Bonar waltzed right into the Pars side
There was surprise in Dunfermline when they were drawn to play Boreham Wood in the Irn-Bru Cup.
Pars fans made the journey south to see their team play the National League outfit at their Meadow Park ground in Hertfordshire, just over 30 miles from West Ham’s former stadium, Upton Park. It was a visit by the Hammers to Dunfermline that caused a shock for one young player in 1971. Bonar Mercer had no idea that he would be playing when he tucked into a hearty dinner. He recalled: “We were playing West Ham at East End Park in a friendly that was arranged when we signed John Cushley from them. “I was one of the young players who were taken for pre-match meals with the first team to get experience of being around them. “I grew up as a Dunfermline fan, so it was a thrill to be around some of the guys I had watched from the terracing. “I didn’t eat a player’s meal that night. I had more food because I wasn’t supposed to be playing. “Then the manager, George Farm, told me that John Lunn was unwell and I would be playing. “It meant I was facing famous names like Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Trevor Brooking. “I could say it was like a dream but it was immediately a reality. “I remember facing the Bermudian striker, Clyde Best. Someone later got me a programme from the game and he wasn’t listed – but, then, neither was I.” Dunfermline lost 3-1 that night, but Bonar kept his place at left-back for the League opener against East Fife. He waltzed through the game as the Pars started the season with a 1-0 victory. And it wasn’t long before Bonar’s team-mates discovered his past as a ballroom dancer. He went on: “I tried to keep it quiet, but it wasn’t long before my secret was out and a picture of me in tails was pinned up on the noticeboard. “I’ve never quite lived it down. My former team-mates still take the mickey out of me. “Mind you, I might have been very successful if Strictly Come Dancing had been about in those days.” Unfortunately, Dunfermline were relegated at the end of that season. Bonar left the club in 1973 and had single seasons with Montrose and Stirling Albion. During the ’70s, he studied at Edinburgh University and was in the RAF. He also spent two years playing with a different shape of ball. “I lost interest in football for a while, and played rugby for Kilmarnock,” he said. “When the team began to break up, I was training at Dunfermline to keep fit. “Harry Melrose had taken over as manager and I asked how he’d feel about taking me back as a footballer. “He must have been turned down by everyone on Dunfermline High Street because he agreed to give me a go.” Bonar, now 65, was back at his boyhood idols for a five-year spell and helped them win promotion to Division One. Although he always played at left-back, it was never his first choice. He said: “That came from me playing for the Scotland Youth team. The manager asked if I could play at left-back because there was another right-back he wanted to give a game. “From then on, everyone assumed I played on the left. I’m right-footed and wonder if I’d have been better staying on that side.” After leaving the senior game, Bonar played for Postal United – the team now known as Edinburgh City. Bonar’s life after football concentrated on the travel industry. He’s now involved in the Dunfermline Former Players Association and the Heritage Trust.