My Favourite Pars Matches

“Season 1949/50 League Cup Final V East Fife”, by JD

Aged 7 I can recall being taken to East End by my Dad during the first season after WW2, 1945-46. At that time there were two Scottish Leagues of 16 teams each, Division A and Division B. We were in the B League.

There was also Division C which included Brechin City, East Stirlingshire, Edinburgh City, Forfar Athletic, Leith Athletic and Montrose plus a few reserve teams. Berwick Rangers joined in 1951 by which time Leith was dropping out.

I recall only two names from my first match, Willie Allan the goalie, and left-half Jimmy Ellis who I think worked in the Dockyard.

The team gradually improved and by April 1949, DAFC and Raith Rovers met for the last game of the season at Kirkcaldy in the knowledge that the winner would be promoted to Division A. Sadly early on Pars goalie Jim Michie had to leave the field with a broken arm which was to end his career. No substitutes were allowed then so forward Willie Keith went in goal and Raith won 4-0 against ten men. Heart-breaking!

In 1949/50 from Division B, the Pars reached the final of the Scottish League Cup. In the semi they beat a high-flying Hibs 2-1 at Tynecastle thanks to two fine goals by Gerry Mayes. The fans were in a state of disbelief and a Sunday newspaper headline read, ‘Hibs lost in Mayes!’

The final was at Hampden against A Division’s East Fife but the goalkeeping jinx struck again because George Johnstone, our captain and goalie, lost his father during the eve of the match after two or three nights during which George had been keeping vigil, with little sleep. There was a question mark over whether he should play and Tiger Houston very inexperienced, was standing by. In the event George did play but East Fife scored three early before easing off and 3-0 was the final score.

Our team read:
Johnstone
Kirk and McLean
McCall, Clarkson, Whyte
Mayes, Cannon, Henderson, McGairy, Smith.

Manager was ex-referee Webber Lees.

The players I remember most from that time were Bobby Kirk, a small but very competent right-back who moved up to Hearts., big Jimmy Clarkson, the lanky effective centre-half, wing-halves Davie Noble and Andy Whyte, inside-forwards Willie Keith and Jimmy Cannon, a superb dribbler, plus of course the lethal Gerry Mayes, a utility forward. Willie McSeveney was a useful and versatile player.

During the 1950s two youngsters arrived, Ronnie Mailer and Charlie Dickson, both to become Pars legends.

From 1951 to 1956, when I left Dunfermline for National Service, I recall three goalies, Joe Mackin, John Smith and Jim Benson, all sound keepers who could show today’s goalies how to deal with high crosses from either wing - no flapping, just catch the ball at the first attempt!

I was in Rhodesia when the Cup was won in 1961 and I bought cakes for my 30 odd colleagues at work in Bulawayo - none of the female staff could understand what I was celebrating, but they did eat all the cakes!