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Bert Paton was appointed Dunfermline manager in the close season of 1993, at a time when the board was under
increasing pressure, following the unpopular stewardship of Jocky Scott. Dunfermline had missed out on the
two promotion places that season, ignominiously losing at home to relegated Cowdenbeath on the second last match of
the season.
Paton's first season, like them all, was to be dramatic. Needing to beat Airdrie in the penultimate match, a tragic Neale Cooper own goal
gave them a draw and put Falkirk to the top. After two years of just missing out, Pars fans had
another long, hard season on the lower division to endure.
Paton's second season was to begin with a visit to the side against whom it all went so badly wrong three months
previously, Airdrie. Another draw didn't exactly set the heather alight, but the season which followed was to have it's highs
and, again, it's major lows. A 5-2 win at Starks Park, on the week the Rovers got through to the League Cup Final, was one
of the major highs. But the second visit of the season to the venue, was to seal the teams fate
for the second year running. As with the previous season, it was the penultimate game. Again, a draw was to prove critical and put Rovers into an uncatchable
lead, condemning us to a play-off with Aberdeen, which Pars lost.
Then came season three 1995/96, a season which will go down as one of most dramatic ever seen
at East End Park. An epic battle with former giants Dundee Utd, surprisingly relegated the previous season, was to consume
the Dunfermline public throughout the season. But sadly it was events off the park which grabbed even
more of the headlines, with the tragic death of pars skipper Norrie McCathie. Dunfermline were to
pull through, defeating Dundee Utd at Tannadice, and taking the league title a week later, against Airdrie
at East End Park.
After four long years in the lower league, Bert Paton's men finally had a chance to show what they could
do against the 'big boys'. And what a great job they made of it. Bert's fourth season was to
be pars best league performance in 18 years. In addition Dunfermline reached the semi-final of
the League Cup, and, even better, defeated the Rovers four times. Despite having to live with constant media
criticism about our style of play, Bert never flinched. get the ball up the field was the motto
and it worked great style. Other highlights included two big defeats of Aberdeen (revenge for the play-off). Finally, Pars ended
up in fifth place, just missing a european place and leaving Aberdeen, Kilmarnock, Motherwell and Hibs
in their slip stream.
Needless to say, emulating the previous year's performance was going to prove impossible. Avoiding relegation was to be the
priority. early in the season, though, it didn't look this way. a sensational win at Celtic Park
set up an unlikely top-of-the-table clash with Hibs, five weeks into the season. A heavy defeat, was
to prove the beginning of the end for any title aspirations we may have harboured. Pars were to
have the last laugh on Hibs though, the Leith side going down. Highlights of the season included
another Semi-Final appearance in the League Cup, a rare shut-out against Rangers at Ibrox and spoiling
Celtic title party with Craig Falconbridge's memorable equaliser at East End Park. Dunfermline finally
avoided relegation with seven points to spare. And so to this season. many new faces were brought in during the close season. But a miserable run with only two wins, one a dramatic, live TV match with Dundee Utd, have left the side bottom of the league. Finally, on the 5th of January 1999, Bert Paton decided he had had enough, and stepped down to make way for a new man at the helm. At time of writing his assistant Dick Campbell is in temporary charge.
The statistics show that Bert Paton has been one of Dunfermline's most successful managers. Two season's in particular, 1995/96 (the last in the First division)
and 1996/97 (the first in the premier) stand out. Bert Paton will be warmly remembered by Pars fans, and greatly missed.
Paton's Playing CareerBert Paton spent all of his senior playing career with his home town club, Dunfermline Athletic. He was signed as a teenager by Jock Stein in 1961, having spent a short time with Leeds Utd. Bert played for the Pars for eight years, and took part in all the major occasions, winning a Scottish Cup winners medal in 1968. A leg break in 1969, ended his playing career, and forced him to launch himself into the coaching and management side of the game.Paton's Management CareerBert Paton's first mangerial appointment was as assistant at Raith Rovers. His first job as manager in his own right was at Cowdenbeath, where he spent a short time before being lured back as No 1 at Starks Park. Paton then took up the appointment as assistant manager of Hearts, before linking up with former Pars team-mate, Alex Totten (initially at Dumbarton, then latterly at St Johnstone). Totten's surprise dismissal from St Johnstone (when the team were sitting in the top half of the Premier League), ended the partnership, and Paton spent some time out of senior football. By 1993, Paton was managing junior side Rosyth recreation, when the Dunfermline board, under great pressure from the fans, dismissed boss, Jocky Scott.
And the rest, as they say, is history...
Paton's RecordUnder Bert Paton, Dunfermline played 245 games, winning 110.The full summary of the team's performance since the summer of '93, is as follows. P W D L F A Success 245 110 64 71 412 320 58.0% |