Dunfermline Athletic was founded on 2 June 1885 in the town of the same name in Fife, Scotland. On 2 June 2027 the Pars turn 142. This is the club where Jock Stein took his first step as a manager, and where Alex Ferguson and David Moyes once played.

From cricket to football

It all started at a cricket club. Around 1874 Dunfermline Cricket Club set up a football section to keep its players fit over the winter.

Only members of the club could play in that section, though. After disagreements over this, the footballers left and, following meetings in May and June 1885, founded their own club on 2 June.

The first match was played on 13 June 1885, a 2-1 win over Edinburgh University. The club stayed amateur until 1899 and joined the Scottish Football League in 1912.

Maroon, blue and finally black and white

Black and white was not the first colour. In the first match of 1885 the players wore maroon shirts with blue shorts, and according to Wikipedia maroon lasted until 1901, when blue took over.

The black and white vertical stripes appeared in 1909, when the club joined the Central League. They have been its identity ever since, with a few exceptions, such as the all-white shirt of 1971-72, a year of deep financial crisis.

In 1958-59 came the narrow candy stripes, the club's best-loved design. It has returned several times, and for the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Scottish Cup a faithful reproduction was released.

Why they are called the Pars

The nickname "The Pars" appeared after the First World War, and sources disagree on where it came from. One theory links it to the "parallel" black and white stripes, another to the parr, a young salmon with dark vertical markings.

The club's Heritage Trust, however, leans towards a less flattering version. The team played so badly that people called it "Dunfermline Paralytics", and the name was shortened to Pars. Today it is said with affection.

King Malcolm's tower

The triangular crest was designed in 1957 by Colin Dymock, an art teacher at the town's high school. At its centre stands Malcolm Canmore's Tower, which also appears on Dunfermline's coat of arms.

The night scene refers to Pittencrieff Park and the green base to the ground. That ground is East End Park, where the club has played since 1885, although the original pitch lay slightly further west.

The attendance record is still the 27,816 who watched the match against Celtic on 30 April 1968.

The golden years and the big names

In March 1960 Jock Stein took over, in his first job as a manager. A year later Dunfermline won the 1961 Scottish Cup, beating Celtic 2-0 in a replayed final.

In the 1962-63 Fairs Cup they knocked out Everton and beat Valencia 6-2 at home, but went out in a play-off. In 1968, with George Farm on the bench, a second Scottish Cup followed with a 3-1 win over Hearts.

The next season they reached the semi-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup, after getting past APOEL, Olympiacos and West Brom. There they fell 2-1 on aggregate to Slovan Bratislava, who went on to lift the trophy.

The striped shirt was worn by Alex Ferguson, with 66 goals in 89 matches, and by David Moyes. Captain Norrie McCathie made 576 appearances, and a stand at the ground now carries his name.

Celebrate with us

From the maroon of 1885 to the candy stripes of the cup years, Dunfermline shows that a small town can write a big history. Happy 142nd birthday to the Pars!

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: East End Park from the Norrie McCathie Stand – Exxy, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.