ONE year and seven days ago, Athletic and their fans were lamenting the loss of two points following the concession of a last-gasp equaliser at Partick Thistle.

Little did they know that Brian Graham’s goal, after Euan Murray’s stunner had given their favourites the lead, on March 10, 2020, would be the last time they would see their side in the flesh for a whole year – and counting.

Three days prior, a 1-1 draw with Queen of the South ended up being the last match at East End Park with supporters before the severity of the COVID-19 outbreak saw the season brought to a premature end.

Football did return – albeit as part of a shortened, 27-game Championship season – in October, but the matchday rituals of walking down the Halbeath Road to meet up with pals in Legends, queuing for your steak bridie and taking your seat inside the famous old ground has been missing.

With games being played behind closed doors, faithful followers of clubs up and down the land have had to adjust to watching on an online stream at home, with a backdrop of noise created only by the players, officials and management teams.

So what has it been like to cheer on the Pars from the sofa? For self-confessed fanatic Mark Toynton, of Inverkeithing, it has resulted in him missing what he described as his “second home”.

The 27-year-old, who works for LNER, has followed the club for 22 years and comes from a family of Dunfermline supporters, with his grandad on hand to tell tales of the halcyon days of the 1960s.

A 7-2 win over then non-league Edinburgh City in the Scottish Cup in 1997 – which Mark thought was the norm – saw him hooked on the Pars.

Like so many, Mark shares his match day with his dad - after he finishes a round of golf at Aberdour - and he explained: “We usually go to Legends pre-match and see similar faces and love watching the atmosphere build up inside there before taking our seats just before kick-off.

“We sometimes go back there at full-time, with a pint which tastes even sweeter after three points! It’s so interesting hearing everyone’s different views on how the game went. I’ve missed East End - my second home - loads, from seeing your mates to the smell of a steak bridie.

“The one thing I love is how different all us fans are but we have one love and that’s the mighty DAFC.

“I’ve bought the Pars streams, home and away, every game this season. I personally think the work Jordan Burt (Pars TV commentator) and co do is fantastic. They are doing a fantastic and priceless job to keep us fans on top of the action.

“Yes, it’s not the same not being there but I can’t thank them enough. I can’t wait personally to get back to East End; yes, we all know it’s not going to be the same instantly but to have that back on a Saturday afternoon makes working all week worthwhile.”

Lorna Morton, known to many for providing updates from games for the fans’ website, dafc.net, has said that while the streams have “been pretty good technically”, “it’s not the same in lots of ways”.

She cited missing hearing “the fans and their banter”, as well as the stories from members of the Dunfermline Athletic Supporters Club having been “up at the crack of dawn for away games”, meeting up with pals who support the opposition, and even “giggling with the lovely ladies in the kiosks when I rush to get some refreshments two minutes to kick-off”.

“I long for the days when we can get back,” she said.

“And then there’s the actual football. I want to cheer on my team right there instead of behind the radio or screaming at the tablet.

“It’s just not the same but hopefully soon.”

For Lee Montgomery, the prospect of football returning, even with no crowds, was exciting after “so many months of boring weekends”, but the experience of watching from home has been “bittersweet”.

“Watching and supporting your team from the comfort of your sofa rather than your stadium seat seemed almost other-worldly,” he commented.

“The matchday experience (at home) removes the atmosphere usually provided by sitting in the stadium; the camaraderie with other season ticket-holders is lost.

“With streaming, your ability to view is dependent on internet, and not guaranteed. The ability to attend and see a game in person cannot be replaced.

“Post-pandemic, the virtual matchday experience may need to remain to satisfy social-distancing, and for those with mobility issues, the home experience may be the new normal.”

For some fans that live further afield, however, watching online has given them greater access to the team than they otherwise would have had.

Allan Wilson, 41, first visited East End for the Pars’ centenary match with Aberdeen in 1985 but now lives in Epsom, Surrey.

The streams, for which he praised their quality and Pars TV’s commentary, describing it as “a breath of fresh air”, have allowed him to see more games, and he added: “The only downside is the lack of crowd noise is taking away from the experience - but I’m sure the refs would disagree with me!

“It will be great to get the crowds but will be bittersweet for me as I suspect the ability to stream will be removed. It would be nice to see if the club could do a “golden ticket” where you have the choice to go to the game or stream depending on your location.”

Here’s hoping we can all have the choice of returning to a match soon.