Away From The Numbers
All good things come to an end. Or so they say. AFTN has been around since 1989, first as a fanzine and then making the jump to a website and forum in 2003. We've been through the many ups and down at East Fife in those 12 years but policing the forum has become a giant pain in the ass in recent years. As such, we made the decision not to renew it when it expired.
The forum is no more and will remain as a locked archive until it is eventually deleted by the host. We're looking in to try to save some of the content as an archive.
This is not the end of AFTN though. The site will continue and will be revamped and return in its full glory for the start of the 2016/17 season. Maybe even sooner. There will be a comment sections and possibly even a new, registered forum. Check our Twitter (@aftnwebsite) for all the latest info and we'll also post in on the EFFC memories Facebook page.
Until then, have a last browse here, thanks for all your support over the years, and 'Mon the Fife.
GoF
My grandad, Tam Anderson, was chairman of the club when this game took place. He was chairman between 1953 & 1958 although he was on the board before this.
I mentioned to my dad, whos now almost 80, about this topic and he gave me a couple of his memories although not about this game, from my grandads time on the board / chairman.
He remembers my grandad speaking to Sammy Stewart after the 1947 final v Falkirk ( Jerry Dawson, future manager played in goals for Falkirk ) and asking why East Fife didnt win the game as they outplayed them! Sammys attitude was "wait til the replay we'll have them I'm telling you!". East Fife won the replay 4-1. Falkirk finished 7th in the top league that season whilst EFFC were still a second division club.
My dad remembers going up to Perth to see a game at Jeanfield Swifts ground around 1946 with my grandad and John McArthur, then Chairman, and Henry Morris was playing. My dad remembers on the journey back to Methil, John McArthur and my grandad talking about trying to get Henry Morris to sign for East Fife. A couple of weeks later my dad remembers John McArthur telling my grandad that Henry Morris had signed for East Fife however initially he took a bit of convincing. Apparently John McArthur had went to Henry Morris's house in Dundee and he didnt want to sign. John McArthur, who was on the SFA committee accepted he was unsuccessful at trying to sign Henry, then gave Henry 2 tickets for an upcoming Scotland international game as he was about to leave the house and Henry changed his mind and decided to sign for East Fife.
He mentioned about my grandad waiting on a taxi picking him up at their house in Barrie St, Methil, which still stands. Jerry Dawson, manager of East Fife was in the taxi as well as George Young, Rangers & Scotland captain at the time and my dad couldnt believe it! This was to take them all to a game around 1953.
My dad also mentioned about East Fife players coming back from playing for Scottish national team in early 1950's and obviously hearing what players were getting paid at more fashionable clubs and not being happy!
He also mentioned about during the war, several high profile players turning out for East Fife. My dad thinks some of them were staying at The Miners Institute on Fisher St and one of them was Bill Shankly.
Must have been great days to be an East Fife fan!
