DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC FOOTBALL CLUB - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Vice - Chairman of the DAFC Board of Directors
Billy is a Director of Braisby Roofing Ltd and SlateShack and also a founding Trustee of the Mary Leishman Foundation.
He has overseen strategic growth and change within Braisby Roofing Ltd over a near 40 year business career and the company is positioned as one of the country's largest and most respected roofing contractors.
Billy is a former Chairman of the Centenary Club and he follows in his father's footsteps joining the main board of DAFC. Billy's father Bill Braisby was a Director and Vice Chairman of the club from 1982-1990.
Bob graduated as an Industrial Chemist in 1975 whilst working in Kirkcaldy for Nairn, where he spent the next 25 years in a variety of senior roles culminating as International Sales Director. In 2000 he joined the Purvis Group (DAFC's shirt sponsor for the last 10 years), as a senior manager responsible for new business development. In addition, for almost 20 years he has been a visiting tutor at the Leadership Trust based in Ross on Wye, one of the world's premier Leadership training organisations.
Craig Easton was his coach at Raith where he played on a Tuesday or Wednesday. At Fife Elite the games were on a Sunday and his coaches there were Grant Petrie and Robert O'Neill.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Chairman
- Member of the DAFC Board of Directors
David was formerly Chief Commercial Officer at Nottingham Forest FC, where he held that post for nearly five years. Immediately prior to that he held a number of roles including: Senior Sponsorship Manager at Etihad Airways; Business Development Manager at Celtic FC; and International Business Development Manager at Everton FC.
David has also obtained an MBA specialising in football industries at the University of Liverpool.
After retiring as a player he had a spell coaching St. Johnstone U20s, before in 2016 Dave became manager of Stirling Albion for two years. Dave returned to Dundee as Assistant to James McPake in June 2019. Working along side James McPake as assistant manager, their successful spell lead to promotion to the Premier League.
Job Titles:
- Mechanical Design Engineer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation
Ian is a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation. After a brief period working for HM Revenue & Customs, Ian joined the Edinburgh office of Arthur Young McClelland Moores & Co (now Ernst & Young LLP) in 1976. He became a partner in the firm in May 1986.
He retired as a partner in June 2011 and continued as a consultant to the firm until June 2012. During his career, he provided advice to many personal tax clients, investment funds and asset management businesses. He has worked on a considerable number of corporate start ups and corporate transactions.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Kit Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Manager
- First Team Manager
James McPake was appointed manager of Dunfermline Athletic on 24th May 2022.
Following a successful playing career with clubs in England and Scotland, James launched his coaching career at Dundee FC's Academy before becoming First Team Manager in 2019.
Joe Chalmers was signed by John Hughes on an 18 month long contract from Ayr United on 24th January 2022.
Joe started his career at Celtic Park having come through their youth system from the age of ten to make his debut as an 18 year old when he came on to replace Emilio Izaguirre.
All three of his Celtic appearances were in 2012-2013 season with a start in the Scottish Cup against Arbroath and two appearances off the bench both times against Inverness. He went out on loan to Falkirk before in June 2015 he left Celtic for Motherwell, where he would make 31 appearances before being released by the ‘Well in May 2017, at the end of his contract.
Next Chalmers moved to the Highlands where he played for both Inverness Caley Thistle and Ross County, two clubs where John Hughes also spent time in charge but they were never together. Joe made 96 appearances for Inverness and 20 for Ross County.
Kyle Benedictus joined Dunfermline in June 2022. The 30 year old defender brought with him the experience from 382 previous appearances in Scottish football. Debut versus East Fife in Premier Sports Cup and was appointed club captain by manager James McPake.
Kyle led the Pars to the League One championship in his first season at the club and had he not been shown a red card at Airdrie and suspended for the following match, he would have played every minute of every league match.
Kyle Benedictus made his début for Dundee as a sixteen year old in November 2008 and went on to appear 97 times for the Dee.
A product of Lincraig Boys Club in Dundee, the city of his birth, went out on a month long loan to Montrose in January 2011 making five 5 appearances.
When James McPake joined Dundee from Hibs for season 2014-2015 he displaced Kyle in the first team making it possible for the centre back to go out to Alloa Athletic on a season-long loan deal. There he would make 34 appearances but Alloa finished second bottom of the Championship in 2014-2015 meaning they faced play-offs to avoid relegation. Having not scored all season Benedictus scored twice in the play-offs and Alloa survived.
For the following season Kyle signed for Raith and went on to make 246 appearances for the Rovers. He captained the Stark`s Park side to the League One title under McGlynn in the coronavirus-curtailed 2019-20 season, and also earned two Challenge Cup winners` medals, although he missed last season`s win over Queen of the South in the final due to suspension.
As at 31/05/2023 Kyle had made 43 appearances for Dunfermline, all starts and had scored six goals.
Matty Todd was one of six players who moved up from Fife Elite Football Academy for season 2018-2019.
He became a regular in the first team in 2021-2022 as John Hughes deployed him at right back but it was in midfield that he blossomed starting almost every match under James McPake in 2022-2023 until his season ended early due to appendicitis. He contributed 11 goals in the League One winning season, won the Goal of the Season, was Dunfermline's Young Player of the Year and was also nominated for the PFA Scotland League One Player of the Year.
Nicholas Teller graduated from the University of Birmingham after which he spent over 25 years at German bank "Commerzbank" where he served on the Executive Board of Directors for 5 years. After this Nicholas moved into the shipping industry. He is the Honorary Consul for the UK in Hamburg. Nicholas is a part of the German consortium of investors "DAFC Fussball GmBH" taking a seat on the DAFC Board of Directors.
Paul Allan spent the month of April 2017 training with Benfica in Portugal and they rated him as a number six. He signed a two year deal at Dunfermline Athletic in May 2017.
Paul rates Stephen Wright as his biggest influence through the Dunfermline youth system and Fife Elite. Paul progressed from the age of 9 when Stephen was his coach, prior to that it was his uncle who was his coach at Inverkeithing Boys Club but from the age of ten years old he has been at Dunfermline.
Rhys Breen joined Dunfermline on 26th July 2021 from Rangers where he came up through their academy.
While 19 years of age Rhys made six appearances for Rangers U20s in the Challenge Cup and last season went out on loan firstly to Partick Thistle and then to Queen of the South. At Queens he made 16 starts including two against Dunfermline, and played the full 90 minutes in 15 of those appearances.
Job Titles:
- Chartered Accountant
- Finance Director
Stephen is a Chartered Accountant having trained with Thomson McLintock (now KPMG) in Dundee before taking up a position with Carters CA (now EQ Chartered Accountants) in Glenrothes, where he currently lives, and was a tax partner for 25 years before retiring in 2015. Stephen is a founder member of the PST and was treasurer for many years. He was very involved helping the Pars though the period of administration and subsequently one of the founders of the 1885 DAFC Business Club and is also the Treasurer of the Centenary Club.
Thomas Meggle is a German former professional Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga player for Hansa Rostock, 1860 Munich and most notably St. Pauli. After his playing career he managed St. Pauli on two separate occasions after which he bacame their sporting director. Thomas is a part of the German consortium of investors "DAFC Fussball GmBH" taking a seat on the DAFC Board of Directors as DAFC`s Sporting Director.