The Golden Years Concerts: 20 October

Celebration of the two Scttish Cup wins (1961 and 1968), as well as a number of European campaigns, including the defeats of Everton, Valencia, Olympiakos and Bordeaux.

The Carnegie Hall witnessed both a matinee and an evening performance of a new ‘Director’s Cut’ of the ever-popular ‘Golden Years’ dvd, featuring original film footage of the halcyon years of Dunfermline Athletic in the 1960s.

Setting the scene for the film were Fife’s answer to ‘Saint and Greavsie’, being Bonar Mercer and Roy Barry. Roy effortlessly recalled story after story of events at the Club, including the cup run which led to the 1968 triumph and him lifting the Scottish Cup at Hampden Park. It was an absolute treat to listen to their banter.

The photograph above with kind permission of The Courier shows Dunfermline legends Roy Barry and Bonar Mercer, as well as Bob Rendall from Yes-U-Are and Donald Adamson of Dunfermline Athletic Heritage Trust, with the Scottish Cup (courtesy of the Scottish Football Association).

The film had been edited into two halves of 45 minutes by courtesy of Talisman Films Scotland. It covered the two cup wins (1961 and 1968), as well as a number of European campaigns, including the defeats of Everton, Valencia, Olympiakos and Bordeaux. Perhaps the climax was the European Cup-Winners’ Cup game against Slovan Bratislava.

As the film came to an end, the Dunfermline Town Band marched in playing ‘The Happy Wanderer’ as it had first done in the High Street in 1961. Remarkably, three members of the band could claim to have been there fifty-four years ago. Following the band down the aisle, Scottish Cup winning Captain of 1968, Roy Barry, brought the Scottish Cup back to Dunfermline.

Thanks are due to Frank Connelly of Dynamic Dunfermline, the staff of the Carnegie Hall, and John Simpson, Kenny McLachlan, and Donald Adamson (who chaired the shows) of Dunfermline Athletic Heritage Trust.

Profits will be split between Yes-U-Are and Dunfermline Athletic Heritage Trust.

Yes-U-Are is a charity which has bought and is restoring the Erskine Church as the base for a range of volunteer-led programmes which will greatly benefit the community of West Fife.

Dunfermline Athletic Heritage Trust protects and enhances the tangible and intangible heritage of Dunfermline Athletic.