Greg moves on

Greg expands on his feelings and thoughts on leaving Dunfermline Athletic after 237 appearances over seven and a half year service.

Following the announcement on 25th May that Greg Shields would be allowed to leave Dunfermline Athletic, he gave an in depth interview exclusively for www.dafc.co.uk. Greg expands on his feelings and thoughts after leaving the Club after seven and a half year service:-

"I was contacted a couple of months ago regarding the job in America. They were really keen for me to go out and have a look at the area, so Lorraine and I went out for five days earlier this month to do that and check the team out.It was an opportunity that we took and when we came back I was offered a deal that I am now considering."

Although Greg had the option of another year with Dunfermline Athletic as a consequence of the amount of games he played last season, the opportunity arose to go to Carolina Railroaders in America and Dunfermline Athletic allowed him to go out and assess his options. Greg leaves after serving a significant period in the history of the Club:-

"It's been seven and a half years and probably the Club has achieved a lot in the last five years since I have been there. We have been involved in three Finals in that time and I have been involved in two of them and been part of the squad before that.That's probably something that I would never have had and I have got to be grateful for that.

"The best I have probably felt was the first Cup Final under Jim Leishman. You dream about getting to Cup Finals and it was great, albeit we got beat three nil. Then to do it again two years later, you think you will never get another chance, but we did under Stephen Kenny.

"I have worked under some great Managers, from Bert Paton and Dick Campbell, Jimmy Calderwood, Davie Hay, Leish, Stephen Kenny and Macca. Hopefully that will put me in good stead for the future if I want to go into the coaching side of things. They have all helped me over the years.

"I spoke to Mr Masterton and John Yorkston and thanked them for all the things they have done for us and the supporters have been great as well. The supporters have been great to me over the years, Macca is a good young Manager, and people probably don't realise that.

"From last season to this season he's probably done better, he's got to a quarter final and semi final of the two big Cups and probably next year he'll be looking to go one better.  He'll be minus three or four of the experienced guys that he had this year to rely on, but on saying that - it is a challenge for him."

Greg wishes Macca all the best for next season:-

"I hope that his squad comes together and he signs the right players to replace these old boys!  He is young but he is very thorough in what he does and last year we had the video analysis. It was the first time we have had that at Dunfermline.  It was great.  He would go on about, in his words,  'picking the bones' out of games and it does.  If you had a nightmare or did something great then, when you would got there on a Monday morning, he would show you. Here's hoping that it helps the club more next season. I've only ever had that at Charlton Athletic and they used to give you the video away with everything you had done in the game.

"When you are younger it can be quite embarrassing if you do something bad but you don't realise at the time that it is trying to help you.  I always liked his training, he's a bit of a fitness freak like myself and he was always in the gym.  He knows what he is doing and he's got ideas of what he wants to do, so here's hoping that it all comes right for him next season."

Looking back instead of forward Greg admitted that life at East End had been stuffed full of real characters:-

"I was at the PFA dinner last week and Allan Moore was there.  He said to me 'I was knackered when I used to play with you, I put years on your career, I did all your work!'  Looking back, he did help me a lot in my first year at Dunfermline, me being young it was good to have an experienced guy playing in front of you.  Although you don't have a chance to say anything at the time, he did have a bearing on my career in my first year at Dunfermline.

"Even Harry Curran, who wasn't a particular fans favourite, as a player you missed him if he wasn't playing.  He was a Gary Mason type of player, a player's player.  Even the controversial Dave Barnett, I got on well with him and Scott McCulloch, these are they guys you still keep in touch with."

Scott McCulloch also made a big impact in the Shields life being there constantly:-

"Any time you ever need anyone, you know that Scott's going to be there.  When Lorraine and I bought a house in Carnock, Scott had a house there as well and Nipper moved in and stayed for 6 years - he couldn't kick him out!  These are the kind of guys that are always there for you.  Nipper always says that it was him that got me my move to Charlton!"

Dick Campbell gave Greg a great grounding:-

"I never had a clue what to do defensively when I came here from Rangers, but Dick made sure that I was out most afternoons helping me positionally. After that I got on great, he got me spot on and I have a lot to thank him for.

"Probably the best player I have played with at Dunfermline is Craig Brewster.  Even playing against him; probably he was one of the best players to play against us last season.  He's turned into a very good friend of mine, we speak nearly every week to one another.

"I've played with Scott Wilson since we were about 12 years of age, from boys club right through.  In a couple of months, it could be that I am nearer to him than you are here in Dunfermline!  We're great mates, and will always keep in touch.  It's so easy nowadays to do so.

"Andy Smith is another player that springs to mind, he had a great season when he got capped for Scotland B.  I used to just kick the ball up the park and he would score.  Allan Moore says that his days at Dunfermline were the best years of his career.

Gerry Britton was another character. I remember I had a brand new spanking car and he threw a handful of sand at a player but missed and it landed on the boot of my car.  When he started to wipe it off, it was scratching me new car!  When I saw him at Partick Thistle, he said to me that the first thing that came into his mind when he saw me was that escapade with the sand, and he couldn't look at me right.  At the time he was killing himself laughing!!!  He was certainly the joker in the dressing room and he's not changed much.

"Nipper is the joker now (or was). Greg is not sure who will take over that mantle now, although he did say that there will probably be a competition now in the dressing room with who wears the best gear, between Homer, Nicky Phinn and Calum Woods.

"Nipper and Dinger were the life and soul of the dressing room.  It will certainly be quieter now that they are gone.It was a great bunch of boys this year, it was probably the best bunch of boys that I have been involved with.  No divide, everybody got on well together.  It was just unfortunate that we couldn't do it on a Saturday.

"You get your critics and that's part and parcel of football but I would like to think that over the years myself and even all three of us (Scott Wilson and Scott Thomson) have tried our hardest for Dunfermline -albeit we may have had a few shockers along the way - but I could maybe count the number of real shockers I have had on one hand, nevertheless I have enjoyed it.  My whole family support Dunfermline now and it will be the first result I will look out for. We will always go back to watch them

"It is probably the end of an era.  You get rid of older players and hopefully the next batch of players that come in will be just as good for the Club as what we were for the Club."

So if Greg ends up in the States what could he possibly miss about East End Park?

"I'll probably miss the whole getting up and going to play there. I've made 237 appearances, it's a big part.It's getting up and not preparing and not driving up to East End Park, it's going to be different.  Now you are a fan.

"There are a lot of people who work at the club you are pals with like Kevin and Willie, the groundsmen, - it goes unrecognised what they do,Kenny Arnott, and the backroom staff up there who do work hard.  The work does go on and I hope the supporters do come and watch them. I will miss the fans as the over the years they have been good to me."

Now able to look at the First Division more objectively Greg considers every opponent as 'decent':-

"I said that last year. I think they are like for like, it's the hardest league I have been in.  Everybody is capable of beating anybody.At one stage we could have finished 9th but ended up in 3rd, it's one of the tightest leagues."

Greg is of the opinion that the Scottish Premierleague should be bigger to accommodate teams like Dunfermline, Dundee, Partick Thistle etc.  This season it was Caley who took the drop, but next season it could be St Mirren, Motherwell or Falkirk to come down after spending a few years in the top division.  It's difficult to get out of the First Division."

Whilst Dunfermline have what seem like long trips up the A9 to Inverness/ Dingwall, west down the M77 to Somerset Park and south via the M74 to Dumfries, Greg could be flying to the likes of Vancouver, Montreal, Boston, Arizona, Miami:-

"It's exciting thinking about that.  It would be an opportunity for me and my family."