Director of Youth Football with Tampa Bay Rowdies in USA, and Coach at Swindon Town. He returned to Celtic as Assistant General Manager to Jock Brown, but left after a fall out.
One of his most successful managerial spells came at Livingston, where in 2003/04 he partnered Jim Leishman, and took third place in the SPL, and won the Scottish League Cup. No doubt this success would have been a factor in Dunfermline`s decision to appoint him, but his managerial rein got off to a bad start and never really took off.
An early exit from the UEFA Cup to Icelandic minnows Hafnarfjordur, and a poor start to the league did not endear him to Dunfermline supporters. The fans had just enjoyed their most successful season for 25 years so expectations were perhaps too high so Hay was unfortunate. Nevertheless he was unable to deliver the results the club needed and in May 2005 he left East End Park with the club looking destined for relegation.
Hay`s tenure saw him in charge for 42 first team league and Cup games, only eight of which were won and a further twelve drawn thus making him one of the least successful managers in Dunfermline`s history.
Related Stories
views: 1,074
