Former Aberdeen & Dunfermline boss Calderwood dies

Jimmy Calderwood, 69, was the manager of Aberdeen and Dunfermline Athletic before passing away.

Three years after taking the job of manager at Dutch side De Graafschap, Calderwood was diagnosed with early-onset dementia.

The Glaswegian helped Dunfermline move from the Scottish second-tier to the top of the rankings in 2000, posting a record fourth-place finish there four years later.

In the 2007-08 Uefa Cup, his Aberdeen team famously drew with Bayern Munich.

A midfielder, Calderwood won an apprentice contract with Birmingham City in 1971, going on to make over 150 senior appearances.

He joined Sparta Rotterdam in 1979, where he played alongside Dutch football giants, and future coaching luminaries, in former Rangers boss Dick Advocaat, Danny Blind and Louis van Gaal.

Calderwood would see out his playing days in the Netherlands, turning out for Willem II, Roda JC and Hercales, where he retired in 1989 and became a coach.

His first managerial position was at Willem II in 1996, when he was promoted from there, before transferring to NEC Nijmegen a year later.

Dunfermline emigrated to Scotland in 1999, and Calderwood reclaimed their faith by advancing from the second-tier behind St Mirren in his debut season.

In the top division, Calderwood’s side finished ninth, sixth, then fifth, qualifying for the Uefa Cup, before earning a club-best fourth place in 2004, while losing the Scottish Cup final to Celtic.

Dunfermline say they are “hugely saddened” by his death.

After five years at East End Park, Calderwood moved north to Aberdeen, spending another five years at Pittodrie.

The Dons finished third in the league in 2006-07, which was their best season in 21 years, and won European football.

That caused an improbable Uefa Cup to begin the following campaign, when FC Copenhagen defeated Dnipro in the qualifying round and secured qualification for the final 32 spots.

Bayern Munich and Aberdeen battled to a legendary 2-2 draw at Pittodrie before being swatted aside in the return leg.

Calderwood took over Rugby Park in January 2010 and kept Kilmarnock in the top flight.

He was responsible for Ross County’s Challenge Cup triumph a year later before making his Netherlands debut with the Go Ahead Eagles.