Dunfermline Athletic F.C.
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| Full name | Dunfermline Athletic Football Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | The Pars | ||
| Founded | 2 June 1885 | ||
| Ground | East End Park Dunfermline Fife | ||
| Capacity | 12,000 | ||
| Chairman |  John Yorkston | ||
| Manager |  Stephen Kenny | ||
| League | Scottish First Division | ||
| 2006-07 | SPL, 12th | ||
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Dunfermline Athletic Football Club is a Scottish football team based in Dunfermline, Fife. They play at East End Park and are nicknamed The Pars. They are currently managed by Stephen Kenny (interview), who joined the club from Derry City. The previous manager Jim Leishman resigned on October 25, 2006, but remained as the director of football. After seven consecutive seasons in the SPL, the club was relegated to the Scottish First Division on 12 May 2007. In the same month, Dunfermline lost their 3rd major final in as many years (losing to Celtic in the Scottish Cup final on May 27 2007). Since Celtic had already qualified for Europe by winning the SPL, Dunfermline will therefore compete in the 2007-08 UEFA Cup, thus managing the notable feat of being relegated and qualifying for Europe in the same season. They have luckily retained some of their better players.
Success in the 1960s
Dunfermline Athletic won the Scottish Cup in 1961 and 1968, and played regular European football in the UEFA and European Cup Winners Cups throughout the 60s and early 70s. They reached the semi-final of the European Cup Winners Cup in season 68-69, losing 1-2 on aggregate to eventual winners Slovan Bratislava. On the way to the semi-final they beat APOEL, Olympiacos and West Bromwich Albion.In 1962 they reached the Cup-Winners Cup Quarter Finals. On they way they beat St. Patricks Athletic of Ireland and FK Vardar of Yugoslavia.
Dunfermline in the Scottish Premier League (2000-2007)
The club's 7 year stay in the SPL between 2000-2001 and 2006-07 was brought to an end on 12 May 2007 as they were relegated after losing 2-1 away to Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Their seven year stay proved to be patchy but endured some fine seasons. 2002-2003 saw them finish 5th, their highest position yet with Stephen Crawford scoring a whopping 19 goals. The following season, Dunfermline did even better finishing 4th place as well as reaching the final of the Scottish Cup which also in addition saw them qualify for the UEFA Cup. It was at this point after a fine season for the small club that saw Manager, Jimmy Calderwood and assistant Jimmy Nicholl leave the club to turn the fortunes of rivals, Aberdeen who themselves had finished in a paltry 11th place finish. This proved to be a downfall in the fortunes of the club. In 2004-2005 under the newly appointed David Hay the team ended up in the lower half of the SPL which led to Hay being sacked.Jim Leishman who was promoted to the manager's job for a second spell during April 2005 helped the team avoid relegation. However a year later brought another equally disapointing season during 2005-2006 including an embarrassing 8-1 home defeat against Celtic F.C. in February 2006, Dunfermline's worst defeat since the formation of the SPL in 1998. This was in a season when the Pars also reached the final of the Scottish League Cup known as the 'CIS' Cup losing 3-0 to Celtic F.C. at Hampden Park. 2006-07 proved to be a bad start and Leishman returned to his job upstairs with Stephen Kenny appointed as the new manager in October 2006. However he could not turn round the fortunes of the club nor repeat Calderwood's success in the league as neither could the previous two managers. Rivals Falkirk FC completed an embarrassing whitewash against the pars in the 06-07 season. Perhaps the sales of star players such as Stephen Crawford, Craig Brewster and Barry Nicholson in the preceding season were key to losing the battle to avoid relegation. The team also attracted low SPL attendances during their stay in the top flight with chairman, John Yorkston trying to convince many fans to come and watch.
Origins of nickname
According to Black and White Magic, a 1984 book about the club by Jim Paterson and Douglas Scott, there are numerous theories as to the origin of the club's nickname, the Pars. The authors wrote:
Most tend to confirm the more common belief that the name arose from the team's parallel striped shirts, their drinking habits or their style of play. The latter were both described as "paralytic". The earliest theory claims that in the early days when the Football Club was closely connected with the Cricket Club, the footballers were renowned for their performances at the bar and so were called the "Paralytics".
However in the early 1900s it is known that Athletic's nickname was the "Dumps" - shortened from Dunfermline - and this is said to have been coined by English sailors visiting East End Park when their ship docked at Rosyth. After the 1914-18 War they were known as the Pars and some believe the parallel black and white stripes to be the reason.
Another school of thought involves English workers who came to work at the armaments depot at Crombie and at Rosyth Dockyard; they kept their association with their local team by forming the Plymouth Argyle (Rosyth) Supporters Club and it is said that the Dunfermline nickname comes from the banners in evidence around the ground.
Although almost certainly coincidental, there is also a curious resemblance to Dùn Phàrlain, which is the Gaelic name for Dunfermline.
Songs
Like other football clubs, Dunfermline has a number of songs and anthems. This was changed for Stephen Kenny's first official match in charge against Aberdeen to Teenage Kicks by The Undertones, the song which Derry City run out to.
Foreign fields
Dunfermline Athletic have played competitive European matches in the following countries:
Managers
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Club records
- Highest home attendance: 27,816 vs Celtic, 1968
- Biggest league win: 11-2 vs. Stenhousemuir, 1930
- Biggest league defeat: 10-0 vs. Dundee, 22 March 1947]]
- Biggest all-time defeat: 17-2 vs. Clackmannan, Midland League, 1891
- Most capped player: Colin Miller 16 (Canada), 1995-1998
- Most appearances: Norrie McCathie, 576 (497 league), 1981-1996
- Most career goals : Charles Dickson, 212 (154 league), 1955-1964
- Record transfer free paid: £540,000 to Girondins de Bordeaux for Istvan Kozma, 9 August 1989
- Record transfer free received: £650,000 from Celtic for Jackie McNamara, 4 October 1995
Notable Players
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Current squad (season 2007-2008)
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Honours
- First Division (2) - 1989, 1996
- Second Division (2) - 1926, 1986
- Scottish Cup (2) - 1961, 1968; Runners-up (3) - 1965, 2004, 2007
- Scottish League Cup - Runners-up 1950, 1992, 2006
- Cup Winner's Cup semi-finalists 1969
- Cup Winner's Cup quarter-finalists 1962
- Inter Cities Fairs Cup quarter-finalists 1965-1966