Graham Shaw Returns

Former Pars favourite Graham Shaw was a guest of honour in hospitality recently and he told the story of an old flame.

Graham Shaw played for Dunfermline between 1972 and 1976 and he was guest of honour in hospitality at the recent match against Stirling Albion. Jim Leishman interviewed him in front of the guests after lunch. Leish asked Graham to recall an end of season tour to Norway and Graham immediately remembered the two of them sporting Mexican moustaches. Graham started off:-

"I remember a lot about the trip but what can I tell? We were dedicated followers of fashion and this was the top man. I think it was the last game and a reception had been put on after the game. We were all there and somehow twenty or thirty blonde Norwegian girls to come along just to chat I believe.

"We were there for half an hour to 40 minutes and there was no sign of big Leish 'where is he?'. In he comes and he had on a black and white checked suit with lapels that used blow like waves when the wind blew. 16 inch vents and 30 inch flares the boss used to call Don Juan. Anyhow he came across to where we sitting with all these Norwegian girls. It was a big long table and he slides along the table 'Hi I'm Jim'. These vents on his suit inadvertently slipped on a candle and we were seeing smoke coming up, but would tell him? We eventually threw a bottle of beer on it which was no small gesture because they were £8 a bottle."

Jim claimed it was a class suit because nobody else would wear one but then got his own back over another close season trip that saw the two of them hit the Riviera - the English Riviera, Torquay.

"There was this three tiered disco. The bottom tier was the soul club, the middle tier was pop, modern music and the top tier was heavy rock. You chatted the chicks up on all the tiers but when you are leaving there was a problem as all three of them turn up at the same time."

At the age of just 23, Graham Shaw was the oldest full time player at East End Park in season 1975-76 and he was also the club's top goalscorer with 12 goals.  Graham was 20 years of age when he signed from Musselburgh and he left Dunfermline to join the team that he had supported as a boy, Hearts.  In return Dunfermline accepted a £16,000 transfer fee.

"It was a fantastic opportunity and a great move. Having said that cameraderie was great here at Dunfermline."