Club History | Season 1975-1976
Club`s challenging campaign, describing player departures, new signings, match results, and their eventual relegation and participation in the Spring Cup competition.
Failure to make it into the top division, meant the close season casualty rate was high. Geir Karlsen did not fancy football at the lower level and returned to Norway. Jim Wallace signed for Aldershot, Dick Campbell went north to Ross County, Willie McCallum chose Raith Rovers, Jackie Sinclair left for Stenhousemuir. Dave Mcnicoll was astonishingly freed to Montrose, Kenny Davidson went back to Edinburgh and joined Meadowbank, Gordon Forrest joined Alloa, Jim Hamilton retired and both Ian McLeod and Brian Jenkins returned to junior ranks. The role of Commercial Manager was dispensed with, so it was farewell to George Gilchrist and coach Ralph Brand was dismissed. Skipper Alex Kinninmonth opted for a part-time contract, but stayed with the club.
Youngsters Ian Dunn, Jim Mercer and Dave Smith were added to the pool and both Lawrie Dunn and Gerry Adair joined from Hibs. Completing the incoming list were provisional signings Alan Hunter and Ian Robertson. The club did not even have a goalkeeper until Celtic agreed to lend young reserve Graham Barclay.
As usual, the League Cup got August off to a start. Section mates were Ayr United, Dundee and Hibernian. The opener was against Ayr United at East End. Barclay, Adair and Lawrie Dunn made their debuts and Jim Mercer was on the bench, as Ken Mackie`s goal earned a 1-1 draw. Two away losses followed, 2-0 to Dundee and 3-0 to Hibs, before another 1-1 draw at home, this time Graham Shaw the scorer against Dundee. The home match with Hibs was lost heavily 4-0. Both Roy Barry and Alex Edwards were in the Hibs line up. What must they have thought of how far The Pars had sunk? The final sectional tie produced a 2-2 draw at Somerset Park, which just left time to draw the first League match 3-3 at home to Airdrie.
As September began, George Miller`s reign ended with his move to Falkirk. Things did not improve, however, as Athletic lost 5-1 away to East Fife. A 4-0 thrashing at home to Hamilton Accies left the club in a piteous situation. The board brought Pars legend Harry Melrose back from Berwick Rangers and he watched from the stand as his new charges got a rare win at Shawfield, 2-0 over Clyde. Ian Hall made his debut. Harry`s first game as manager brought him face to face with his old pal Alex Ferguson, who had just taken over at St. Mirren. Honours were shared in a 2-2 draw in which Graham Shaw scored both Pars counters.
October began with a 1-1 draw away to Morton, with Alan Hunter the scorer on his debut. Queen of the South drew 2-2 at East End Park before a similar score was returned from Links Park against a Montrose team which included Dave McNicoll. Goals from Jim Scott and Ian Hall at home to Falkirk meant that the team were unbeaten in the month. Unfortunately, two goals from The Bairns` Wilson, also meant that they hadn`t won either.
Graham Shaw scored at Firhill to gain a 1-1 draw on the first day of November, but Dumbarton handed out a 2-0 defeat at Boghead before, in the middle of the month, Allan Evans got the only goal at home to Kilmarnock. Arbroath were the next visitors and their stuffy defence held out to let Eric Sellars sole counter win the match for the Red Lichties. Jim Meakin, newly signed from East Stirling, made his debut in this game. A 2-0 defeat at Love Street finished the month on a low.
December began well when Ken Mackie scored to beat Morton 1-0 at East End Park. Jim Scott had taken over as captain, but his side was cuffed 5-2 at Palmerston. Another narrow 1-0 home win against Montrose was followed by another capitulation away from home, this time 4-1 at Brockville. Halfway through the season and The Pars were nearer to relegation than promotion, sitting 10th and only three points clear.
The new year came in with a 1-1 draw at home to East Fife. Youngsters Dave Petrie and Alan Hunter came back into the team for this game, along with new signing Billy Laing from Cowdenbeath. Two days later and Ken Mackie scored for the sixth game in a row to salvage a 1-1 draw with Hamilton Accies at Douglas Park. Two away defeats followed, 4-0 at Rugby Park and 1-0 at Gayfield. The cash-strapped Pars allowed Hearts to sign Graham Shaw, when they upped their bid and the more moderately priced Roddy Georgeson was his replacement. January ended with Dunfermline`s exit from the Cup, defeated 3-2 at Easter Road.
Roddy Georgeson made his debut as Athletic took on Airdrie, away. Ken Mackie scored the goal which earned a 1-1 draw. The Pars were now wallowing in a relegation spot, but rallied with a resounding 5-1 win at home to Clyde. Despite the two remaining games also being at home, Dunfermline contrived to lose both 3-0 to Partick Thistle and Dumbarton. The team finished 13th and were relegated along with Clyde. Coming up were Clydebank and Raith Rovers and Pars fans had to get to grips that only Cowdenbeath were below them and they were in the same division. The ignominies of the season were not over, however.
To "compensate" the diddy clubs for the early finish to the season caused by the restructure, the hugely unpopular Summer Cup was brought back and called the Spring Cup. The organisers of Scottish Football are second to none when it comes to organising a fiasco. The Pars section included Hamilton Accies, Queens Park and Cowdenbeath. March 6th marked the start of the Spring Cup and an indication of how far the depths were being plumbed was given the first sectional tie, away to Queens Park. The match programme was a single sheet of typed A4 and the game was not even played at Hampden, Lesser Hampden being deemed appropriate for this farce of a tournament. The Pars didn`t even have a goalkeeper, Graham Barclay`s loan having ended, until Harry persuaded Partick Thistle to lend old Pars favourite, Jim Herriot.
The badly missed Jim Leishman made his first start following his bad leg break and Jim Scott got the goal which earned the draw. A young Sandy McNaughton starred for The Amateurs. The next tie brought Cowdenbeath to East End Park. Athletic won 2-1 but the score was reversed when Hamilton Accies won at East End. More misery followed when Cowdenbeath inflicted a 4-0 defeat at Central Park. With four games played, Dunfermline were bottom of their group.
April dawned a bit brighter with a 1-0 win, at home, to Queens Park. The final sectional match was at Douglas Park and The Pars won 2-1 to finish the section in second place, behind Queens Park on goal difference. Accies also qualified as one of the best performing third place teams. In other words, after our six sectional games, only one of our section failed to progress. Yes, sir, we sure know how to organise things in Scotland. This lamentable season would drag on to a two legged tie with Airdrie. The first of these was at East End Park, where The Pars won 4-2, but they lost the second leg 3-0 to the competition`s eventual winners, to slink off and lick their wounds and see what next season would bring.
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