Dunfermline

Beginning (1885–1959)

Dunfermline Football Club was formed in 1874, when members of Dunfermline Cricket Club decided to establish a football section, with the intention of maintaining fitness during the winter. A dispute over club membership caused some members to split away from Dunfermline Cricket Club, which resulted in the creation of Dunfermline Athletic Football Club on 2 June 1885. The club became the principal football club in Dunfermline and their first twenty-five years saw them compete primarily as an amateur team, until they turned professional in 1899. The club first entered into the Scottish Football League in 1912 where they took part in the Scottish Division Two. The fifty years following the club's admittance to the SFL saw little success, with the side most frequently playing in the second tier, with occasional appearances in the top flight.

Stein and Farm (1960–1970)

Dunfermline's finest period came during the sixties. After being appointed manager on 14 March 1960 and saving the club from relegation to Scottish Division Two, Jock Stein – in his first managerial appointment – guided the Pars to their first major piece of silverware, winning the Scottish Cup in 1961 after just thirteen months in charge.

The years which followed saw Dunfermline consistently competing in European competitions, reaching the semi-finals of the 1968–69 European Cup Winners' Cup under George Farm. Although they lost by one goal on aggregate to eventual winners Slovan Bratislava, it remains the greatest achievement in Dunfermline's history. This followed Farm managing Dunfermline to their second Scottish Cup victory, winning the competition in 1968.

Since 1970

After a period of decline during the 1970s and much of the 1980s, the club returned to the top tier in 1987 under club legend Jim Leishman, although they were subsequently relegated after just one season. The following years saw a similar pattern, with a handful of promotions and relegations throughout the 1990s. It was during this period that the club were rocked by the loss of club captain Norrie McCathie, who died on 8 January 1996 by carbon monoxide poisoning.

The appointment of John Yorkston as chairman and the involvement of Gavin Masterton in 1999 saw the club enter a period of resurgence, with two Scottish Cup final appearances in 2004 and 2007, a Scottish League Cup final in 2006, as well as two short-lived excursions in the UEFA Cup in 2004 and 2007. In 2012 it emerged that the club had a number of outstanding tax bills with HMRC following the financial mismanagement of the football club by Yorkston and Masterton. The club were put into administration on 11 April 2013 and after a points deduction, were relegated to the third tier for the first time since 1986.

The club were then taken over by the fans group Pars United, and after three years in the League One, eventually won promotion back to the Scottish Championship under manager Allan Johnston. Former striker Stevie Crawford was appointed head coach at the beginning of 2019, following a restructure that introduced Jackie McNamara as technical consultant and Greg Shields as assistant head coach.

Following Crawford's resignation at the end of the 2020–21 season, the club appointed Peter Grant as manager. Grant was sacked after five months in charge with the club winless and bottom of the league. John "Yogi" Hughes replaced Grant but ultimately failed to keep Dunfermline in the league, with the club relegated to League One after losing to Queen's Park in the end of season play-offs. Dunfermline began life in League One by appointing former Dundee boss James McPake as manager on a two year deal, with Dave Mackay joining as assistant. McPake brought instant success with the Pars winning the league by 14 points and losing only one league game all season.