Player Leishman played for
Dunfermline between 1970 and 1977 before being transferred to local rivals
Cowdenbeath. When his playing career was cut short through injury, he moved into coaching and then management with
Kelty Hearts Junior Football Club, before becoming youth team coach and later reserve team coach at Dunfermline.
Manager Leishman was appointed manager of the Pars, aged just 28, in 1982. The club were bottom of the
Second Division, the third tier of Scottish football. The Pars finished third in 1984–85, missing out on promotion on the final day of the season. Leishman and assistant manager
Gregor Abel then forged a side that won successive promotions to the
Scottish Premier Division, winning the Second Division in 1985–86 and finishing second to
Greenock Morton in the 1986–87 First Division. After an unsuccessful campaign in the Premier Division in 1987/88, Leishman again led the club to promotion from the First to Premier Division in the 1988/89 season. Throughout this time, Leishman had helped rebuild the fanbase of the club. With publicity campaigns ranging from talks at local
primary schools to national television appearances, Leishman arrested the downward spiral of the club since the early 1970s. The average gate of the club increased from approximately 1,500 in 1983/84 to 7,500 in season 1987/88. In 1989/90, Leishman's final year of his first tenure as the Pars' boss – the average home gate of
Dunfermline Athletic Football Club was 13,500; the third largest in Scotland and the largest of all provincial clubs in the country. In this time, he brought players such as
George O'Boyle and record-signing
István Kozma to the club. He kept the club in the Premier Division at the end of the season. At the end of the campaign though, it was suggested that Leishman move from the dugout to the board-room with the club's suggestion that he take up the role of general manager. Leishman resisted the offer and left his post acrimoniously in July 1990. The move shocked the Pars' support and 4,000 fans marched on the club demanding his reinstatement as manager. Pressure on Leishman increased steadily in 2006/07 after another poor start which brought just three wins in two months. On 26 October 2006, Leishman decided to return to his post as general manager, with former
Hearts boss
Craig Levein the initial favourite to take over.
Politician After retiring from football, Leishman took up politics. He was elected as a
Scottish Labour councillor for the Dunfermline Central ward of
Fife Council at the
2012 election, and was subsequently appointed
Provost of Fife. ==Personal life==