Dunfermline Athletic

News and Events | FC Frigg Return 60 years on

A remarkable piece of football history as Per Pettersen who scored against the Pars in Oslo in 1966, sixty years later found himself cheering on Dunfermline at Hampden.

Nine Norwegian football fans made a memorable pilgrimage to Scotland last weekend, combining history, heritage and a famous cup victory in a trip that bridged six decades of football friendship.

The group, organised by Fred Jaang of FC Frigg in Oslo, had originally planned to attend Dunfermline Athletic`s league match against St Johnstone at KDM Group East End Park. However, fate intervened in the best possible way when the fixture was overtaken by events, and the party found themselves heading to Hampden Park instead to watch the Pars in Scottish Gas Scottish Cup semi-final action.

Above: Bert Paton and Roy Barry welcomed Per Pettersen back to East End Park

The connection between FC Frigg and Dunfermline Athletic is a unique one. The Pars is the one and only club that the Oslo club ever played in European competition That was in the Inter Cities Fairs Cup sixty years ago this August. To mark the occasion, Jaang organised the visit, and among the travelling party was Per Pettersen, one of the Frigg players who had taken part in both legs of that historic tie, making the trip alongside his wife Mitte.

Pettersen`s place in the history of both clubs is assured. He headed Frigg into an eighth-minute lead in the first leg in Oslo, but Dunfermline fought back. The equaliser that night was scored by a young Alex Ferguson, who would go on to become arguably the greatest football manager of all time, winning thirteen Premier League titles and two European Cups with Manchester United. Jim Fleming then scored twice in the second half to give the Pars a 3-1 victory.

Above: Roy Barry - who made his Dunfermline debut in the home leg v FC Frigg - with Per Pettersen

The second leg in Dunfermline ended with the same scoreline, Pat Delaney netting twice and Tommy Callaghan adding a third to send the Pars through 6-2 on aggregate. Dunfermline went on to face Dinamo Zagreb in the next round, winning 4-2 at home but losing 2-0 away, and were eliminated under the newly introduced away goals rule, becoming one of the first clubs to fall victim to that regulation.

The Dunfermline Athletic Heritage Trust hosted the FC Frigg visitors

The Norwegian party arrived in Dunfermline by rail on the Friday morning and were given a comprehensive tour of the city by Frank Connelly of Dunfermline Tours, taking in the Palace, Abbey Nave, Abbey Church, Carnegie Library, City Chambers and the Old Inn, the birthplace of Dunfermline Athletic in 1885.

From there they made their way to KDM Group East End Park, where a special welcome awaited them. Former players Bert Paton and Roy Barry, both of whom had lined up against FC Frigg sixty years earlier, were on hand to meet the visitors. The afternoon continued with a full stadium tour, including the Jock Stein Suite, boardroom, pitch and dressing rooms.

On the Saturday, the nine visitors travelled from their base at the Gyle, joining a Pars Supporters Trust bus bound for Hampden. Decked out in black and white, they threw themselves fully into the occasion and were well rewarded. So taken were they with the Pars and the day`s celebrations that they joined in the victory festivities back in Dunfermline that evening, suggesting that their allegiance to the black and white may well extend considerably beyond the final whistle.



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