Club History | Season 1991-1992
The Pars finished bottom, with 18 points from 44 games. They won only four and lost 30. They managed just 22 goals and conceded 80.
As the new season approached, many fans, myself included, maintained our boycott. Others were staying away because of the poor standard on offer. Iain Munro continued as manager, with Phil Bonnyman as his assistant. On the playing front, Paul Smith and Ian Westwater moved to Falkirk, Ross Jack to Kilmarnock and Stuart Rafferty to Morton. Four quality players and the only replacement was the experienced Ian McParland from Hull City.
The Pars faced seven games in August, the first of which was at home to Hearts and finished with a 2-1 defeat. Celtic at home next and another defeat, this time 3-1. A 3-0 thumping at Pittodrie preceded the first of the League Cup matches, which saw Alloa Athletic visit East End Park and brought a 4-1 win. Back to the League and a 4-0 stuffing at Ibrox. The next round of the League Cup gave Athletic another home tie, with St Mirren the opposition. It finished 1-1 after extra time, with a penalty shoot-out to follow. Andy Rhodes completely psyched out the Buddies penalty takers with his antics and The Pars won 3-2 despite missing two of their own penalties. A dull 0-0 stalemate at home to St Johnstone completed the month`s fixtures.
One piece of news which put The Pars in the spotlight was the award to Andy Rhodes of the Uhlsport Goalkeeper of the Year. This was a national competition, run by Shoot magazine and presided over by former West Ham goalie Phil Parkes. Andy beat Aston Villa`s Nigel Spink, who was second, and Arsenal`s David Seaman, who was third, to win the accolade as the most consistent keeper in Britain over the year. He was, in fact, watched on three occasions by England manager Graham Taylor.
September started well with a 3-1 win at home to Dundee United in the League Cup, but this was followed by a 3-0 defeat at Tannadice as the lousy League form continued. Airdrie inflicted a 2-1 defeat at East End Park. That was it for Iain Munro; few fans regretted his departure. Motherwell carried on the misery by winning 3-0 at Fir Park. The board announced Jocky Scott as the new manager. He, like Munro, had been a fine player and was highly regarded as a coach. Time would tell if he could combine this skill with man management. The Pars scraped through the League Cup semi-final against Airdrie on penalties at Tynecastle. Norrie McCathie scored the decisive penalty after John Watson had missed his kick for Airdrie. The month finished with another thumping in the League, this time by 4-1, at home against St Mirren.
October arrived with the awful displays continuing unabated. A 3-0 defeat at Easter Road was followed by a 4-0 mauling from Falkirk at East End Park. The leaking defence improved slightly, but another defeat followed, this time 1-0 at Tynecastle. I had decided to give Jocky a chance and ended my boycott. I was rewarded by an improved performance and a 0-0 draw at home to Aberdeen. Then it was off to Hampden for the League Cup Final, our first final since 1968. Hibs provided the opposition. Jocky`s negative style made it a miserable afternoon. At no time did we look like scoring, never mind winning. A poor Hibs side beat an even poorer Pars team 2-0.
November featured eight matches and began with a 3-2 defeat in Perth. John Reilly and Mark Bowes made their debuts, as did new signing Hamish French, a brilliant bit of business by Jocky. Dundee United kept the misery going by winning 2-1 at East End Park, with Rab Shannon making his Pars debut, before Rangers paid a visit and strolled to a 5-0 victory, keeping Athletic bottom of the League. Game number four was away to Airdrie, who won 3-1, and the abject performances continued with a 2-1 defeat at home to Hibs. At last, on 20th November, The Pars managed their first win of the season to go with their two draws, when they beat Falkirk at Brockville, 1-0, Davie Moyes the scorer. The month`s battles continued with a 0-0 draw at home to Motherwell and concluded with a narrow 1-0 loss at Celtic Park.
December started with a 0-0 draw at Love Street but the team could not follow it up and lost 2-0 at home to Hearts. Another 0-0 draw, this time at Tannadice, and it was Rangers at Ibrox to end the year. A somewhat unlucky 2-1 defeat completed an appalling first half of the season with just the one win in the League.
The year 1992 began in dire fashion, with a 3-0 defeat at home to St Johnstone, and there was no let up as three days later Hibs ran in five without reply at Easter Road. Thank goodness for Falkirk: a 1-0 win at home, Scott Leitch the scorer, brought only the second win of the season. Dunfermline were bottom of the League, with a paltry nine points, but had moved to within three points of second bottom St Mirren, with a game in hand. It was still two points for a win. A narrow 1-0 loss at Celtic Park preceded the start of the Cup campaign, which was at Station Park, Forfar and finished 0-0.
Six games in February began with a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie. Four days later, a 3-1 win in the replay against Forfar saw The Pars progress. They celebrated this by winning 2-1 at Fir Park in the League. Any Cup dreams were extinguished when Hearts won 2-1 at East End Park, in front of a crowd of 12,822. Istvan Kozma was transferred to Liverpool, a marvellous player whose skills were wasted in Jocky Scott`s dour tactics. Two 0-0 draws completed the month`s fixtures, at home to St Mirren and to Hibernian.
March was slightly less busy, with five games beginning with a loss, 1-0 at home to Dundee United. No luck this time with Falkirk as they handed out a 2-0 defeat at Brockville. Rangers were next to dish out the misery, winning 3-1 at East End. There was to be no let up as St Johnstone won 1-0 at McDiarmid Park and Hearts, by the same score, at Tynecastle. The Pars managed a 0-0 draw at home to Aberdeen. A 3-2 defeat at Broomfield was next, but the following week brought a pleasant surprise, as Athletic beat Motherwell at East End Park. April concluded with a 2-0 loss at Celtic Park.
The month of May saw the final embarrassment of the season with a 3-1 loss in Paisley. The Pars finished bottom, with 18 points from 44 games. They won only four and lost 30. They managed just 22 goals and conceded 80. Top scorers were Davie Moyes and Scott Leitch with six each in all competitions.
The team was now on the way back down. Jocky Scott had proved even worse than Iain Munro. The style was dull, dire and dreadful. I trust that those conspirators who had engineered Jim Leishman`s removal were happy with their work.
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