Dunfermline football legend Alex Edwards has been fined for stalking his ex-partner and assaulting a 76-year-old man he saw leaving her home.
The 75-year-old former Pars and Hibs star had a relationship with the woman lasting several months and bombarded her with phone calls when she ended it.
The woman then saw him peering through a window at her home as she spent an evening with a male friend.
When the man left the house, he was attacked by Edwards, who accused him of being in a relationship with his ex.
Edwards, of Hilton Road, Cairneyhill, appeared in the dock at Dunfermline Sheriff Court.
Assaulted ex-partner’s friend
He admitted that between March 31 and May 22 in Cairneyhill he engaged in a course of conduct that caused Maureen Crabb fear or alarm by repeatedly contacting her by telephone and peering through her window, an offence aggravated by the abuse of an ex-partner.
He also admitted that on May 22 at Muirside Grove, Cairneyhill, he assaulted Graham Yeoman by striking him and pushing him to his body, causing him to fall over, to his injury.
Depute fiscal Azrah Yousaf said Edwards and the woman had been in a relationship but she ended it in March.
After that, Edwards had “repeatedly contacted her by phone at different times of the day and night”, added the depute.
On May 22, the 73-year-old woman was at home with her friend Mr Yeoman at 8.30pm when they saw Edwards outside.
He then walked up to a window and peered inside, before banging on the door.
He eventually left but when 76-year-old Mr Yeoman left the house two hours later he was attacked by Edwards.
“He began to punch and push him and was alleging Mr Yeoman was in relationship with his former partner,” continued the depute.
‘Shattered’ by experience
Defence solicitor Stephen Morrison said his client was a first offender and had been married for 51 years until his wife’s death in 2019.
Edwards and Maureen Crabb were initially friends but were in a relationship from November last year until March.
Mr Morrison said his client was “in a highly emotional state” following his wife’s death and felt the new relationship would be a lasting one.
His client could not understand the relationship ending just two weeks after receiving a birthday card from his partner “expressing deep, favourable emotions towards him”.
“He remains perplexed by the very rapid cooling of these emotions,” he added.
Mr Morrison said his client, a father of three and grandfather of six, was “embarrassed about what’s happened and being embroiled in the legal process”.
“He says he’s shattered by it all,” added the solicitor.
Sheriff Wyllie Robertson told Edwards the offences were “clearly out of character, given your previously unblemished record”.
He imposed a fine of £420.
Footballing star
Alex Edwards became a star of the famous Dunfermline Athletic team of the 1960s with manager Jock Stein giving him his debut appearance a week after his 16th birthday and he later appeared alongside the likes of Alex Ferguson.
The winger starred in the side which beat Valencia 6-2 and was in the Scottish Cup winning team of 1968, defeating Hearts in the final.
Hibs manager Eddie Turnbull took Edwards to Easter Road and he was in the side that beat Celtic 2-1 to win the League Cup in 1972.
He represented Scotland once at under-23 level and retired from football in 1980.
