Season 5 (1987/88) - "We'll Be Back"

This season was one of the most enjoyable campaigns Dunfermline had fought. Leishman knew that a side which had been playing in the Second Division only 15 months before was going to struggle in the top league. Reconstruction would make things even harder for the newcomers. A complicated arrangement the previous season had seen 2 teams promoted but none relegated. This season one team would be promoted from the lower league and three would go down, to restore the Premier Division to 10 teams. To strengthen the team for the challenges to follow Leishman made several important signings. Defender Graeme Robertson was signed from Queen of the South, and namesake Craig, from Raith Rovers. And the experienced George Cowie arrived from Hearts.

The new season was to begin on Saturday 8th August, at home to Hibs. A crowd of over 11,000 (the highest attendance for a league match at East End Park for more than a decade) were to witness a thrilling encounter. After only 7 minutes, centre-back Dave Young was to claim the honour of being the first Pars scorer in the top league since 1975. The same player was to head in a late equaliser after Hibs had led 3-2. Two more draws, at Love Street and Brockville, were to follow. Then came the first "big" match, when Dunfermline played host to Celtic.

Like Dunfermline, Celtic were unbeaten. In this, their Centenary season, they were to lose only 3 matches. This was to be one of them. Jim Leishman had sent the players out with his version of Martin Luther King's "I have a Dream" speech. After barely 2 minutes the dream became real, as Craig Robertson shocked the Celtic faithful with the opening goal. An equaliser from the penalty spot sent the teams in level at half-time. Early in the second half Eric Ferguson put Pars back in front. For the rest of the match Dunfermline held out against a Celtic onslaught, Ian Westwater playing one of the games of his life, until finally the final whistle blew.

The victory sent fans into fantasyland. After rising from the Second to Premier Division in successive years, could Dunfermline be about to take the top league by storm? Dreams of trophy's and European competition began to take root. Sadly, the following seven days were to prove that some things really do only happen in Roy of the Rovers.

After defeating East Stirling in the League Cup the previous week, Dunfermline were drawn to play the other half of the Old Firm in the Second Round. Rangers, though, were to prove a far more difficult proposition. Dunfermline lost 4-1, and never really looked like getting anything from a game in which they were truly outclassed. The result, though, could have been written off to experience, one of these things that would be quickly forgotten before the next match, were it not for the news that fans had been dreading - the following day Ian McCall was transferred to Rangers.

Affectionately known as Diego, the stocky number 10, was indeed reminiscent of his more famous Argentinian counterpart. Ian McCall was the most talented player to play for Dunfermline for many years. In just over a year he had become something of a legend among the East End faithful, and even though his fee was to provide much needed cash to strengthen the team, it was galling to see him plucked from the club just as we were beginning to to see him at his best.

The following Saturday, Dunfermline lost heavily at Dens Park and the depression intensified. Consecutive defeats by Motherwell and Rangers, were to follow, but now Leishman began to spend the money received for McCall.

New signings Billy Kirkwood, John Holt, Gary Riddell and Bobby Smith, were to prove invaluable in a 4-1 win over Morton in mid-September. A month later Mark Smith was signed from Celtic. The newcomers were to replace several of the players who had brought they club up from the Second Division. Bobby Forrest was soon to leave, and fans favourites such as Steve Morrison, Grant Jenkins and Dave Young were rarely to feature again. But with the introduction of Ross Jack, in late October, another Pars legend was to be born.

A succession of defeats was to see Dunfermline struggling once more, but victories against Morton and St Mirren kept us in the fray. In early December goalkeeper, Ian Westwater, was injured in a car accident, and succession of on-loan keepers were to wynd their way to East End Park. Former Dundee keeper Tom Carson, was to stand in during December, during which time Dunfermline were to pick up 3 valuable points. A 2-2 draw at Ibrox, just before Christmas, was a welcome, if unexpected, bonus.

At the turn of the year, Dunfermline were lying third bottom of the league. A dismal run of defeats was to herald the new year, but some relief was anticipated in the Scottish Cup, when the third round draw presented us with a home draw against Ayr United.

Under manager Ally MacLeod, Ayr United were riding high in the second division, and it was to take Dunfermline two attempts to clear this awkward hurdle. The fourth round was to give Dunfermline a home tie against Rangers. Graeme Souness's multi-million pound side, had won the League the previous season, but had ignominiously went out of the Cup at home to Hamilton. Ironically, Hamilton's goalkeeper that day, Dave McKellor, was Dunfermline's latest stand-in keeper.

Dunfermline had lost heavily in three previous matches with the Ibrox side this season, and were to be totally written off by the media. But the 2-2 draw was still fresh in the mind, and Jim Leishman was to predict a 2-1 Pars win, much to the amusement of the so-called experts. In the end, the victory was to be by an even bigger margin. The 19,360 crowd was barely in the ground when Mark Smith took the ball down the touchline and hoisted it into the box. Rangers keeper, Chris Woods, came off his line to cut it out, only to see it slice off Smith's boot and loop over him into the net, for one of the most amazing goals ever seen at East End Park. The misery for Rangers was to continue with the sending-off of their influential midfielder John Brown just before half-time. A well worked corner, was to bring Pars a second goal, just after the interval. John Watson latched onto a neat flick from Mark Smith to head Dunfermline into a 2-0 lead, and send Rangers crashing out of the Cup.

By the time Dunfermline faced Hearts in the next round, the goalkeeping berth was to be filled by Dutchman, Hans Segers, later to achieve notoriety with Nottingham Forest. When Segers appeared as codefendant alongside Bruce Grobbelar, accused of throwing matches in a betting scandal, there were many Pars fans who ruefully pondered his performance in this match against Hearts. Dunfermline lost 0-3, finding themselves outclassed by the Tynecastle side.

League business was again to take precedence. A series of defeats had left the side in a precarious position, though there was still a chance to avoid relegation, if they could catch Motherwell. An incredible 6-1 win over Dundee (the club's biggest ever Premier win), was followed by a 3-0 victory at Cappielow. This was to set up a do-or-die visit to Fir Park, on Saturday 26th March 1988.

It looked as if Dunfermline's good run of form was to continue, as they charged into a 2-0 half-time lead. But a disastrous 2 minute spell early in the second half, saw Motherwell pull back both goals, and from there all was lost. Motherwell scored again to win 3-2. Although it was not mathematically over, any serious thoughts of avoiding the drop evaporated with this defeat.

Ironically, relegation was to be officially confirmed on the day of a rare victory, at home to St Mirren. In a television interview, Jim Leishman was to admit to mistakes, but in typically defiant mood, he predicted that the Pars would return to the Premier League, and that they would be "going for Europe the next time".

The season was to end at Parkhead, on a day of celebrations for Celtic. Defeat was to place Dunfermline in 11th place (second bottom). They would be joined in the First Division by Morton and Falkirk. It was Morton, of course, with whom Pars had battled for promotion the previous year. In the season to come, the battle would be with Falkirk. It would be long, it would be intense, and it would engage the Pars in one of their most memorable seasons ever.