Formation of Dunfermline Athletic Heritage Trust

A new heritage trust has been formed designed to preserve and enhance the heritage of Dunfermline Athletic FC.

The football club has been an important part of life for the communities of West Fife since 1885.
The Dunfermline Athletic Heritage Trust has exciting plans for the future which will contribute to the vitality of the cultural life of Dunfermline, and already has a number of projects underway already.

Duncan Simpson, Chairman of the Trust, as well as being Club Historian, said “These are exciting times for those interested in Dunfermline Athletic. The near loss of such an important local institution a couple of years ago reinforced its importance in the eyes of many. We have therefore set up a Heritage Trust which will develop exhibitions and events, a virtual museum (and in due course a physical one), record the visual history of the Club, develop and make accessible a complete statistical history of Dunfermline Athletic, and preserve memories of players and supporters alike.

"One exciting development is that the existing tangible heritage of the Club, such as cups, shields, presentation items, pennants and memorabilia of all kinds is now being made much more accessible to the general public by things like free tours of the stadium and also a growing schools engagement programme which includes access to such objects and a discussion around their importance for school children. Indeed there is a free temporary exhibition on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 March, adjacent to the Club Shop at East End Park, drawing on material from the collection.

"We have already held one well attended World War I day in 2014, as many players, supporters and citizens of West Fife fought and died in the conflict, and we plan an exhibition on the Club’s 130 years of History shortly. Equally we have already begun recording video interviews of former players and supporters and many more are planned. For the first time, the club’s photographic record has been digitised and is in good order, and we have a complete record of all memorabilia transferred to the Trust from the Club in October.”

John Simpson, Secretary of the Trust said

"We are very grateful to our group of volunteers and Trustees who have worked so hard to get us here. Equally we have strong support from people like Dr Ian Anderson, Director of Museum Studies at the University of Glasgow, and also Lesley Botten of the Dunfermline Museum. The Trust has been supported by companies like Co-operative Funeralcare, Guard Archaeology and the Abbot Brewhouse. We would love to get more people involved, and opportunities exist in many areas. We would especially like to hear from people with museum and exhibition experience. They should contact me at enquiries@daht.org.uk .”

Ross McArthur, Managing Director of Dunfermline Athletic, said:-

"We want to root the Club ever more strongly in the Communities of West Fife but the Board of DAFC is fully occupied with the creation of an efficient and well-run Club in all aspects. It is tremendous that we have supporters who care sufficiently about the heritage and history of this great Fife institution to spend considerable amounts of time, effort and money, through an independent Trust, in preserving and enhancing a story that has gone on for 130 years.”