Those European Nights: Slovan Bratislava (Czechoslovakia) and Orgryte (Sweden)

The next set of prints in the `Those European Nights` series feature Slovan Bratislava in 1969 and Orgryte Sweden in 1964.

By purchasing these prints you will help the future of the Club as all profits go to help finance the Youth Academy.

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European Series: Slovan Bratislava and Orgryte Sweden

Pick up at East End Park to be decided.
Contact Brian for local pick up.

A crowd of 20,000 witnessed Dunfermline Athletic take on Slovan Bratislava on 9 April 1969 in the semi-final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final. It was a massive game for both clubs. In an open game, with chances at both ends, Slovan impressed.

However, just before half-time, Edwards swung in a free-kick and Fraser got his head to it. The ball was knocked down to Bertie Paton who cut it back to Jim Fraser who cooly hit it into the net. East End Park erupted. Dunfermline went looking for a second goal but with just a few minutes to go, Moder of Slovan Bratislava calmly played a lob which put the winger Capkovic through on Duff in the Dunfermline goal.

The winger chipped the ball over Duff’s head for the crucial equaliser. 1-1 it finished.

In Bratislava, on 23 April 1969, Alex Camaron reported on a “charade of booting and brawling, punching and pulling, most of which was condoned by the disgracefully weak Yugoslav referee”. Slovan scored a good goal in 24 minutes with the goal coming from Capkovic who had scored at East End Park.

Thereafter the game degenerated amidst smoke bombs and an extremely rugged defence from Slovan. Matters got even more difficult for Dunfermline when Gardner was sent off after 58 minutes. Even moving Roy Barry to centre-forward couldn’t produce a goal. Slovan Bratislava won 1-0 and were in the final of the Cup Winners’ Cup where they would meet and beat Barcelona.

The 13th of October 1964 saw Dunfermline Athletic meet Orgryte of Sweden in the opening round of the European Fairs’ Cup at East End Park. The Swedish team featured five internationalists including Agne Simonsson, formerly of Real Madrid.

In an open and entertaining game, the Swedes twice took the lead through Simonsson goals, but each time Dunfermline equalised to leave it 2-2 at half time. The first half scorers were McLaughlin and Sinclair. The same pair scored in the second half, making it 4-2 to the Pars on the night.

A week later, Dunfermline travelled to Gothenburg to play the return leg. Alex Ferguson made his European debut at the Ullevi Stadium, little dreaming that he would return there as Aberdeen Manager to lift the European Cup-Winners’ Cup. Willie Cunningham, the Pars Manager, played Alex Smith in a sweeper role and Jim Thomson as a man marker. It worked brilliantly and the well-drilled defence held the Swedes to a 0-0 draw.