Former Dunfermline manager Jim Leishman took a trip down memory lane on a Hampden special yesterday, thanks to Pars fan and bus enthusiast Eddie Taylor.

Jim, now the club’s general manager, got behind the wheel of a 1964 Bristol double-decker that carried Dunfermline supporters to the Scottish Cup final in 1968.

Eddie was at that match and saw his heroes beat Hearts 3-1 to lift the trophy for the second time, so he was delighted to swing by East End Park to show off his pride and joy.

Of course 1968 was the last time that Dunfermline reached the Scottish Cup final—until this season, that is.

The Pars head back to Hampden on May 22 to take on the Scottish Premier League champions, Celtic.

Decked out in the original red and cream livery of the Fife bus company Alexanders, which was bought by Stagecoach, the double-decker brought more than a few memories flooding back.

After a quick turn behind the wheel, Jim told The Courier, “That was absolutely brilliant . . . Seeing 1968 and Hampden on the destination was just like a flashback.”

The bus began its working life on the route between Cowdenbeath and Dunfermline in 1964. It was later transferred through to Kirkcaldy and was used until 1980.

A decade later it came into the ownership of Eddie and three fellow bus enthusiasts, based at the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum at Lathalmond.

Eddie, a Pars fan since he was eight, said, “It would almost certainly have been pressed into service to take fans through to Hampden in 1968. I think every bus in Fife went through.”

He added, “Because I work shifts as a driver for Lothian Buses I don’t get to as many games as I used to, but I will be at Hampden. I was that confident we’d get there that I actually put in for my day off before the semi-final!”

His wife Margaret, a fellow Dunfermline fanatic, will also be at Hampden for the final.

Pars fans may also be interested to know that the museum is home to the bus which carried the 1968 cup-winning side through the streets of Dunfermline on a victory parade.

The Leyland vehicle, which originally belonged to Edinburgh-based Eastern Scottish, is now in private ownership and is kept at Lathalmond.

It was open-topped at the time of the 3-1 victory over Hearts, but has since had its roof replaced.

The museum is open to visitors from noon until 5 pm on Sundays during the summer.

* Dunfermline have sold between 13,500 and 14,000 of the 15,000 tickets they were given by the SFA for the final on May 22.

Jim Leishman said, “Sales are steady now after the rush this week.”

Any tickets left over will go on sale to the general public from Monday . . . Celtic fans need not apply.