Dunfermline: 1995/96 title hero Marc Millar recalls Airdrie penalty

On May 4, 1996, an expectant crowd of more than 13,000 watched on as the Pars star had the chance to seal the First Division championship.

In a moment not forgotten by those who were there, the versatile player sent Andy Rhodes the wrong way to put Dunfermline 2-1 up on Airdrieonians, and ensure he and his team-mates became ‘Paton’s Premier Pars’.

It’s a memory that the 52-year-old holds dear – and which is sure to be discussed this Sunday at the ‘Sportsman’s Brunch with Dick and Bert’ event.

Organised by the Dunfermline Athletic Former Players Association, with the Press as media sponsors, stars from that team, including Millar, will look back on an incredible season with a capacity crowd at the Carnegie Conference Centre.

In an exclusive interview, Millar, who now lives in Newcastle, said he’s thrilled at being remembered for his role in their success.

"If I wasn't playing, Hamish (French) would probably take them, or if he wasn't playing and I wasn't playing, I think David Bingham quite fancied them. Whenever I played, it was kind of just a given that I would be the taker," he explained, looking back to that spot-kick.

"From my perspective, you don't really think about the repurcussions. You take a penalty because you're confident. The repercussions weren't going through my mind at all, and it was just a case of what an opportunity we've got to get our noses in front against Airdrie when we weren't playing well.

"And, again, time wise, it kind of runs away with you. I didn't realise there was still a little bit more to go in the game - I always thought it was just the last five or 10 minutes, but I think there was about 20 minutes to go or so. I didn't realise it at time but, in hindsight now, it wasn't necessary, but certainly at the time, I think there was a lot of further relief in getting our noses in front.

"You take them because you're confident. I've had it for years, people saying Andy Rhodes, what did he say? Did he dive out the way, or did he mean to not save it? Look, he didn't have a chance to save it. That's the way I look upon it.

"I could easily have missed it. It was nothing to do with him, and he certainly didn't say anything to me.

"It was a good moment, and a good moment to just be remembered for something decent for the club, from the fans, hence the dinner and hence when you go back and see people now."

Pars fans of that era will likely remember highlights of the game being shown on BBC Sportscene later that evening, with commentator, Jock Brown, uttering the words "Marc Millar is the man who has to remain cool here", followed by "so it's Marc Millar against Rhodes. This could put, Dunfermline in the Premier Division".

Millar duly sent the former Athletic goalie the wrong way with one of the coolest, decisive penalties that East End has seen and, when asked if he felt calm, he replied: "Later in my career, I think I missed a couple.

"I think the more you think about them, or if you start to doubt yourself, or if you miss one, maybe doubt can creep in, but up until then, I scored a few for Brechin, and I don't think I missed any penalties at all. The calmness probably just came from confidence.

"I'm pretty confident with most penalties. If you strike the ball well enough, and you hit your target area, where mine was, then it's pretty difficult for a keeper to save it. That proved the case, and then it was just ecstasy, for everybody, or probably for the rest of the team, it was probably relief that I scored!

"It's a season I don't think that for most Dunfermline, for obvious reasons, and the culmination, will ever be forgotten.

"I think there are a number of reasons why it comes together, and hence why people remember me for the penalty, but obviously the team for that whole season."

Having played against the Pars the previous season for Brechin City, Millar arrived at East End in 1994 and stayed for five years, when he left to join Livingston after Athletic were relegated from the SPL in 1999.

Although a Dundee United fan - he revealed that he cheered the Tannadice side on in their play-off match with Partick Thistle that saw them join Dunfermline in the top flight in 1996 - Millar was quick to name Brechin and the Pars as two of the clubs he had the strongest affinity with as a player.

Looking back to when he signed for the club, he said: "We'd been in the First Division the season before with Brechin; a part-time team, going into those leagues, it was difficult. But we acquitted ourselves and I must've acquitted myself quite well.

"It was just a good mix people, honest professionals. Big Andy (Smith) was the big one that came in from Airdrie, which was probably a surprise to everyone. French (Hamish French), a model professional, I think having people like David Bingham, talented, as well, there was a real, good squad there, an experienced squad as well, but just a good group of boys.

"I was fortunate enough that I'd played against them when we were in that First Division, so I knew what they were like when they came to Brechin and when we went to East End. I kinda knew the size of the club, but it was a way into full-time football. I don't think it was seen as much of a risk then.

"I had a decent job; it nearly didn't go through because I couldn't take a drop in salary to sign for Dunfermline, based on working and playing at Brechin. There was a little dilemma but it got sorted out.

"It was dead easy to see Dunfermline's a big club, a sleeping giant at that time. They'd obviously struggled and been in the First Division for a few years, and it was just an opportunity to progress.

"I'm not so sure of it now, because it's pretty difficult if you're jumping around every season trying to look for a contract, but I think I signed for two-and-a-half, three years or so, so it's one of those ones where you think, if you don't take it, you'll always question why, or what could have been.

"Back then, having played against them - people like Paul Smith, obviously Norrie was there, Craig Robertson, Westy, Kenny Ward - it was just such a good group of guys and easy to fit in."

After narrowly missing out to Raith Rovers by a point in 1994/95, the losing to Aberdeen in the first-ever Premier Division play-offs, Dunfermline went into a campaign featuring strong sides such as Dundee United, Dundee, St Johnstone and newly-promoted Greenock Morton, who finished third and were in title contention until the final day of the season.

What Dunfermline went through that season is well documented, and Millar admitted that there was a lot of relief when the final whistle blew against Airdrie to seal the championship.

"There wasn't an easy game in that league, and Airdrie certainly wasn't going to be easy. It's just that old rivalry that had been there since before I signed," he continued.

"It was prominent that both teams would at times go all-out just to win the game, but also at any costs.

"For whatever Airdrie's detractions were, Airdrie could play as well when they wanted to, and you saw how much it meant to Peter Heatherston when he scored. They were hell-bent on, maybe not stopping us from getting to the Premier League, but they were hell-bent on us not getting the result ourselves.

"It was a difficult game. Again, we didn't play particularly well, but a good finish from Andy for the first goal. We were nervy. We were definitely nervy, there was a lot at stake.

"I remember our game started later than Dundee United's at Morton, which was seemingly planned, but towards the end of the game, it's the best feeling when you know you've only got 10 or 15 minutes to go. United had finished, I think it was 2-2, so we were pretty much there.

"I just remember that, once the crowd had known, the last 10 minutes was just a real carnival atmosphere. Relief, joy, everything, that you can just actually play out the last 10 minutes without any worries and concerns.

"It was the easiest 10 minutes you'll get. I don't even know if Airdrie had scored twice how that would have worked out, but there certainly was an acceptance that we were up.

"The whole last three months, four months, a lot of relief just piled out on the terraces as well as the pitch. In the end, my penalty probably didn't really matter!"

Thanks to a friendship with former Pars general manager, Michael Mlotkiewicz - who is on the committee of the Former Players Association, and who has been driving the reunion event - Millar has been back at the club more regularly in recent years.

The bond that the squad of 95/96 and the fans have remains strong, and Millar recalled: "I would probably say this about most of my time at Dunfermline, but most people either lived local, or certainly they associated with the fans as well.

"They spent time, even if it was the Glasgow boys or the Edinburgh boys, there was always time made for the fans.

"I always maintain, even to this day, that if you're winning on the pitch, it helps. It breeds that connection if you're winning most weeks, as well as if you're giving your all. I know that's a given - you should be giving your all every single time.

"However, there was players there that would, not just for themselves, but their team-mates and for the fans, who would give absolutely everything and I think it was probably appreciated.

"There wasn't anyone who you would say was a bad egg in the changing room at all. You can associate yourself with anyone, you'd put yourself into any tackle for anyone - it was a really good squad of people.

"It's testament to Bert and Dick for the type of players that they had and the type of players they brought in.

"There's probably a host of them that I probably haven't seen in 20 years. I think it's good for everybody, and I'm sure there will be a fair few that will be similar, where paths haven't crossed, or (there are) people who aren't involved in football, so you wouldn't necessarily see them.

"It'll be a good celebration, it's good to be recognised, and it's good for the club, and the fans especially.

"I only came back to Dunfermline maybe four or five years ago, starting to take part in the golf days, and then obviously as a guest at hospitality, but that was when Michael was general manager. I might have been another one of those that you never see a reason or a need to go back.

"Then Michael was getting more and more involved, and he's a friend of a family that we're a friend of, and it gathered from there, taking part in the golf day. You obviously see some of the players, and then it just to progressed to then taking a day or picking a match and going along to hospitality once every season.

"When you do go, it's good because obviously people remember you. It's 20-odd years ago, but then the fans have still got a passion for it.

"It's phenomenal. Hopefully they can get a bit of stability now but, back then, it was a proper club off the pitch and on the pitch.

"Everyone did get involved. From the boardroom all the way down, the staff off the pitch, and it started with the management, there was a right togetherness there. I think that's probably why maybe the squad is still revered as it is, coupled with obviously winning the league, which helps!

"We'd been out the Premier League probably three or four years up until then, with a few near efforts, play-offs and losing by a point and stuff, and obviously the whole January onwards with what happened with Norrie just galvanised a real kind of togetherness that just, from somewhere, managed to get over the line."