Over the festive period, long-serving and kind-hearted Dunfermline Athletic kitman Mo Hutton, alongside members of the first-team squad, paid a special visit to Rachel House (CHAS) in Kinross.
During the visit, they presented a £500 donation to the hospice, raised through the opening testimonial event “An Afternoon with Mo and Friends”, which took place in November 2025. The group also delivered Christmas gifts to the children and families supported by Rachel House, helping to spread some seasonal cheer.
Mo Hutton is currently celebrating his 33rd year of service with Dunfermline Athletic FC and is marking the milestone with a testimonial season.
Speaking about the visit, Mo said: “When we started the testimonial season back in August, I always said to the committee that I wanted to support local charities that mean something to me. The work everyone does at Rachel House is a real inspiration, so I was delighted to help in a small way.”
The playing and coaching staff also donated £840 to Rachel House.
On Sunday, 9th November 2025, more than 370 people gathered at the Glen Pavilion in Dunfermline to celebrate the opening event of Mo Hutton’s Testimonial Season.
Supporters, family members, and former and current players came together to honour the remarkable service of Dunfermline Athletic’s legendary kitman, Mo Hutton.
The afternoon was hosted by East Fife manager and Scottish football icon Dick Campbell, who led an entertaining top table that included former Pars player and manager Bert Paton, Hearts goalscoring legend John Robertson, former UEFA referee Willie Young, and former Celtic and Scotland goalkeeper Rab Douglas.
Reflecting on the day, Mo said:
“I’m so grateful to everyone who came along – I was blown away by the support. A massive thank you to everyone who helped organise such a special event, and our sponsors HPP, Bay Travel and KDM Group.”
Dunfermline Athletic manager, Neil Lennon followed with: “I love Mo. I like the people who have been around the game, and he’s given so much service to Dunfermline. He’s fully deserving of a testimonial, and he’s great company. He’s part of the furniture and we don’t take that for granted either. I’m really pleased that the club are rewarding him with this – He deserves it.”
The Mo Hutton Testimonial Committee is already planning a series of events throughout 2026, with full details to be announced on this official Mo Hutton Testimonial website and Facebook page.
From boyhood fan to trialist left winger, and from voluntary youth coach to dedicated kit man, Mo Hutton has had a near-lifetime’s association with Dunfermline Athletic.
In almost 33 years of working for the club, the 73-year-old has been right there in the dressing room and the dugout as the Pars have suffered the agony and ecstasy of the beautiful game.
He has had a ringside seat to witness the highs of five promotions and four cup finals, and been right in the thick of plenty of bitterly disappointing lows.
Now awarded a testimonial season to mark his time at East End Park, Hutton has been trawling through decades of memories from his loyal service to the Pars.
So, who was the one player of the hundreds he has dealt with that he could not warm to? Which of the 17 managers he has worked under did he enjoy the most? And who are the former players he still keeps in touch with regularly to this day?
Courier Sport has been in deep conversation with the much-loved member of the Dunfermline backroom team as he begins the countdown to his retirement at the end of the season.
How did the Pars job come around? “I was at Rosyth (Recreation) with Bert Paton and Dick Campbell. I was helping the younger ones there,” he explains.
“When they came into Dunfermline, they wanted to start youth development. I loved helping with the coaching.
“Then, Joe (Nelson) was retiring as kit man. He had to take a step back, so I sort of stepped in to help. Then he decided to pack in and come back and help me. So that’s how it all kind of started off.”
How has his job changed? “It’s come a long way since the first time I was here with Joe. It used to just be two hampers and away in the boot. Now it’s a van load.
“It’s now things like the warm-up. Commercially, they want you to wear stuff before the game as well and then change it, and then it’s the washing at the back of it all.
“You need people behind the scenes to just keep it right and you need a team. So, I’ve got Bobby (Drummond) and Sammi (Connell) and my grandson Jack who sort of muck in and get on with it.
“You need organisation. When I’m emptying the hamper on a Saturday night or a Sunday, I’m starting to prepare for the next game.”
Dressing room shenanigans “Even when I was just helping, when Norrie McCathie was alive, you’d get boys like that in the dressing room and you’d just have to watch your back, you know what I mean? Some of the things they used to get up to!
“The Jimmy Calderwood era was probably the best for people that have stuck together. That group of players, we’re on a group chat yet.
“We’re playing a Legends game in a couple of weeks against Cowdenbeath and most of them are going to try and get there. Craig Brewster, Stevie Crawford, Barry Nicholson, Gary Dempsey, Scott Wilson, Nipper (Scott Thomson).
“Everybody used to think he was called Nipper because he was quick. It’s because he nips your head!”
Getting to sit on the bench on match days “Sometimes it’s okay, but sometimes the manager, the assistant-manager, the other coach, they stand up, so you can’t see. So sometimes I just go to the side, out the road.
“But I love sitting on the bench, because you get the craic with the boys. Football players are just human beings, they’re not special, they’re just great guys who have got ability.
“I’ve not really met any bad football players, really.”
Apart from one player…
“The only player I’ve not really taken to was the boy Youssef Rossi. I’m a great believer that if you’re bringing a player into a club you have to bring him into an environment where he’s going to be happy and you’re happy to have him.
“They brought him out of nowhere into an environment where he just didn’t fit in. I’ve never really fought with anybody, apart from him; he was the only one.”
Happy days with managers “I used to go down to Jimmy Calderwood’s training because I would help with the U/19s and U/18s at that time as well. It was great.
“He brought a new freshness to training. Everything was with the ball with him. I used to sit and take notes and take them to the training for myself at night.
“He got a bit heated at times because he just had that high standard, probably from working with better players in Holland.
“I really enjoyed that time and (assistant) Jimmy Nicholl was the man who just kept everything going, he just ticked away.
“When I was with Bert and Dick, it was the same. Dick was the one who did the coaching and Bert, you didn’t have heart monitors and all these things, his eyes were his monitor. He just watched and he could tell if a player wasn’t doing enough.
“He still does it to this day. You go to a game, and he’ll sit there and say, ‘look at him, lazy’. Brilliant.”
Favourite memories “When you’re a football man, Hampden is the place to be isn’t it? Even going there now, it still gives you a wee feeling. I take my grandson there and I think it’s just clicking with him now, how big a thing it is to go to the national stadium and play.
“But when I think of the best moments it’s games like being 3-0 down against Airdrie and coming back to win 4-3. Or the Martin Hardie goal against the Rovers. They’re the kind of moments you remember. They were special, eh?
“I’ll sit and look at the squad photos, then try and pick out things when I’m looking back. I can’t really say I’ve had a bad experience; everything’s been good.”
We are thrilled to announce KDM Group as our official Testimonial Sponsor for Mo Hutton’s much-anticipated testimonial season. This is a celebration not just of Mo’s incredible contribution, but of the community and supporters who have been part of his journey.
Iain Jones from KDM Group said: “As a lifelong supporter of Dunfermline Athletic, I’m honoured that KDM Group is sponsoring Mo Hutton’s testimonial season.
Mo’s commitment reflects the very best of what football should be: loyalty, community spirit, and pride in the badge. On behalf of everyone at KDM Group, it is a privilege to support Mo at this special moment in his career, and we look forward to celebrating alongside the Pars family throughout his testimonial season.”
Mo Hutton followed with: “I cannot thank Iain and the KDM Group enough for supporting my Testimonial Season. Not only is Iain providing valuable input in my committee, but he is also now supporting this financially.”
Now, we are inviting more sponsors to come on board and be part of this special occasion. A range of sponsorship opportunities are available, from event sponsorships to bespoke partnership packages, offering excellent exposure and the chance to support a local sporting icon.
The first major event in the calendar is ‘An Afternoon with Mo and Friends’ taking place on Sunday 9th November at the Glen Pavilion. This promises to be a fantastic occasion bringing together fans, friends, and special guests. Tickets and event information will be made available very soon.
Would you like to be one of our Event sponsors? A great way to gain brand visibility at our high-profile events and celebrate Mo’s 33 years at DAFC.
If you would like to get involved and showcase your support, please contact us at: [email protected]
Don’t miss this opportunity to play your part in a once-in-a-lifetime celebration.
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club is proud to announce that the 2025/26 season will be a Testimonial Year in honour of our legendary kit man, Mo Hutton, who has served the club with distinction for an incredible 33 years.
A Dunfermline Athletic supporter from a boy, Mo first joined the Pars in a staff voluntary capacity in 1993, working as a youth coach under Bert Paton and Dick Campbell. For six years, he played a vital role in developing young talent before taking over as the club’s kit man, succeeding another DAFC icon, Joe Nelson, during the 1999/2000 season.
Since then, Mo has been a constant and much-loved figure at KDM Group East End Park, serving 100s of players, 17 managers and witnessing five promotions, two Scottish Cup Finals, one League Cup Final, and a Challenge Cup Final. He was also rightfully inducted into the club hall of fame in 2019.
CEO David Cook said:
“Mo has overseen it all. His dedication, professionalism, and passion for Dunfermline Athletic are unmatched, and we are honoured to celebrate his outstanding service with a testimonial season.”
Testimonial Committee Chair Michael Mlotkiewicz added:
“Mo Hutton is an absolute legend. 33 years of service to one football club is remarkable, and we are determined to ensure he is celebrated in style with a year of fantastic events that reflect his enormous contribution.”
The Testimonial is proudly sponsored by KDM Group and a dedicated testimonial committee has now been formed, with events currently being planned to mark this special occasion. Full details will be announced in due course.
