HE might have managed one of world football's giants to unprecedented success but the ground where he made his name as a player enjoyed some Fergie time on Saturday.

Legendary former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who played for the Pars for three years in the 1960s, made a fond return to East End Park to watch his old team take on Dumbarton.

And he proved a lucky charm as the Athletic displayed the goalscoring prowess that he became known for with the club as Dunfermline earned a Premiership play-off place and a shot at promotion to the top flight.

Sir Alex, who won 13 league titles and two European Cups during a glittering 26-year career in the dugout at Old Trafford, met up with the likes of Jim Leishman, former team-mate Bert Paton, current Pars boss Allan Johnston and members of the squad ahead of the game.

Before watching Kallum Higginbotham, who netted a brace, and Fraser Aird and Ryan Williamson fire the hosts to a 4-0 win, Sir Alex watched another ex-team-mate, Roy Barry, parade the Scottish Cup ahead of kick-off to mark the 50th anniversary since the club's second, and to date last, triumph in the competition.

After signing from St Johnstone in 1964, Sir Alex went on to hit 91 goals for the club, including seven in European competition.

He was part of the Athletic team that narrowly missed out on the Scottish league title, and lost the Scottish Cup final 3-2 to Jock Stein's Celtic, in 1965 before finishing as the league's joint-top scorer in the following season alongside the Hoops' Joe McBride.

In 1967, he was transferred to Rangers for £65,000 – then a record fee for a transfer between two Scottish clubs – before going on to lead Aberdeen and United to domestic and European glory.

Sir Alex was inducted into the Dunfermline Athletic hall of fame in 2007, where he stated that "I believe my best days were here (as a player), absolutely without question."