Pars volunteer Dave loses cancer battle Tributes to ‘one of the good guys’

TRIBUTES have been paid to a long-time Dunfermline Athletic volunteer whose biggest loves were his family and the football club.

Dave Allan, who was 55, passed away earlier this month after a courageous battle with cancer.

A Pars diehard, he offered his services at East End Park for more than three decades, assisting the media on match days and helping to conduct tours of the stadium. Supporters, former players and managers and journalists have paid tribute and offered their sympathy to the family.

Former Pars chairman, Ross McArthur, told the Press: “I knew he had been struggling for the last 18 months or so and I kept in touch with him every few weeks to see how he was doing.

“I bumped into him in Rosyth a few months ago and he was still in really good spirits despite his obvious suffering, which was the last time I saw him. He was more concerned about how I was doing, which is the mark of the man.

“I used to see Davie in and round the club regularly, be it match days or during the week, helping with all sorts of things. He was quite an unassuming person and never wanted to ‘get in the way’, but was always happy to help with anything. I always remember him finishing our conversations with ‘no bother’ and his trademark big smile.

“I know that Dave, Gennaro, Sandy and Wullie, who all did a brilliant job of running our club’s schools engagement programme, will miss his help and assistance. It is also very sad that Dave has passed away not that long after another great club stalwart in Stuart Arnott.

My sincere condolences go to Davie’s family at this time.”

Born in the city, Dave attended Dunfermline High School and afterwards met his wife, Marie. The couple have four children – Neil, Nicole, Steven and Lucy – and two grandkids, Mason and Willow. They have stayed in Rosyth for the past 25 years.

Dave did a variety of jobs over the years, he worked at Simclar, he was a plumber with his pal, he was employed as a driver, transporting children with disabilities, and also helped out in a charity shop.

Having to give up volunteering with the Pars due to his health was “very difficult” for his dad, and Steven revealed that, in 2017, a broken nose, which occurred while his dad was playing with Mason, inadvertently saved his life.

Dave developed pneumonia, was taken to hospital and found to have a clot, which otherwise may have gone undetected.

Among those who paid tribute were club legend Ivo Den Bieman, who won the First Division title with the club in 1996 and described Dave as a “pure gentleman” , whilst Andy Geggan, who clinched the League One championship with the Pars in 2016, wrote: “Another good guy taken from the Pars. Thoughts are with the family.”

Joe Cardle, who had two spells at East End, said Dave “was one of the good guys” while former Pars captain Scott Thomson admitted he was “devastated”, adding that Dave was “an absolute toff of a guy” who he “had a laugh with” “over my many years as a player and going back to watch games”.

Another ex-skipper, Callum Morris, added: “Dave was always the gentleman and will be sorely missed at EEP.”

The football club said: “Everyone at DAFC was saddened to hear about the passing of Dave Allan, a long time club volunteer. Dave was often found at the press gate on match days, helping maintain the stadium or conducting tours with our schools engagement team. He will be missed by all.”

Steven said: “It has been a comfort for all of his children, his grandkids and his wife. As we all said, the man didn’t know how much he was loved and respected, so it’s definitely bringing a little bit of comfort.

“The biggest thing was the love he had for my mum, his children and grandchildren, and the club. To the very end, those were the things he loved the most.

“He never stopped being a fan.”