The Roy Barry Fan Club

Football authorities across the UK will be deciding today/tomorrow whether matches are to be cancelled. If it's a 10-day official morning period then we could see the Falkirk game go as well as the Clyde game. Postponement of the Falkirk game would cost DAFC a fair amount of money as it will likely end up midweek. So I hope it goes ahead but it must be in jeopardy. Of course if we could just sign a couple of players then the time would not be entirely wasted. There are clearly going to be a range of views. My perspective is that those who want to mourn should be allowed to do so, and those who don't shouldn't have to. None of it is worth having Pars fans fall out over it. On the upside, I've just bought a Britbox subscription and have started to binge watch Bergerac, whose car I've lusted after for 40 years.

Well Parsforlife: You believe what you will. I believe that he should have fulfilled his contract or, if not, quit in May.

Essentially he declined to honour his contract. It was a two year contract with an agreed salary for that period. It is not normal (or good) practice for players (or indeed anyone) to break their contracts. My point was that he could have decided that he didn't want to play for the Club in the First Division at the point that we were relegated. That money may have allowed us to sign players who did want to play for us within the Transfer Window.

That was not Dorran's position. He had an agreed package for two years when he signed in 2021. He still had a contract until 31 May 2023 -- which he did not want to fulfil. He wasn't being offered a contract which he could accept or reject. He was seeking to terminate a contract which he had previously agreed.

On Dorrans, perhaps the most disappointing thing for me is that it took him 3 months to decide he didn't want to play for Dunfermline. On the upside, you don't want a senior player like that anywhere near the Club. Now his salary can be re-deployed towards players who do want to play for us.

Might be tempted to go with McDonald rather than Wighton, in a 4-4-2.

The whole point behind Pars United was to prevent two (or more) rival groupings in 2013. Fortunately the personalities of those involved allowed this to happen, even though people didnt really know each other very well at the start. It would seem that Partick is an example of a house divided and that is a warning to us all.

I understand that they use it for training in the week before games on grass ( mostly home games). Changing is currently at EEP for players. Kevin and Willie are cutting the grass on the two grass pitches. They use Pitreavie for training before games on artificial surfaces. If so, we should see them in Rosyth this week.

East End Park is subject to a comprehensive leasehold agreement between the shareholders of Pars United (East End Park) and DAFC Ltd. If GmbH want control they will have to buy the shareholders out and terminate the lease. I pointed out that the second tranche of investment WAS announced (I recall discussing it on this very forum), and cash WAS paid (it was announced by the Club) although as far as I know the amount has not been announced. The first tranche of investment was for 30% and was for £600k per the accounts. You might ask what the second tranche (giving them the right to a further 50%) cost, and they will either tell you or we can wait for the next set of accounts. Of course, if 30% cost £600k, then we can reasonably estimate what an additional 50% might have cost GmbH (as I note No 11 has done above). The loan note is not repayable under any circumstance and again this was made clear previously by the Club. It can never be called in as you put it. So in summary, GmbH will have paid in a substantial seven figure for control of DAFC Ltd. East End Park remains under the same ownership as previously. Operationally. DAFC controls matters within the ground under the terms of the long lease as it has done since 2013.

There seems to be some degree of misunderstanding on the financial side of things. Perhaps I could help to clarify? The initial GmbH investment was announced as 30% and the accounts very clearly indicate that they injected £600k in cash at that time. GmbH then (about a year later) made an irrevocable loan which allows them to convert the loan into a further 50% of DAFC Ltd shares when they wish. They have put the cash in for this it was announced. They do not own 25% of Pars United (East End Park) Ltd. They have a golden share which gives them 25% of the votes at an AGM or EGM, and that is a very different thing from owning 25% of the company. For example, the golden share has no rights to dividends. That golden share was designed to protect the effective owner of the football club (which is what GmbH is) in relation to the stadium. It is of course open to GmbH to offer the existing shareholders of the stadium for the 100% of ordinary share equity in their hands. This they have not done as yet. They might do so; they might not. All of the money from KDM for naming rights goes to DAFC. This is because the football club holds a long term lease on the East End Park. During that lease, the football club can call the ground what it wishes. In addition I know that the directors who live in Germany are in very close contact with their colleagues in Scotland, are intimately involved in both playing and non playing decisions and are financially supportive. In short, from a financial perspective they are to be warmly welcomed. I am glad that they are with us.

I think it is a good thing, and frankly inevitable. If the sanguine one wants to always refer to it as East End Park that's understandable. After all I refuse to call a prominent hotel on Princes Street the Balmoral. In fact I ordered a taxi to the North British only last week😃😃😃

Scott Allan also open to offers.

This is a real test against a compact, well managed team who have out-performed expectations in recent years. I expect it to be close.

Football is a funny game isn't it. We played better the previous week and could only draw. Anyway a win's a win. It is abundantly obvious that we need more players, and most of all an out and out winger. Both Edwards and MacDonald had solid games on the flanks in my view, but sadly neither produced great crosses. Defence was generally sound. Thought we dropped too deep in the last 10-15 minutes, and O'Hara has to get closer to McCann if he is going to be effective. Actually Todorov and McCann would be a handful for any team in the air. Wighton playing behind them would then be the beneficiary.

So who was Jimmy Morton? James (Jimmy) Morton was a Committee member of DAFC in 1914. He was one of many Dunfermline men who enlisted in 16 Royal Scots (better known as McCrae's Battalion) following an appeal at the Usher Hall by Sir George McCrae in November 1914. Dunfermline Athletic Heritage Trust have purchased his War Medal, Death Scroll and also his military papers. The medal, scroll and a photograph of Jimmy will be on display from next week in the Trust display cabinets which are in the foyer by the Club shop. DAFC was not incorporated until after the war as a limited company, so he was the equivalent of a Board Director today. Like today, being a Committee Member was an unpaid post. Whilst many footballers died in the war, and we are aware of another six Dunfermline Athletic men who lost their lives, it is extremely rare to have a Committee or Board Member die. Jimmy Morton is represented by one of the seven perspex silhouettes that the Heritage Trust erect on the seats at the half-way line in the North Stand every November with help from several contributors to this web-site. Jimmy worked in a linen mill, and lived in Appin Crescent. He was born in Woodmill Street, Dunfermline in 1881 and his father worked on the railway as a parcel van man. Morton was just under 5 foot 5 inches tall when he enlisted at Edinburgh in early December 1914. It should be noted that he reduced his age to thirty from thirty three on volunteering. He served in D Company, alongside Davie Izatt who was Dunfermline's left half. The battalion crossed to France in January 1916. McCrae's first casualty was Private Russell who came from the New Row Dunfermline and was Lady McCrae's nephew. The Battalion was at the epicentre of the first day of the Somme, attacking into the small village of Contalmaison and were decimated. Morton and Izatt died together. Their bodies were never recovered and they are named on the Thiepval Memorial. There is a battalion cairn in Contalmaison, and Jimmy Morton is on the Dunfermline War Memorial also. The medal, along with a Victory Medal, was issued to his parents (he never married) in 1922, and we have the receipt. We also have the Scroll issued to the families of those killed in the name of King George V. His effects from the army amounted to less than £9 in money plus a few simple items such as a shaving mirror and some postcards and letters. Lest We Forget

James McPake saying that Benedictus will be ok for next week: thank goodness. No doubt we need three or four players: goal keeper, centre back, wide player for sure.

Better in second half.

Thank goodness.

Only one chance -- McCann's header. Scrappy game

I agree. Ethan Vaughan: ex Burnley

Met him when he was at EEP as a goal-keeper coach: very pleasant and easy to talk with.

That's fantastic news! And particularly nice to take money off Arnold Clark: a company for which I have nothing but contempt. I may have to revise my long held view.

Not sure what shorts they intend. Historically I think blue is the colour. But maroon and blue?!?

Damn shame. Club not dead but clearly in a difficult place.

Tragic. Was so hoping for a century he would then have been the first England cricketer to take a wicket and score a century on his debut since the great Doctor. Ive come down with Covid on Friday, and Test Match Special has-been an utter delight.