Sandy McNaughton returns

"I looked on the Ayr United fans website for yesteryear and discovered that I was down as one of the worst United transfers ever!

Sandy McNaughton signed for Dunfermline in 1979 from Stenhousemuir and speaking to the Kingdom Suite audience in hospitality before the Ayr United match he confided:- "My time at Dunfermline was the best experience of my life."

That experience included taking the field wearing one of the worst haircuts ever seen at East End Park:-

"In 1980 perms were in, I decided to get this curly perm and the biggest fear I ever had was walking out in front of the North Stand and 6000 fans - we got 6000 fans at that time - they were laughing their heads off. You heard every word said."

Sandy recalled how it came about that he joined Dunfermline:-

"I went to Dunfermline for £8000 but three years later there was a Dunfermline manager who spent £500,000 on a Hungarian but I scored more goals for Dunfermline than Kozma!"

Jim Leishman could only agree "you are right but I made a £150,000 profit on Kozma!

Sandy recalled his most memorable games in a Pars strip:-

"I remember taking a penalty kick against Hibs. I shut my eyes and hammered it and Arthur Montford said 'that's the best penalty that I have ever seen since Tommy Gemmell took one in Lisbon.' I was thinking if I'd opened my eyes it would have been even better.

"I remember playing against St Johnstone and Harry Melrose who was a tremendous manager - a really good guy - you knew that you were being subbed when the board was being prepared with your number. He might have been trying to get a message through to you or whatever so out of frustration from the half way line I just hit the ball from my own half and it soared into the net from my own half and I just said 'take me off now'?"

Sandy played alongside some real Pars legends:-

"I remember we had a ballroom champion in Bonar Mercer. Nobody could believe it. Jim Bowie was a tremendous player and I had a striking partner called Mick Leonard who was just a character. There was a great team spirit at the time."

There is no doubt that Sandy was disappointed that his football career went downhill after he left Dunfermline.

"I looked on the Ayr United fans website for yesteryear and discovered that I was down as one of the worst United transfers ever. I played alongside Alan McInally and Bobby Connor; really classy players but could I score a goal? No. So the biggest regret in my life was leaving this place."