SCOTTISH LEAGUE ONE
Dunfermline Athletic... 1 Forfar Athletic... 3
Saturday 25th April 2015
@ East End Park Stadium, Dunfermline
Kick Off 15:00
LOCAL HISTORY
Alighting the train at Dunfermline's Town railway station I couldn't resist a stroll to Dunfermline Abbey, even though it was in the opposite direction to East End Park I felt a need to view and picture another one of Scotland's fine cultural buildings. The Abbey has been part of Scottish religious history since the reign of King David I almost 900 years ago and the foundation is said to have been even earlier than that and dates to the reign of King Malcolm III (1058-93).
It is the last resting place of one of Scotland's national hero's Robert the Bruce AKA King Robert I (1274-1329). Bruce seized claim to the Scottish thrown after his father died in 1304 and after bloody conflict with fellow Scottish enemies and the English was crowned king of Scots on March 25th 1306. He was defeated in battle by Edward I's army and driven into exile but returned a year later to gain revenge on the English in the battle at Loudoun Hill and wage a successful guerilla war campaign against the English and Scottish enemies to maintain Scotland's status of an independent nation.
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| Abbey view from car park |
Robert the Bruce died in 1329 and his body was buried under
the choir at the site of the old Abbey and re-interred under the pulpit in the new abbey when the skeleton was discovered in 1800's. The pulpit has since been moved back and a brass monumental plate inserted to locate the Royal volt. Although his body rests in Dunfermline Abbey his heart belongs to Melrose as it was cut out, embalmed and interred at Melrose Abbey after being taken to the crusades in the Holy land by his friend and lieutenant Sir James Douglas. Douglas only reached as far as Granada where he was slain in the siege of Teba and his body along with the heart of Robert the Bruce were transported back to Scotland.
ORIGIN AND BRIEF HISTORY
In 1874 Dunfermline cricket club decided to take up football as a means of keeping fit in the winter months but then after eleven years disputes raged within the club and the footballers split from their cricket roots and formed Dunfermline Athletic on the 2nd June 1885. They were initially playing their home games at Ladysmill (McKane Park) but since the split switched to East End park which was just West of where the ground of the same name stands today.
As you can see in the picture (right), their kit bears no resemblance in style or colour to one worn these days, in fact the kit worn by Forfar who were also formed in 1885 is more the colour of Dunfermline's current kit.
The Pars, which is the nickname that Dunfermline are known by, played their first game eleven days after formation against Edinburgh University beating them 2-1 at East End park. The club grew in stature and finally became a professional outfit at the turn of the twentieth century.
Their most successful period came in the 1960's when under the managerial influence of the great Jock Stein they won the Scottish cup in 1961 beating Celtic 2-0 in a replay at Hampden Park after the first game finished 0-0. Then in 1968 they repeated the feat whilst managed by George Farm when they beat Hearts 3-1 again at Hampden Park.
This led to a UEFA cup winners cup appearance the following year when they were beaten semi- finalists against Slovan Bratislava losing 1-0 in Czechoslovakia after a 1-1 draw at East End Park. The Czechs went on to win the trophy beating Barcelona 3-2 at the St Jacob Stadium in Basel.
RUN UP TO THE GAME
Dunfermline travelled to Glebe Park home of Brechin City last Saturday and came away with a 3-0 defeat. Things started to go wrong for the Pars in the 13th minute when Ross Millen their 20 year old defender was sent off for violent conduct, this is the second time Millen has seen red this season after being sent off against Stranraer at the end of August. John Potter makes five changes from last weekend, out are Ryan Scully, Ross Millen (suspended), Gregory Buchanan, Ryan Thomson and Allan Smith. Replacing them are Jamie Wilson in goal, Ryan Williamson, Declan O'Kane, Josh Falkingham and Faissal El Bakhtaoui. Dunfermline lie seventh in the table safe from relegation but with no chance of a play off place.
Forfar also played away last Saturday at Balmoor Stadium, Peterhead and lost 1-0 meaning that they switched places at the top once more with fellow automatic promotion contenders Stranraer. Dick Campbell makes three changes Stuart Malcolm for Iain Campbell, Danny Denholm for Omar Kader and Stephen Husband for Derek Young. The Sky Blues currently hold second spot with a great chance of automatic promotion but if the Loons were to loose today and Stranraer win their home game against Morton then they would have to settle for the play off's.
THE MATCH
It looked a bit like Dunfermline were an experimental side inexperienced and thrown together. Their naivety at the back especially from their young goalkeeper cost them the first goal in the eighth minute when a free kick from thirty yards out taken by Martin Fotheringham was curled inside the keepers near side post with the keeper near the back post watching for in coming opponents.
Eleven minutes later and it was 2-0 when a ball played over the Pars defence which were all in Forfar's half of the pitch left Chris Templeman all on his own running on goal, by the time he rounded the keeper the defence had caught up with him but he calmly beat one defender and tucked the ball past Wilson who was trying to re position himself.
In the thirty sixth minute Forfar had put the game beyond Dunfermline with a third, Templeman was about to tee himself up for a shot at goal when he was pushed in the back and over by Finn Graham and the referee had no hesitation and pointed to the penalty spot. Dale Hilson stepped up and finished with aplomb.
From what I saw in the first half I knew that this result was sealed but it was a matter of how Forfar would play out the game, would they carry on and take the game to Dunfermline further or would they just try to contain what they had and if I were a betting man then I would have won for I had a feeling that it would be the latter. The Pars came in to the game and pushed for goals with their talented young striker Faissal El Bakhtaoui leading the way. He came close to scoring half way through the second spell with a volley that was hit into the ground which brought a fine reflex save out of Rob Douglas in the Forfar goal. But Douglas had no chance in the 77th minute when Bakhtaoui jinked his way into the opposition penalty area and curled a left foot shot into the far corner of the net.
A disappointing ending to Dunfermline's home fixture list for the season but at least they'll live to fight another year in league one but they will have to improve vastly if they want to avoid relegation next season.
THE EAST END PARK EXPERIENCE
The weather forecast predicted rain for today and so we had quite a nice sunny day with just a few drops of rain. Dunfermline is a quaint little town steeped in it's nations history with the abbey on the hill and a host of past Scottish kings buried within and around it. The football ground carries on the theme of quaintness although it is looking rather tired and in need of a little tarting up, TLC. I got quite a shock when I went round the back of the north stand and saw the cemetery, I posted a picture of it on Facebook and commented that I hope it wasn't reserved for the away fans.
East End Park is a 12,500 all seated Stadium built in 1885 but vastly improved in later years
especially toward the end of the twentieth century. The main (South) stand is two tiered and fully covered and runs down the side of the pitch as does the North stand which is a small single tiered stand and also fully covered. At the two ends are the Norrie McCathie and the East stand which are very similar, they are both one tiered, fully covered and very steep looking stands.
I watched the game from the South stand up with the Gods in row Z or S as it's known at East End Park. I had to ask the steward where row S was for I couldn't find it and he was baffled too and showed me to a seat with the right number, 113, but with a heading of row R but still it didn't matter as there was no one within thirty feet of me anyway and so I could have sat anywhere. In fact I did change seats as there was a big cooling fan behind me blowing cold air and it was bloody freezing.
The seats were quite comfortable and roomy, well it would be with no one sitting next to you and the toilets were clean and modern with blue and white patterned tiles on the walls, very nice.
The crowd atmosphere was wonderful in the away end but in the home section, well, I can only liken it to the neighbours behind the North stand. I did find it hard when they booed and jeered their team off the pitch at half time.
The cafeteria is basic but the drinks are wet and the hot ones are so hot they take the roof of your mouth off and I don't recommend the sausage rolls for they are small, hard and at £2 a piece very unappetizing.
It cost me £17 for my seat the view was good apart from a great big girder beam that obscured my sight of the centre circle but it wasn't too bad, it could have been a lot worse like at Luton.
Match Details
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| Front view of Abbey |
ORIGIN AND BRIEF HISTORY
In 1874 Dunfermline cricket club decided to take up football as a means of keeping fit in the winter months but then after eleven years disputes raged within the club and the footballers split from their cricket roots and formed Dunfermline Athletic on the 2nd June 1885. They were initially playing their home games at Ladysmill (McKane Park) but since the split switched to East End park which was just West of where the ground of the same name stands today.
The Pars, which is the nickname that Dunfermline are known by, played their first game eleven days after formation against Edinburgh University beating them 2-1 at East End park. The club grew in stature and finally became a professional outfit at the turn of the twentieth century.
Their most successful period came in the 1960's when under the managerial influence of the great Jock Stein they won the Scottish cup in 1961 beating Celtic 2-0 in a replay at Hampden Park after the first game finished 0-0. Then in 1968 they repeated the feat whilst managed by George Farm when they beat Hearts 3-1 again at Hampden Park.
This led to a UEFA cup winners cup appearance the following year when they were beaten semi- finalists against Slovan Bratislava losing 1-0 in Czechoslovakia after a 1-1 draw at East End Park. The Czechs went on to win the trophy beating Barcelona 3-2 at the St Jacob Stadium in Basel.
RUN UP TO THE GAME
Dunfermline travelled to Glebe Park home of Brechin City last Saturday and came away with a 3-0 defeat. Things started to go wrong for the Pars in the 13th minute when Ross Millen their 20 year old defender was sent off for violent conduct, this is the second time Millen has seen red this season after being sent off against Stranraer at the end of August. John Potter makes five changes from last weekend, out are Ryan Scully, Ross Millen (suspended), Gregory Buchanan, Ryan Thomson and Allan Smith. Replacing them are Jamie Wilson in goal, Ryan Williamson, Declan O'Kane, Josh Falkingham and Faissal El Bakhtaoui. Dunfermline lie seventh in the table safe from relegation but with no chance of a play off place.
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| View as you approach the ground from Sinclair island |
THE MATCH
It looked a bit like Dunfermline were an experimental side inexperienced and thrown together. Their naivety at the back especially from their young goalkeeper cost them the first goal in the eighth minute when a free kick from thirty yards out taken by Martin Fotheringham was curled inside the keepers near side post with the keeper near the back post watching for in coming opponents.
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| Forfar defend a free kick during first half |
In the thirty sixth minute Forfar had put the game beyond Dunfermline with a third, Templeman was about to tee himself up for a shot at goal when he was pushed in the back and over by Finn Graham and the referee had no hesitation and pointed to the penalty spot. Dale Hilson stepped up and finished with aplomb.
From what I saw in the first half I knew that this result was sealed but it was a matter of how Forfar would play out the game, would they carry on and take the game to Dunfermline further or would they just try to contain what they had and if I were a betting man then I would have won for I had a feeling that it would be the latter. The Pars came in to the game and pushed for goals with their talented young striker Faissal El Bakhtaoui leading the way. He came close to scoring half way through the second spell with a volley that was hit into the ground which brought a fine reflex save out of Rob Douglas in the Forfar goal. But Douglas had no chance in the 77th minute when Bakhtaoui jinked his way into the opposition penalty area and curled a left foot shot into the far corner of the net.
A disappointing ending to Dunfermline's home fixture list for the season but at least they'll live to fight another year in league one but they will have to improve vastly if they want to avoid relegation next season.
THE EAST END PARK EXPERIENCE
The weather forecast predicted rain for today and so we had quite a nice sunny day with just a few drops of rain. Dunfermline is a quaint little town steeped in it's nations history with the abbey on the hill and a host of past Scottish kings buried within and around it. The football ground carries on the theme of quaintness although it is looking rather tired and in need of a little tarting up, TLC. I got quite a shock when I went round the back of the north stand and saw the cemetery, I posted a picture of it on Facebook and commented that I hope it wasn't reserved for the away fans.
East End Park is a 12,500 all seated Stadium built in 1885 but vastly improved in later years
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| You can see the graveyard at the back of the North stand |
I watched the game from the South stand up with the Gods in row Z or S as it's known at East End Park. I had to ask the steward where row S was for I couldn't find it and he was baffled too and showed me to a seat with the right number, 113, but with a heading of row R but still it didn't matter as there was no one within thirty feet of me anyway and so I could have sat anywhere. In fact I did change seats as there was a big cooling fan behind me blowing cold air and it was bloody freezing.
 |
| Welcoming plaque at corner of main stand |
The crowd atmosphere was wonderful in the away end but in the home section, well, I can only liken it to the neighbours behind the North stand. I did find it hard when they booed and jeered their team off the pitch at half time.
The cafeteria is basic but the drinks are wet and the hot ones are so hot they take the roof of your mouth off and I don't recommend the sausage rolls for they are small, hard and at £2 a piece very unappetizing.
It cost me £17 for my seat the view was good apart from a great big girder beam that obscured my sight of the centre circle but it wasn't too bad, it could have been a lot worse like at Luton.
Match Details
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