| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jim Leishman | ||
| Date of birth | 15 November 1953 | ||
| Place of birth | Lochgelly, Scotland | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Dunfermline (Director of Football) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1970–1977 | Dunfermline | 67 | (4) |
| 1977 | Cowdenbeath | 11 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1982–1990 | Dunfermline | ||
| 1992–1993 | Montrose | ||
| 1995–1997 | Livingston | ||
| 2000–2003 | Livingston | ||
| 2005–2006 | Dunfermline | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Jim 'Leish' Leishman MBE, (born 15 November 1953 in Lochgelly, Fife) is a former professional footballer and current director of football of Scottish Premier League side Dunfermline Athletic.
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Leishman played for Dunfermline between 1970 and 1977 before being transferred to local rivals Cowdenbeath. When his playing career was cut short through injury he moved into coaching and then management with Kelty Hearts Junior Football Club, before becoming youth team coach and later reserve team coach at Dunfermline.
His most noticeable goal came in a 1-2 victory against Rangers. Jim still holds the record of being the last player to score a winning goal for the Pars at Ibrox. He likes to mention this fact as often as possible, much to the amusement of fans and friends.
Leishman was appointed manager of the Pars at just 29 in 1983 when they languished at the bottom of the old Second Division. Following an unsuccessful tilt at the second division in 1984/85 where the Pars finished 3rd - missing out on promotion on the final day of the season, Leishman and assistant manager Gregor Abel forged a side that would win successive promotions from the Second to First Division as Champions in their centenary season of 1985/86 to the Scottish Premier Division after finishing as second to Greenock Morton in 1986/87 - a feat that would not be repeated until the artificially bank-rolled fundings of Livingston and then Gretna over a decade later.
After a hard-fought but ultimately unsuccessful campaign in the Premier Division in 1987/88, Leishman again led the club again to promotion from the First to Premier Division in the 1988/89 season. Throughout this time Leishman had helped rebuild the fanbase of the club. With publicity campaigns ranging from talks at local primary schools to national television appearances, Leishman arrested the downward spiral of the club since the early 1970s. The average gate of the club increased from approximately 1,500 in 1983/84 to 7,500 in season 1987/88.
In 1989/90 - Leishman's final year of his first tenure as the Pars' boss - the average home gate of Dunfermline Athletic Football Club was 12,500; the third largest in Scotland and the largest of all provincial clubs in the country. In this time he brought players such as George O'Boyle and record-signing Istvan Kozma to the club. His greatest success was keeping the club in the Premier Division at the end of the season. At the end of the campaign though, it was suggested that Leishman move from the dugout to the board-room with the club's suggestion that he take up the role of general manager. As a keen manager, he resisted the offer and left his post acrimoniously in July 1990. The move shocked the Pars' support and several thousand fans marched on the club demanding his reinstatement as manager - a protest that fell upon deaf ears and in retrospect damaged the club. The average gate for the club has never risen beyond 8,500 since.
Following his departure from the Pars in 1990, he had unproductive spells with Montrose and Inverness Thistle, as well as a spell in charge of Fife Junior outfit Rosyth Recreation. After this he enjoyed more than eight years with Livingston from 1995, latterly as coach. There he succeeded in taking Livi into the Scottish Premier League for the first time and the Europe by finishing 3rd following promotion. In August 2003 he returned to Dunfermline, ironically as General Manager. Following the sacking of Davie Hay with just three matches of the 2004-05 remaining, Leishman prevented relegation by steering the club to crucial wins over their main relegation rivals Dundee and Dundee United. Dunfermline had failed to win in their previous ten matches under Hay, but in Leishman's temporary care they hammered Dundee 5-0 and he soon took the job on a full-time basis.
In 2005-06 the Pars were once again tipped for relegation and almost lived up to that billing. They would have gone down had it not been, for his old club Livingston. An 11th placed finish, although level on points with Falkirk and Dundee United, was enough to preserve their status. A particular low in this season came near the end of February when Celtic visited East End Park and left with a crushing 8-1 win. Exactly one month later Dunfermline faced Celtic in the Scottish League Cup and, despite an improved performance, they lost 3-0.
Leishman is well known for his down to earth personality, excellent relationship with Dunfermline fans, and his "aeroplane" celebrations. At one point he enjoyed a reputation for his witty attempts at delivering his thoughts on football in verse. Leishman's strengths are considered to be his man-management skills and his renowned ability to motivate and install self-belief in his players.
In September 2006 another trademark of the man, his famous moustache, which he had had since the age of eighteen, was shaved off at a benefit dinner to mark the testimonial year of Dunfermline player Andy Tod. He was convinced to do so after people at the table he was sitting at, including current Pars players, put up £1000 for charity.
Pressure on Leishman increased steadily in 2006/07 after another poor start which brought just three wins in thirteen matches. On 26 October 2006 Leishman decided to return to his post as general manager [1] with former Hearts boss Craig Levein the initial favourite to take over. Leishman had himself recommended Levein and Livingston manager John Robertson as candidates but Levein moved to Dundee United following the sacking of Craig Brewster on 29 October 2006. Former Derry City boss Stephen Kenny took over in November 2006.
It was announced on 15 June 2007 that Leishman had been made an Member of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.[1] Leishman was further honoured in February 2008 by having a street in Dunfermline named after him.[2]
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