Pars boosted by power of the Big Mac

McDonalds customers have contributed over £3000 to the Dunfermline Athletic coffers over the last year in the three McDonalds outlets in Dunfermline.

McDonalds customers have contributed over £3000 to the Dunfermline Athletic coffers over the last year in collecting cans left at the point of sale in the three McDonalds outlets in Dunfermline. This is a huge proportion of the £12000 collected in this way since the Pars entered its period of uncertainty.

Interim Chairman Bob Garmory called this a "wonderful effort" while speaking to the website at the Fife Leisure Park McDonalds on Thursday afternoon. He added:-

"The main thing for me is that this demonstrates the place that the football club has in the community.

"A lot of people feel that Dunfermline Athletic Football Club is worth saving and they are doing what they can to do that.

 "As a local business McDonalds have recognised that Dunfermline is a brand that they want to be associated with, it is great because I have to say in the past that has not always been the case."

McDonalds have their own designated charity and DAFC did present a signed strip for them to use to further its aims but still managed to do their bit for the Pars. Bob praised his Manager for sending two of his first team squad up to McDonalds after training on Thursday.

"By sending Danny Grainger and Stephen Husband to meet fans and sign autographs shows the new level of commitment that the club has towards those who are prepared to help. In the past others who have been prepared to help have either been rebuffed or they have not been recognised. I don't think that is the way with Dunfermline Athletic Football Club now. If that is ever the case then they should phone me and tell me.

"I'd love those ethics at every place that we get support so that in some way we recognise their efforts.

"There are many other things that the club can do to recognise the support that we have received.

"That might be providing people with signed footballs or shirts for their charity or it may be that we give them some mention at our games as one of the contributing organisations. It is right that we should do so with McDonalds."

McDonalds manager Graham Spence (pictured here) added:-
"It has been fantastic, the customers obviously take to it really well from when we first started doing it in Dunfermline High Street and then rolled it out to the other restaurants as well. It is a Dunfermline community and in the local community we are happy to help.

"I see there is success everywhere else with more and more cans going out. McDonalds have always been involved in football, there us a long running history being involved in local football and grassroots football."

The McDonalds website has only eight navigation bars but one of those is for "football". Here they demonstrate that interest in youth football with McDonalds KickStart helping young players shine. Graham continued:-

"People are already thinking about football when they are in McDonalds; we already have leaflets about football and we help several smaller clubs out within the Dunfermline area as well. When you take that into consideration people are willing to give because they can see the good that it does for the local community and obviously that has been a media success story - the Keep the Pars and Save the Pars campaigns."