14 October 1955 – 16 April 2024
Everyone connected with Dunfermline Athletic was saddened to hear of the passing of former player David Moyes this week at the age of 68.
Club Historian Duncan Simpson shares his story…
Uniquely, Dunfermline can claim to have signed two players by the name of David Moyes. While one continues to manage West Ham United in the English Premiership, the other, lesser-known David Moyes is the one for whom, perhaps curiously, Pars fans will have many happier memories. Not that his overall impact was so great – he was with the club for less than two seasons in total and he made just 44 first team appearances, scoring twice, in that time. However, to Pars fans, he was something special – they called him the real Davie Moyes, or the original Davie Moyes.
Born in Haddington, his career started with Edinburgh’s Royston Juveniles before playing junior football with Preston Athletic. In an interview for the Pars Programme he credited his late father with helping him in his early days. His first senior club was Berwick Rangers whom he joined in 1975. Although he started as a sweeper, he moved to full-back and later assumed the role of club captain. He had two spells at Shielfield, the first 1975-83 and then again 1987-88 after which he hung up his boots. He made 296 first team league and cup appearances and scoring 15 goals for the Borderers and in 1978/79 he captained Berwick’s Second Division winning side.
He signed for Meadowbank Thistle in 1983 and was with them for two seasons in the First Division. He helped Thistle reached the League Cup Semi-Finals before losing to Rangers, but, as relegation loomed for Meadowbank at the end of 1984-85, Pars manager Jim Leishman snapped Moyes up on 19th March 1985 to help Pars’ own promotion campaign. He made his debut in a 2-0 win over East Stirlingshire, playing eight of the remaining games for Dunfermline that season, and with his help, Athletic just missed promotion by a single point. Then the following season, and with Moyes firmly part of Jim Leishman’s plans, Dunfermline went on to take the Second Division title, with Moyes winning a Championship medal for his part. By this point, Jim Leishman was looking to rebuild Dunfermline as a full-time team, but Davie was a part-timer. He certainly played his part at the start of the following season, helping Dunfermline to win their first four league matches in the First Division. However, after a 4-2 defeat to East Fife he lost his place and was never able to regain it. He cited work commitments as the reason he was unable to play again. Nevertheless, the start that the team made provided the momentum, and the Pars finished second to Greenock Morton to gain promotion to the Premier Division for the first time in the club’s history.
Davie left East End Park in 1987 returning to Shielfield Park to finish his career with Berwick Rangers. After one more season he hung up his playing boots before later spending a few years on the management side at Tranent Juniors FC. He was a huge character in the local community of Tranent, his home town.
Davie is fondly remembered in Dunfermline, in part because the stories of his time here have grown arms and legs. Whether they are all true is debatable and in any case, we can’t repeat them here! However, there is no doubt that his presence on the field inspired others at a time when Jim Leishman was looking for players with courage and commitment. He also inspired the club’s fans who were returning in big numbers after years in the wilderness. He was a rabble-rouser and as a player he was as hard as nails and took no prisoners. That attitude made him a very popular player with Pars fans, but probably much less with opposing fans!
Our thoughts and condolences are with Davie’s family at this sad time.
