Leishman began his football career as a defender,playing for Dunfermline Athletic and Cowdenbeath before an injury curtailed his playing days. He subsequently became a football manager,with spells at clubs including Dunfermline Athletic,Livingston,and Montrose. During his managerial career,he achieved promotion honours and played a significant role in rebuilding the supporter base at several clubs. He notably led Livingston to promotion to the Scottish Premier League and European competition.
After retiring from football,Leishman entered politics and was elected as a councillor in 2012. He was appointed a member of the order of the British Empire MBE in 2007 for services to sport. He has also received various civic recognitions,including having a street named in his honour in Dunfermline.
Career
Player
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 HeartsJunior Football Club,before becoming youth team coach and later reserve team coach at Dunfermline.[citation needed]
Manager
Leishman was appointed manager of the Pars,aged just 28,in 1982. The club were bottom of the Second Division,the third tier of Scottish football.[citation needed] The Pars finished third in 1984–85,missing out on promotion on the final day of the season. Leishman and assistant manager Gregor Abel then forged a side that won successive promotions to the Scottish Premier Division,winning the Second Division in 1985–86 and finishing second to Greenock Morton in the 1986–87 First Division.[citation needed]
After an unsuccessful campaign in the Premier Division in 1987/88,Leishman again led the club 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.[citation needed]
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 13,500;the third largest in Scotland and the largest of all provincial clubs in the country.[citation needed] 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.[1] As a keen manager,he resisted the offer and left his post acrimoniously in July 1990.[1] The move shocked the Pars' support and 4,000 fans marched on the club demanding his reinstatement as manager.[1]
Following his departure from the Pars in 1990,he had unproductive spells with Montrose and Inverness Thistle,and a spell in charge of Fife Junior outfit Rosyth Recreation. In March 1995,he joined Edinburgh side Meadowbank Thistle,who were facing relegation from the Second Division. Leishman was unable to prevent the drop to the Third Division,and the team was subsequently relocated to Livingston,also taking on the name of the town. He enjoyed eight years with Livingston as manager,director of football and manager once more. There he succeeded in taking Livingston into the Scottish Premier League for the first time,also qualifying for the UEFA Cup by finishing third in their first season following promotion to the top flight.
In August 2003,he returned to Dunfermline 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 beat Dundee,5–0 and he took the job on a full-time basis.[citation needed]
In 2005–06 an 11th-placed finish,although level on points with Falkirk and Dundee United,was enough to preserve their premier league membership. A low in this season came near the end of February when Celtic visited East End Park and won 8–1. Exactly one month later,Dunfermline faced Celtic in the 2006 Scottish League Cup final and despite an improved performance,they lost 3–0.[2]
Pressure on Leishman increased steadily in 2006/07 after another poor start which brought just three wins in two months. On 26 October 2006,Leishman decided to return to his post as general manager,[3] with former Hearts boss Craig Levein the initial favourite to take over.[1] 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.[4]
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