Pars 80s night @ The Alhambra 6th November!
Author: Jason Barber Date: Monday, 14th Sep 2009Special guests from the past and plenty of video footage as a one off celebration of Dunfermline Athletic`s rise through the leagues in the 1980s is enjoyed with players and managers from the era in attendance.
Pars - The Rollercoaster 80s will be held as a one off event in Dunfermline`s finest and newly refurbished venue, The Alhambra, on Friday 6th November. Doors open at 7pm, kick off is 7:30pm
The evening will consist of video footage along with on stage interviews with the main movers and shakers from the 1980s era. Starting with Harry Melrose who was manager on 1st January 1980 and finishing off with Jim Leishman`s time in charge at the end of the decade, the evening promises to be an ideal night out for Pars fans of all ages.
Key players from 1980 through to December 1989 will be attendance, with plenty of surprises on the guest list guaranteed. Big names, and unsung heroes, will be on stage to recall their memories of a decade when Dunfermline Athletic finally got themselves back on track after the downturn of the 1970s.
Along with Harry Melrose, the likes of Kenny Thomson and John Salton will talk through their time as Dunfermline players at the turn of the decade.
The false dawn of Pat Stanton`s era will be followed by the apathy of Tam Forsyth being in charge, which was closely followed by the then 29 year old, part time manager Jim Leishman taking over the club and pulling it out of the depths of the 2nd division literally to the top of the Premier League.
As well as live interviews with players throughout the decade, there will obviously be tributes to the players who are no longer with us but whose memory live on as wearers of Dunfermline Athletic jerseys which finally began to mean something after years of under achievement.
The Alhambra itself will be bedecked in Pars memorabilia on the evening, with scrap books and old programmes on display setting the scene and hopefully taking fans back in time to an era of terracing and hero worship that is rather sadly lacking today.
There will also be reminders of the major events in Dunfermline`s history during the decade as an introduction to the event, with the highs and lows on display to stir the memories!
However, the main focus of the evening will surely be the introduction of the players who changed the club from a part time bottom division side to one who challenged, and often beat, the top teams in Scotland. A side who rose through the divisions in successive seasons and finished only a few points behind Celtic, and a European place, at the of the decade.
Key players such as John Watson, Ross Jack, Ian Westwater, Mark Smith, Doug Rougvie, George O`Boyle and Istvan Kozma have all been contacted about attending the event and are hoping to join in the proceedings on the night.
Highs and lows will be covered, hopefully with plenty of laughs along the way.
Tickets are on sale now from Ticketmaster (booking fees apply) and cash only from The Alhambra box office (small admin fee applies) or the Dunfermline Athletic club shop, again cash only.
The weekend will be rounded off with a charity match for the Mary Leishman Foundation at East End Park on Sunday 8th November, between a Jim Leishman select and Dick Campbell select featuring players from both the 80s night and some blasts from the past who followed them during Dick and Bert`s era in the 90s. Ticets will be just £5 on the day, with numerous special guests already confirmed for the match.
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