Dunfermline: Ex-Pars and Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood dies

Dunfermline: Ex-Pars and Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood dies

This afternoon, the membership stated that they had been “vastly saddened” to listen to of the passing of the 69-year-old, who took the Pars to the Scottish Cup remaining throughout his time in cost.

Calderwood, who arrived at East Finish Park in 1999, revealed in 2017 that he had been recognized with Alzheimer’s Illness.

He stated that he determined to go public with information of his situation by saying that if “I may help others speak extra overtly about dementia, then that can be one thing optimistic”, and added he was “decided to proceed having fun with my life”.

Present Dunfermline Athletic chairman and CEO, David Cook dinner, has paid tribute, commenting: “On behalf of everybody at Dunfermline Athletic, we’re all shocked and saddened to listen to of the passing of Jimmy Calderwood.

“Jimmy constructed a implausible squad of gamers within the early 2000s that had Pars followers on the sting of their seats along with his daring attacking model of soccer.

“He introduced some magnificent moments to this membership, none extra so than serving to us attain the Scottish Cup Closing in 2004. The ocean of black and white at Hampden was testomony to the drive he had created.

“Our deepest condolences go to Jimmy’s household and pals at this tough time.”

Jimmy Calderwood led Dunfermline to the 2004 Scottish Cup remaining. (Picture: Blair Westwaters / DAFC.) Born in Glasgow, Calderwood performed for Birmingham Metropolis earlier than shifting to the Netherlands, the place he turned out for golf equipment together with Sparta Rotterdam, Willem II, Roda JC and Heracles Almelo.

He started his managerial profession with Willem II earlier than becoming a member of NEC Nijmegen, from the place he was approached by Dunfermline in 1999 to interchange Dick Campbell as supervisor.

Working with Jimmy Nicholl as his assistant, Calderwood guided the Pars again to the highest flight on the first try, earlier than consolidating their place within the SPL (Scottish Premier League) by ending ninth within the 12-team league.

Underneath his management, Athletic continued to enhance, ending sixth after which fifth within the subsequent two seasons, earlier than a memorable 2023/24 marketing campaign.

In addition to ending fourth within the league, Dunfermline launched into a run to their first Scottish Cup remaining since 1968.

READ MORE: Lookback: 5 memorable Pars matches below Jimmy Calderwood

After defeating Dundee United, Clyde and Partick Thistle, they overcame Inverness Caledonian Thistle in a replay at Pittodrie in Aberdeen, following a 1-1 draw at Hampden, to arrange a remaining with league champions Celtic.

In a second that no Pars fan who was there’ll neglect, Andrius Skerla put Calderwood’s aspect forward earlier than half-time, however the Hoops, impressed by a double from Henrik Larsson, hit again to win 3-1.

READ MORE: LOOK BACK: Athletic’s 2004 Scottish Cup remaining in photos 20 years on

Regardless of the defeat, Dunfermline’s achievements noticed them qualify to play in European competitors for the primary time since 1970, however Calderwood was not round to steer them.

The ultimate at Hampden proved to be Calderwood’s final match in command of Athletic. (Picture: Blair Westwaters / DAFC.) The lure of Aberdeen proved too sturdy and, in the summertime of 2024, he and Nicholl departed for the Reds, the place they spent 5 years.

Throughout their time within the north east, the Dons returned to continental motion and, in 2008, reached the final 32 of the UEFA Cup (now Europa League), the place they bowed out to German giants, Bayern Munich, on combination, however having held them to a 2-2 draw at house.

Aberdeen stated: “Everybody at Aberdeen FC is deeply saddened to study of the passing of our former supervisor Jimmy Calderwood.

“The ideas of all on the membership are along with his household and pals at this tough time.”

Latterly, Calderwood had transient stints in command of Kilmarnock and Ross County, and Dutch golf equipment Go Forward Eagles and De Graafschap, and likewise had a spell on the board at Cowdenbeath.

In September final 12 months, members of Dunfermline’s 2004 cup remaining squad got here again collectively on the Carnegie Corridor in an occasion celebrating 20 years of The Pars Supporters Belief (PST), and 20 years since that memorable day at Hampden.

Chatting with Press Sport previous to it, Stevie Crawford recalled the staff spirit and “togetherness” the 2 Jimmies created, commenting: “They’d an unbelievable stability of us being allowed to precise ourselves, however we knew, after we educated, we needed to practice correctly.

Stevie Crawford’s partnership with Craig Brewster was a spotlight of Jimmy Calderwood’s time in cost. (Picture: Blair Westwaters / DAFC.) “We knew after we performed we needed to try to perform the sport plans. Together with that, they managed to place a extremely good squad collectively, and good gamers take pleasure in taking part in with good gamers.”

Group-mate Barry Nicholson mirrored: “It was a fully sensible dressing room. It was a superb place for me to go.

READ MORE: Pars Nostalgia: Pars heroes recall objective that sealed cup remaining spot 20 years on

“I used to be a younger participant at Rangers on the time earlier than I moved. I did not actually play usually, however Jimmy introduced me to the membership, and I by no means actually seemed again to be honest.

Barry Nicholson’s objective within the semi-final replay with Inverness Caledonian Thistle is likely one of the most iconic of Jimmy Calderwood’s tenure. (Picture: Blair Westwaters / DAFC.) “I went on and revamped 200 appearances for the membership, and to be made captain all through that cup marketing campaign, when Nipper (Scott Thomson) was injured, was a particular second for me.

“I’ve received actually fond reminiscences of the place. The membership had been sensible with me, the gamers, the workers and all people. 

“I simply bear in mind it being a extremely good dressing room. I feel it was someplace the place each participant loved going into work each day, working with the 2 Jimmies and Sandy.

“It was a superb time.”

Final month, Scott Thomson spoke to the Press about his reminiscences of Calderwood’s time with the Pars, 25 years on from when he took cost for the primary time in a 3-0 win at Ayr United.

“Hastily, I am being critical, and all people is aware of this, it received introduced that the brand new supervisor of Dunfermline is Jimmy Calderwood, and we had been all like ‘who’? We would by no means heard of him,” he stated.

“Then he got here in and addressed it proper. He simply stated look, Jimmy Nic, I’ve received on rather well with Jimmy, we might go to video games, we might do that, so Jimmy’s staying in place. We’re like, oh that is good, it is a bit of one thing that is nonetheless there a part of the membership, so we had been comfortable Jimmy was staying.

“As I at all times say to folks, I labored with a whole lot of nice managers, and he was in all probability one of the best supervisor I labored with, as in, he gave me a kick up the bottom that I wanted.”