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The Bayview | Black, Gold and Blue - Dan Liddle

Jim Corstorphine profiles the first player to be capped by Scotland while at East Fife. This article first appeared in Issue No. 2 of The Bayview (2017/2018).

Dan Liddle, the first East Fife player to pull on the dark blue of Scotland whilst still plying his trade with the Methil club, was born in the West Lothian seaport town of Bo’ness on 17th February 1912. Encouraged by their footballer father, who played for Bo’ness, Dan and his older brother John played football from an early age. As a schoolboy, Dan developed a reputation as a talented dribbler of the ball, and eventually made his name in the Juvenile game before stepping up to Junior football with Musselburgh side Wallyford Bluebell. The young Dan Liddle made such an impact on the left wing with Wallyford that he was selected to represent Scotland at outside-left in the Junior international against Ireland at Tynecastle just weeks after his seventeenth birthday, where he played his part in a 3-1 victory. Naturally, the youngster’s talents attracted the attention of several Senior sides, with Hearts the first such club to show an interest. Despite the interest from Hearts, and despite offers of contracts from both Middlesbrough and St Bernard’s, Dan opted to sign for East Fife, and duly put pen to paper on 18th May 1929.

Dan Liddle made his East Fife debut on 10th August 1929 against league newcomers Montrose at Bayview, and would have scored but for a brilliant save from visitors’ ‘keeper Robson. It didn’t take the youngster long to find the net, however, and just weeks later Dan scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over St Bernard’s at Logie Green. Throughout his first season at Bayview, the outside-left’s dashing runs down the wing and regular goal-scoring exploits quickly established him as a favourite on the terraces, and before long he had earned the nickname “Dangerous Dan”.

When the curtain finally came down on season 1929/30, East Fife had attained second place in the league table and promotion to the top flight of the Scottish League for the first time in the club’s history. It has to be said that this proud achievement would not, in all probability, have been accomplished without the services of left-winger Dan Liddle. Despite rumoured interest from Rangers, Dan stayed with East Fife for the duration of the following season. Unfortunately, season 1930/31 turned out to be a disastrous one from East Fife’s point of view, with the club returning to the Second Division at the end of the campaign. Despite the team’s poor form, however, Dan’s performances on the park had been impressive, and inevitably came to the attention of the SFA Selection Committee. Consequently, Dan Liddle’s name was added to the Scotland squad for their three-match continental tour in May 1931.

Dan made his Scotland debut aged just nineteen against Austria in front of 45,000 spectators at the Hohe Warte Stadion in Vienna on Saturday 16th May 1931, but unfortunately the occasion turned out to be a disastrous one, both for the team and the player. The Austrians raced into a two-goal lead inside the first fifteen minutes through Schall and Zischeck, and from there on it was “backs-to-the-wall” for the Scots, with things going from bad to worse when half-back Colin McNab received a bad gash on his head just before half-time. The player was able to continue, but when Dan Liddle was forced to retire after picking up a serious injury early in the second half, the Scots had to see out the remainder of the game with only ten men (no substitutes in those days!). The Austrians took full advantage, and eventually ran out 5-0 winners following further goals from Vogel, Zischeck and Sindelar to inflict Scotland’s first defeat by a foreign side and equal their record defeat which had been suffered forty-three years earlier against England in 1888! The embarrassment attracted much criticism in the press, with Monday’s Dundee Courier commenting: “Shades of our vaunted prestige. A Scottish team of supposedly international standard allow themselves to be whacked by a “foreign” team without scoring a goal! It’s a disaster!”

Despite his injury, Dan retained his place in the team to face Italy in Rome on Wednesday 20th May, but unfortunately the Scots were humbled again, this time by three goals without reply. In front of a crowd of 25,000, which included Fascist Party leader Benito Mussolini, the Italians took an early lead through a Costantino header after six minutes, followed by a second goal just before half-time from Meazza. Orsi rubbed salt into the wounds with a third just three minutes from time. The final match of the tour was against Switzerland on the following Saturday at Parc des Charmilles in Geneva, where the Scots finally tasted success. Playing with the wind at their backs during the first half, Scotland scored twice inside the first twenty-five minutes through Portsmouth’s James Easson and Clyde’s Willie Boyd, before the home team pulled a goal back on the half-hour mark through Buche. The Swiss then equalised midway through the second half through Fauguel and, just when it looked like a draw was inevitable, Aberdeen’s Andy Love netted in the final minute to win the match by the odd-goal-in-five and restore some Scottish pride.

Unsurprisingly, with East Fife now back in the Second Division, Dangerous Dan’s days at Bayview were numbered. Both Liverpool and Leicester City were keen to sign the outside-left, and it was the latter who eventually landed his signature shortly after the player’s return from international duty. Despite some great performances for his new club, including a four-nil hammering of Sheffield United in which Liddle scored all four goals, the player was never again selected to represent his country. He turned out for Leicester for fourteen seasons from 1932 to 1946 and, after having made one appearance for Mansfield Town in season 1946/47, ended his playing days with Lincolnshire non-league side Stamford. Dan Liddle passed away on 9th June 1982 aged 70.

Tickets versus Raith Rovers, Saturday 26th August are still available

Just to inform supporters that tickets are still available for the above match - call at Office or phone to book and pay for tickets (we'll hold them for you if you can't collect) or e mail the office.

As soon as possible please - we are open till 5pm Wed. and Thursday but on Friday, till 3.45pm only.

Fifer Come Out on Top in 5 Goal Thriller

Ladbrokes League 1

Saturday 19^th August 2017

Gayfield Park

Arbroath 2 (Doris 16’, Denholm 58’)

East Fife 3 (O’Brien (OG) 3’, Flanagan 26’, Duggan 39’)

Arbroath XI: Hutton, Whatley, Hamilton, Little (Prunty 87’), O’Brien, Yule, Linn (Hester 80’), McCord, Denholm, Doris, Swankie (Kader 80’)

Subs: Gold, Henry, Skelly, Gomes

Booked: O’Brien, Hamilton

East Fife XI: Goodfellow, Dunsmore, Docherty, Watson, Gordon, Wilkie, Millar, Flanagan (Slattery 71’), Willis, Duggan (Linton 83’), Hurst (Wilson 90+2’)

Subs: Lamont, Mutch, Reilly, Cordery

Booked: Watson, Millar, Duggan

Referee: Steven Reid

Attendance: 808

East Fife travelled to face Arborath on matchday 3 of the 2017/2018 Ladbrokes League 1 campaign and left victorious following a 5-goal thriller. Manager Darren Young made one change to the side that conquered Alloa Athletic last week with Kyle Wilkie replacing Pat Slattery.

East Fife took the lead with only a couple of minutes on the clock when Greg Hurst hit the by-line and fired in a cross from the left that Arbroath defender Thomas O’Brien could only turn into his own net. Chris Duggan had the chance to double the visitors lead inside 5 minutes but his shot from the edge of the box was straight at goalkeeper David Hutton.

The home side, playing against the wind in the first half, began to find their feet a were almost level on 7 minutes following a scramble inside the East Fife box but Gavin Swankie could only fire over when the ball eventually broke to him near the penalty spot. Arbroath did find an equaliser on 16 minutes when a miscommunication between Ryan Goodfellow and Ben Gordon allowed Steven Doris to sneak in between the pair and lob Goodfellow from 10-yards.

East Fife were proving to be the better side in the opening 45 minutes; Hutton forced to turn a Paul Willis strike behind for a corner on 22 minutes beofre the visitors regained their lead in spectacular fashion 4 minutes later. Nathan Flanagan picked up the ball wide on the right before cutting inside and unleashing a shot from 30-yards that flew past Hutton for his first goal in East Fife colours. Duggan should have added a 3^rd moments later when he found himself unmarked inside the ball but sent his shot well over.

East Fife weren’t having it their own way, however, Goodfellow producing a fine save low to his left to keep out a Ryan McCord free kick on 31 minutes. The visitors added a third goal on 39 minutes in bizarre circumstances when Hutton failed to control a routine ball on the edge of his box allowing Duggan to pass the ball into an empty net. East Fife then had a strong penalty shout waved away by referee Steven Reid on 43 minutes when Flanagan was bundled over inside the area.

East Fife were up against the wind second half and the home side took full advantage of the conditions; a goal line clearance by Gordon denying McCord on 54 minutes before Goodfellow had to be at his best to stop a deflected free kick from sneaking into the top corner on 56 minutes. Arbroath continued to press and pulled a goal back on 58 minutes when East Fife to clear their lines allowing Danny Denholm to slot home from close range.

With the condition easing, East Fife were able to get the ball down and play once again only smart goal keeping from Hutton preventing Duggan from grabbing his second of the match on 62 minutes. Denholm was unlucky to see his looping header rebound off the crossbar for the home side on 80 minutes before a combination of Goodfellow and the post denied McCord 2 minutes from time as Arbroath pushed for an equaliser but the visitor’s defence held on.

East Fife are up to 3^rd in the table with the Fife derby to come on Saturday.