Dunfermline`s previous Scottish Cup Finals

1961 and 1968 are years well reknowned in Dunfermline Athletic`s history. Winning the cup in 61 and 68 saw the players of that era become club legends. This year, Pars players have the chance to follow in their famous footsteps.

1965 3-2 defeat to Celtic

Back in 1961, Dunfermline were a small club going in against the giants of Glasgow Celtic as massive underdogs. Good to see that some things have not changed in 43 years!

After winning their semi final (after a replay...) against St Mirren, Dunfermline took to the field for their first ever Scottish Cup final on the 22nd of April 1961.

The match, in front of a crowd of over 113,000 saw Dunfermline bombarded for the most part. However, Celtic failed to get the ball past the simply inspirational Eddie Connachan in the Pars goal. He stopped EVERYTHING that afternoon and won a replay for the Pars almost single handedly, if you`ll pardon the pun.

After having held Celtic to a 0-0 draw in the first match, the replay was seen as even more of a formality. After all, clubs only ever get one chance of beating the big boys do they not?

The replay took place on the following Wednesday night, a crowd of over 88,000 stood on the Hampden terraces (no mean feat for a quickly arranged midweek replay)

Once again, Connachan played like a man possessed in the Dunfermline goals. 0-0 at half time and Jock Stein must have inspired the troops during the interval.

Whatever Stein said during the break, worked.

Dave Thomson happened to be in the right place, at the right time, in the 67th minute. At the recent Legends Reunited event, Thomson was very modest about his role in the final, and commented that he simply had the easy task of tucking the ball away after all the hard work by others.

He certainly was, and for the first time in the tie, a goal had been scored. Bookies would no doubt have had long odds on the day for Thomson of Dunfermline being the man to break the deadlock.

With time running out, Celtic pushed on more and more, just to find Connachan simply unbeatable. Dunfermline`s all time record goalscorer completed his, and the club`s, meteoric rise to fame by grabbing one of his 239 goals for Dunfermline with just two minutes remaining.

Celtic were beaten, and Dunfermline won the first major trophy in their history. Famous pictures now adorn East End Park, with Connachan being held high upon the shoulders of his team mates. Jock Stein had rapidly climbed the managerial ladder and was now a household name throughout Scotland.

An open top bus journey through Dunfermline followed, as the underdogs revelled in their huge success. A near ten year success story followed the cup win as Dunfermline became a force not just in Scotland, but throughout Europe as well.

By 1965, Dunfermline were an establised club on the European circuit and also challenging in the last rounds of the cup on an almost annual basis. Jock Stein had moved onto Hibs (before heading to Celtic) and his coach Willie Cunningham, who had played in the 1961 final, became a young Pars manager during a crucial time for the club.

Challenging on all fronts, Dunfermline went into the cup final on a bit of a low. A 1-1 draw at home to lowly St Johnstone had ruined Dunfermline`s chances of becoming Scottish League champions. A win would have seen them tie on points with both Kilmarnock and Hearts. However, Dunfermline`s far superior goal average (this was before the days of goal difference) would have seen them champions if they won their matches against St Johnstone and Celtic, who were way down in eighth.

Stein has gone on record saying that the 1965 cup final was a real turning point for Celtic. Had they lost the match to Dunfermline, it is entirely possible the side would have been broken up and would never have gone onto win the European Cup in 1967. Unfortunately for us, they did not lose.....

Harry Melrose scored early in the tie and Dunfermline were leading for most of the match. Alex Ferguson, top scorer in 1965, was sensationally dropped for the final after missing chances against St Johnstone the previous week. John McLaughlin was second top scorer and added another to his tally in the 43rd minute giving Dunfermline the lead at half time.

However, Celtic finished the match much stronger and a late Billy McNeill header won the cup final for Celtic, by three goals to two.

The now meaningless league game against Celtic followed a week later, Dunfermline won the game 5-1 at East End Park, meaning just that one point prevented The Pars becoming Scottish champions for what would have still been the only time in history.......

Cunningham had moved on by the time of the next cup final and Wee Team manager George Farm was a surprise choice of replacement for many.

Farm was appointed just before the 1967/68 season, and few could have predicted how it would end.

An incredible 2-0 win at the home of the European Champions, Celtic Park, in the first round of the Scottish Cup rekindled fond memories of cup success. A struggle to beat St Johnstone (again after a replay) in the semi final led to Dunfermline actually being strong favourites, for once, in the final against Hearts.

Ex Jambo Roy Barry was now the Dunfermline captain and ex Par George Miller (who had played back in the 1961 win) was captain of Hearts!

Hampden Park on the 27th April 1968 was the time and place and Dunfermline lined up with the following side:

Bent Martin, Willie Callaghan, John Lunn, John McGarty, Roy Barry, Tom Callaghan, Ian Lister, Bert Paton, Pat Gardner, Hugh Robertson, Alec Edwards. Sub was Jimmy Thomson

After a poor first half, the game suddenly came to life in the second half.

Dunfermline had all the pressure and finally took the lead after 56 minutes. An Ian Lister free kick was parried and the ball fell to Pat Gardner to shoot sweetly on the volley.

Three minutes later and the Pars were awarded a penalty after the Cruickshank in the Hearts goal brought down Bert Paton.

Ian Lister had scored the cruicial goal in the semi final replay and duly converted a penalty in the final.

Hearts pulled a goal back after the unfortunate John Lunn turned a Hearts cross past Martin, however, Gardner restored Dunfermline`s two goal advantage when he scored the third goal to give us a famous 3-1 victory and a second Scottish Cup triumph.

All of this is now in the past, of course, and today`s squad have their chance to equal the wins of 1961 and 1968 on Saturday afternoon.

Celtic are in their 51st Scottish Cup final and will no doubt have plenty more to savour in years to come. After a wait of 36 years for just their fourth final, Dunfermline truly do have the chance to become legends in just a few days time.

Go for it lads.

(Team news and a full match preview will follow later in the week)