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DADSC will be holding a bucket collection on Sunday 10 March (10.30-3.30) at the front door of Asda St Leonards. If you would like to help for part of that time, even just half-an-hour or so, it would be much appreciated - please get in touch with me or come along on the day. And if you are shopping at Asda St Leonards in those times, please bring some spare cash with you (but we`ll also have a card reader so there really is no escape!) All money raised will go into the DADSC First Floor Access Fund. [i][/i]

We're really glad the event went so well and was appreciated by fans of both clubs. Those who took part were (as Digs said) absolutely buzzing about the whole experience, and they got to keep their shirts as mementos of the occasion. There's now an article and some of Craig Brown's pics on the DAFC official website: https://dafc.co.uk/cafe-week-of-action-2024/

Huge thanks tonight to the Pars supporters for the magnificent applause and encouragement they gave to those taking part in the half-time exhibition match. The players and their families were buzzing afterwards about the whole experience. For those who missed the tannoy announcement, the teams were from The Pars Foundation and Fairway Fife, a local charity which helps those living with learning disabilities or autism to live independent lives. The Pars Foundation works with Fairway Fife to deliver a weekly two-hour coaching session aimed at helping participants develop relationships with others and increase their confidence. This evening's event was co-ordinated by Graham Ross, DAFC's Disability Access Officer, as part of the 2024 Week of Action arranged by football clubs all over Europe by CAFE (Centre for Access to Football in Europe), whose aim is to maximise access to football for those living with a physical or mental disability. DAFC and DADSC have an excellent relationship with CAFE, and we have fully supported the initiative for several years - punching well above our weight if truth be told! #TotalAccess A couple of quick pics from tonight are shown below:

Looks like the Bonus Ball for tonight was 42, so the person who had that number will be the winner of the shirt etc. We'll send the winner an email to confirm this and to arrange collection/delivery. Many, many thanks to everyone who took part - sorry to those who weren't quick enough off the mark to get a number. All the money raised will go to the DADSC First Floor Access Fund.

After you've won it ...

With hindsight, I should probably have stuck with my original plan to price the tickets at £10 each - double the money for DADSC and probably more fans getting the opportunity to buy tickets. I just thought that with the current squeeze on people's personal finances, and the current negative vibes around DAFC, there might have been a reluctance to pay as much - I should have known better, as anyone who was at Hampden in 2004 will know how they felt at half-time and would want to re-live that feeling.

In case anyone who has been allocated a number is worried there might be a glitch in the system, there isn't - Raymie was kidding ...

Well, you won't win with that number!!!! I'll get the IT Crowd to look into it, I think you should have got 35. (I hope the whole system hasn't gone wrong!!!!)

That`s all 59 tickets sold, thank you for an amazing response. You should already have received an acknowledgment of your order, and very soon you`ll be sent a randomly allocated number in the range 1-59. This will be checked against the Bonus Ball in the National Lottery draw this Wednesday (7 February) and after that I`ll be in touch with the winner to arrange delivery/collection of the framed shirt and photo. At a time when things are a bit tough for DAFC it`s great to look back on that wonderful day at Hampden in 2004. Perhaps one day we`ll do it again! The draw has delivered £295 (less a little in Stripe fees) to DADSC, which will take our funds to around £73k. That`s just a little short of our increased target of £75k, which should be reached in the next few months. This is a tremendous achievement and results from the generosity of Pars fans and many others with no connection to DAFC. Thank you.

EDITED - ALL TICKETS NOW SOLD, THANK YOU. TICKETS ONLY £5 EACH! Dunfermline Athletic Disabled Supporters’ Club (DADSC) has received this magnificent framed DAFC 2004 Cup Final shirt* with a photo of the Pars goal celebration, both signed personally by ANDRIUS SKERLA. You could become the owner yourself (or use it as a Valentine’s Day gift for the Pars fan in your life), by entering a draw based on the National Lottery Lotto Bonus Ball. Each entry is £5, and when all 59 slots are taken it will be announced on this thread and each purchaser will be allocated a random number between 1 and 59. On the subsequent National Lottery Lotto draw date the winner will be the person whose allocated number matches the Bonus Ball number. We expect demand for tickets to be high, so don’t delay. All proceeds will go to the DADSC First Floor Access Fund. To take part in the draw just follow the card payment link below to pay £5 per ticket (buy as many as you want!) and have a chance of winning this framed shirt and photo – a memento of one of the best moments in recent Pars history. https://fifepay.co.uk/checkout/dadsc-bonusball-2004framedshirt * DADSC cannot guarantee that this is the actual shirt worn by Andrius Skerla in the 2004 final, although it is quite possible. It was very generously donated to DADSC by Pars fan Matthew Lafferty, who won it several years ago in a lottery run by the Elizabethan Supporters’ Club. [i][/i]

Sadly no, as they don't fund capital projects. Also I think our purpose of getting access to function suites etc is at best borderline eligible anyway - they seem to be aiming at improving the ability of disadvantaged people to deal with financial matters. However, thanks for the suggestion -we're always on the lookout for people with money who want to give it away. :)

Once again in 2024 the Benefact Group is donating thousands of pounds to UK charities, in six bi-monthly draws. Please click on the link to nominate DADSC - the form is partly completed so it will only take you a minute (and cost you nothing!) The more nominations we receive, the greater the chance of winning, and the first draw takes place on 29 January - so fill the form in NOW, please! Thanks for your support. http://tinyurl.com/2p8dx9s6

Terrific, well done.

Dunfermline Athletic Disabled Supporters’ Club (DADSC) was shocked and saddened by the death on Sunday of our Treasurer, Roger Hyde, after a very short illness. As well as being a lifelong Pars fan, Roger had been the DADSC Treasurer since 2016, and carefully managed our funds as they grew from about £1000 to over £72,000. We are now within touching distance of our target for funding work to make the 1st Floor function suites at KDM Group East End Park accessible to people with mobility issues - a project Roger was passionate about. Much more importantly, he was a loving husband, father and grandfather to his wife Christine, his children Alan, Lorraine and Nicola, and his grandchildren Kirsten, Graeme, Amy, Rachel, Fraser and Adam, who are all devastated by the news - our thoughts go out to them. Roger was a good man, and we will all miss him.

Not at all - you can post whatever you want to. Bouncing ideas off each other is a good way to advance knowledge. But don't be surprised or upset if your opinion is ignored or rejected by somebody in possession of more facts or expertise on the subject. One problem with individuals posting on the internet is that there is no editorial or quality control on their content. So anyone can pronounce on any subject and even if it is nonsense it can be read by millions before someone with actual expertise has a chance to repudiate it.

It's part of the jobs of McPake and Mackay to know far more than anyone on this (or any other) forum about the quality of the players we've got and the relative quality of who else might be available. They are probably being deluged already by CVs from agents. If they decide to stick with who they have for the rest of the season I'm happy with that, but if they choose to add someone that's fine too - either option is a gamble. I would just expect them to make the decision on facts and not on emotional cries from fans that we "need" to sign somebody - our opinions are usually formed without knowing the full facts.

The tactic that was so successful for Mehmet last season (ie NOT coming out for cross balls and leaving them to the central defence) worked well when Bene and Breen were there. Unfortunately, it is not as effective when the central defence is Hamilton and Otoo - those two guys have done brilliantly in the position, much better than i expected them to, but quite simply they don't have the physical presence of Bene and Breen. That's nobody's fault, but hopefully Mehmet will feel more secure when the regular central defence is back.

For me, Sneddon's save was the decisive moment in the match - had that shot gone in then with the momentum we had I think we would have got a second goal at least. Interestingly, there were several Thistle fans on their own forum before the game who were complaining about Sneddon's performance in the Raith game, and saying he should be dropped.

I think the clubs will ignore the fans' wishes, reckoning that they'll finish up supporting them anyway - and if the diehards don't there will be plenty of armchair fans who will..

You may well be right, and if so it will be part of the club's communication strategy to get everybody buying into the model and going in the same direction, which IMO is a good thing - "Pars United" and all that.

Pedants'R'Us has posted this ... Broadly correct, as the English name harks back to the club's foundation by British migrant workers and young Basques who had studied in Britain. The name change at Franco's behest in 1941 was to "Atlético", and they reverted to "Athletic Club" in 1972*, which was before Franco died in 1975. (Info from Athletic's website.) *By that time Franco was increasingly gaga, so probably nobody told him...

Magnificent effort by everyone involved, well done and thank you. All this money goes to DADSC`s First Floor Access Fund, which is now at almost £72.5k and getting very near to the increased target we set ourselves of £75,000. Anyone who wants to help us reach the target can now contribute by credit or debit card via THIS LINK

For anyone interested in going I now have a complete list of prices, which range from £545 to £645 depending on the type of ferry cabin and hotel room, and how many people are sharing - superb value for the quality of the tour and the expertise of the MBT guides. Single cabins/rooms are also available - but at a premium.

Would any Pars fan be willing to travel to France with McCrae's Battalion Trust (MBT) and represent Dunfermline Athletic at the twentieth anniversary of the commemoration cairn in Contalmaison? McCrae's Battalion (16th Royal Scots) was "Scotland's Sporting Battalion" in WW1, containing footballers from several clubs (notably Hearts but also Dunfermline, Hibs, Raith Rovers, Falkirk, East Fife and St Bernard's), as well as athletes from many other sports. The Battle of the Somme began on 1 July 1916 (the darkest day in British Army history, with 20,000 deaths) and amid the slaughter some men from McCrae's Battalion reached the village of Contalmaison, the deepest advance into enemy-held territory. In 2004 a memorial cairn was erected in Contalmaison and on 1 July every year a service is held there, with the villagers welcoming pilgrims to remember the sacrifices on both sides. For the last few years a wreath has been laid there by a supporter of Dunfermline Athletic, and McCrae's Battalion Trust would very much like this tradition to continue. The MBT bus leaves Edinburgh on 29 June, returning 4 July - the itinerary for this year's pilgrimage is below. Places fill up rapidly, so if you want to go please contact Jack Alexander ASAP on 07876 106509 or jack@mccraesbattaliontrust.org.uk Jack can provide prices and available variations if you choose to share hotel or ferry accommodation. I have been to Contalmaison a few times, and from personal experience the whole MBT trip is hugely enjoyable, deeply moving, always interesting and highly recommended. Send me a DM if you want more information about what is involved. MBT 2024 Circulation ITINERARY.pdf