Dunfermline Athletic

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Sunday, 20th Jan 2008

Quotes from the DAFC Legends

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Roy Barry (left) and Ian Campbell

Captain of Dunfermline's 1968 Scottish Cup winning team, Roy Barry was the oldest man on the park:-

"It was absolutely wonderful to come back after all these years. Unfortunately I didn't last as long as I wanted to last, the legs kind of went but it was a great experience. It was good to see all these old guys again and they played so well I have got to say. When you see the likes of Hamish (French) coming on, he is a whippet - he just ran and ran. It was fantastic and of course Leish came on and he tells me he made three passes - that's debateable, it might have been two and a half. It's great to see the old boys again. Really really good."

Would you do it again? "Absolutely."

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Jim "Ziggy" Bowie:-

"I have watched games here but I never thought that I would be back playing on East End Park. What you have lost is your running ability - you cannot run but if you get a wee bit of space and time you can do alright. It is difficult because you are really nervous before you go on. I was more nervous before that game than before big games I played at Dunfermline.

"When you have never kicked a ball seriously for years there is potential for making a complete and utter a*** out of yourself. That's what I was nervous about."

Ziggy was instrumental in the build up to the second Dunfermline goal:-

"I just swung it to the the back post. I felt I hope I can swing my leg here and there was a bit of a stramash."

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Grant Jenkins took up the story:-

"Ross Jack headered it and it came to me and I kind of mishit it and it went to Andy Tod and he stuck it in. I thought I was going to have my moment of glory and I was already celebrating. It is twenty years since I left here and I didn't score in any game that I returned to play for St Johnstone against Dunfermline."

Kenny Ward was delighted to come through the Legends game adding:-

"I have never kicked a ball for about four years. The last time was at Stewart Petrie's Testimonial at half time. I came to Dunfermline after most of these boys here today had left but I remember playing against them all these years ago. As a local boy I used to get a lot of stick coming here with other teams. When I joined Dunfermline they took to me and probably the best spell of my career was here. I loved every minute of it today and I'm looking forward to the away leg."

Jim Leishman was a late substitute in the game but that suited him fine:-

"It was absolutely terrific to go on to the hallowed turf again. Pass completions 100%."

Leish played down any suggestion that most of the fans had turned up to see him:- "I wouldn't think so, I think Roy Barry was the man they wanted to see. It was great to see Roy Barry on the pitch again.

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"I enjoyed it, it was fantastic. It was one of the best times of my life when I was Manager of Farningham, Watson, Davie Irons and all these boys. It was terrific. It was nice to bring back Davie Westwood. He played against Cowdenbeath when we won 1-0 and that was one of the most amazing days of my life, trying to get a goalkeeper to play in that derby game.

"I wish I hadn't broken my leg and could have played longer because the best thing ever is to play. I wanted to come on for Jim Bowie because I used to take him off all the time, but they wouldn't let me. It was for a good cause as well and I would like to thank everybody who contributed to that."

Ray Farningham made 49 appearances for the Pars between 1988 and 1991. He spoke after the match:-

"That is the first time I have met up with all these boys for a long time. Honestly it was great, really good."

Ray keeps himself fit through playing 5-a-side football and works with Davie Irons at Gretna :-

"I scout for him and do match reports. I was at the Hearts v Hibs game yesterday as we have Hibs next week. I am pleased that the boys got a result yesterday against Falkirk ."

Obviously Ray's work was spot on from when he watched Falkirk but he admitted these kind of days are few and far between.

"I have not seen a lot of these boys for a good few years, we should do it a lot more often, especially when it's for a charity as well. I enjoyed it but my legs are now like jelly."

Davie Irons joined Dunfermline from Clydebank in 1988 for a fee of £65,000. Now in charge of Gretna he too was pleased with his afternoon:-

"I enjoyed it, it's nice to score on any occasion. I scored a few when I was here, but maybe not as many as I should have. I remember scoring the winner at Forfar when we won the First Division, it was the third last game of the season and it was a big win for us.

"It is always nice to meet your old colleagues because you tend to go your own way when you leave Clubs. You can bump into old faces and I keep in touch with one or two of them anyway, but generally it is nice to meet up with the lads."

Ray is one of Davie's closest friends and he added "it's nice to have him around."  Reflecting on Gretna 's win over Falkirk :-

"We needed that and it gives us a wee chance to try and stay in touch with the other teams at the bottom of the League.

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The Ajax Amateurs Captain, Cees van Oevelen thanked the Club and the organisers:-

"On behalf of Ajax we want to thank you for a very, very great experience and reception here. We saw the game yesterday which unfortunately was a defeat for the Pars but hopefully next week you will win again.

"Today was very nice as well, it was a very good experience for us to play in a Stadium. 2-2 is not a bad result for an away game, especially in the European League. I hope you raise a lot of money for the Charity."

Marco Ruitenbeek played 20 games for Ajax Amateurs before they asked him to take the team over:-

"They were boys who I knew from other teams but this is the first time that most of them have played in a Stadium. We normally play on a normal park with no Stadium. We are the amateur side of Ajax Amsterdam and only 200 metres away from the Arena.

"We only get a wee bit money from Ajax and do everything by ourselves because we are amateurs. No one in our team has played professionally.

"I played two times this season when my keeper was injured, that was the reason I played otherwise I do not play any more.

"Because we came over here to play a friendly game, they phoned me to see if it was possible to play a charity match like this. I said it was no problem and we brought some stuff from Amsterdam for the charity. That is more important than that we were playing on the pitch.The boys enjoyed it of course. "

Marco Ruitenbeek

Marco was very honest with his summation of his team's performance:-

"It was terrible because we went out the last couple of days and that is the reason that we didn't play the way we needed to play."

Marco now works in the family printing business in Weesp that he left Scottish football to run. He admits it is hard work but still enjoys it. This was Marco's first visit to Scotland since he was here to support Dunfermline in the 2007 Cup Final against Celtic.

"I was over with three friends and we stayed in Glasgow. My neighbour from where I stayed in Uddingston was our taxi driver."

Marco still looks out for Dunfermline 's fortunes:-

"I read the website. The start of the season was not very good but I hope they are coming up again because it is what the Club needs - they need to play in the Premier League. I am still in contact with Nipper, and Stevie Crawford. All the people are very nice over here and we enjoyed our weekend.

Graeme Robertson was awarded the Man of the Match award and like everyone else he was just delighted to be back at East End Park .

"We had good banter in the dressing room. I knew I was fit enough to run about because I have just been in Cyprus for two weeks training with the Livingston U19's. I did a bit of training for it and it was good to be involved.

"Overlaps were my forte, getting up and down the line, but maybe a couple of times today I didn't get back. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was great to come back. Obviously it was for a good cause.

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Graeme Robertson (left) and David Bingham

"I thought we passed the ball well, Davie Irons, David Bingham and Stevie Morrison in the middle of the park. When you have been a player you don't really lose that skill, you lose your fitness a wee bit but you don't lose that up top.They were younger players but we had a wee bit of football in us that we have always had. To get the Man of the Match award was brilliant."

Graeme Robertson is currently Head of Youth Development at Livingston taking personal charge of the squad of seventeen U19's.

44 year old twins Stewart and Bobby Dall were at Dunfermline in the early 80's. Stewart played 8 games but Bobby made 52 appearances for Dunfermline. Bobby left to go to Meadowbank and also played at Alloa under Jimmy Thomson. Stewart made one appearance for Meadowbank in a closed doors friendly against Hearts at Tynecastle and signed for them soon after. Already a dyed in the wool Jambo, Stewart was delighted to sign for Alex McDonald and Sandy Jardine. Unfortunately he immediately broke his leg, was out for 2 years and eventually was to play out his career at Newtongrange Star.

Bobby Dall played in Alloa's promotion winning team, just pipping Dunfermline and eventually went to Cowdenbeath for a season before hanging up his boots at the age of 25.

Stewart is a self employed electronics engineer and Bobby works in the security industry installing burglar alarms and cameras.They enjoy their hobby of flying helicopters.

"We played alongside Jim Bowie, Stevie Morrison, Grant Jenkins and Kenny Thomson although he wasn't playing today. He has just had a heart valve replacement.

"They were still the same guys on the park. You have always got a wee bit of touch, it's just your fitness levels that go. Your mind is telling you to do something, but your legs don't do it. It looks a lot easier sitting in the stand watching down on it.

Stewart said "If somebody asked me to do it all again next week I would put my hand up and say let's go. It was brilliant and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Bobby and I still look for the Dunfermline results. It is our first love, because it was our first professional club."

Stewart and Bobby were products of North Merchiston Boys Club for whom they played from the age of 10. Pat Stanton was the Manager who brought them to Dunfermline.



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