Aberdeen to become the 'strip capital of Scotland'

Click here (The Sun print version) or here (The Sun online version) to read a story I wrote on Aberdeen which is set to become the city in Scotland with the most venues with stripping licences.

Shocked diner finds huge tooth inside meat pie

Click here (Daily Express version) or here (Daily Star version) to read a story I wrote on Maryka Field who almost choked after finding a tooth in her meat pie.

Fans In Focus...Will Lyon

Click here or read below for my 'Fans In Focus' piece I wrote for The Rover, the official Raith Rovers matchday magazine.

Fans In Focus

I'm Will Lyon and I live in Dalgety Bay. I have just finished a four year history degree at the University of Edinburgh and will be missing the first half of this season to train as a reporter at the Press Association in Newcastle. Away from Starks Park I keep myself involved with other sports, but due to my lack of sporting talent I tend to watch, read and write about it instead!

I was bought a Raith shirt shortly after they won the League Cup in 1994, but didn't take much notice of them at the time as I was only five years old. Although I was living in Jersey at the time, I started following Rovers in 2001 after I was brought to a pre-season friendly while on holiday. My first full season watching Raith was the 2007/8 campaign when they were knocked out of the playoffs by Airdrie United after a few goalkeeping errors in the first leg.

Laurie Ellis is my favourite Rovers player at the moment. He is always dependable, organises the defence well and has been a fine servant to the club in his three spells. The goal he scored against Dundee in the Scottish Cup semi final in 2010 was something special and the celebration, with his arms aloft, was just as brilliant.

Robert Sloan may not have been the fastest player in the world, but I like a player with a cultured left foot and Sloan's was probably the best in the Second Division. He was a calming influence on a team which had a tendency of thumping the ball up the pitch, but my overriding memory of him would be the fantastic set piece ability he had. The freekick he scored against Brechin City in the climax of the 2008/9 season will live long in the memory.

The 2-2 draw against Dunfermline last November was a classic, but the aforementioned 2-1 Scottish Cup semi final win over Dundee is the best game I've ever attended. The feeling of being two goals up after just ten minutes and then walking out of Dens Park, knowing you would be going to Hampden to watch Raith play for a place in a national final against a team other than Queens Park, was just incredible.

A very unoriginal choice, but it has to be Lionel Messi. His goal against Real Madrid in last season's Champions League semi final summed up the qualities he possesses. He has pace, balance, control, composure and a superb first touch.

I am not expecting another title challenge this season, but I would expect Rovers to steer clear of relegation and if I had to pick a position, I would say seventh. I think that Ayr United, Morton and Livingston all have a weaker starting eleven than Raith, but a lot could rest on injuries and suspensions picked up along the season.

Sunday 2nd January 2011 - Raith Rovers v Dunfermline Athletic [Preview]

Click here or read below of my preview of the forthcoming Fife derby between Raith Rovers and Dunfermline Athletic. It was published on The Away End.

Title honours up for grabs in Ne'erday clash

Raith Rovers are fighting to get their pitch ready for their eagerly anticipated fixture against Dunfermline Athletic on Sunday. The pitch at Starks Park is still frozen in areas, but the club are confident that it will be playable in time for the Fife derby.

The consequences of this game are huge in the race for the First Division title. A Dunfermline win would send the Pars seven points clear of their Kirkcaldy neighbours, a sizeable gap for the turn of the year. However, a win for Raith would see them close the gap on Dunfermline to just one point, with a game in hand.

Raith, despite occupying third place, are on a poor run of form. They have failed to win since 30 October and were unable to score in their last two games. However, John McGlynn's side will be pleased that they have managed to keep a clean sheet in these previous two games after they fell to a shocking 4-2 defeat at Alloa Athletic in November.

Dunfermline on the other hand are on a fairly decent run. They have picked up eight points in their last four games and thrashed Cowdenbeath by five goals on Wednesday night. Jim McIntyre's side have a great attacking threat but have been known to crumble defensively. They have thrown away 2-0 advantages against Dundee and Raith to draw 2-2 in recent months.

What we can expect in this New Year derby is a very stuffy game played at a frantic pace. Raith have a very well organised and hard working defence and it is unlikely that Dunfermline's attacking threat will be sharp enough to penetrate the home defence very often. Dunfermline will probably have slightly more of the ball, but when Raith have possession, they will look to break quickly with the pace of their attacking line.

Raith's key player will undoubtedly be Gregory Tade. The big Frenchman causes havoc every time he plays due to his sheer athleticism and pace. He will be the target man for any long balls and is a key part of the Raith counter attack system.

Dunfermline's key player would normally be Steven Bell or Willie Gibson, but they will miss out due to injury and illness. Therefore, Andy Kirk will be the player that Pars fans will look to for a spark. The First Division joint top goalscorer has struggled to rediscover his scoring form recently, but found himself back on track after he scored the opening goal in the romp against Cowdenbeath on Wednesday.

You don't have to look far for a classic game between Raith and Dunfermline. The sides last met in a 2-2 draw at a packed East End Park on 13 November 2010. The Pars dominated the first period and went in 2-0 up at the break thanks to goals from former Rover, Pat Clarke and Callum Woods. Rovers fans stood in silence at half time as they tried to comprehend the sheer dominance of their west Fife rivals.

The second half began with Rovers finally creating a few decent chances. However, Dunfermline should have sealed the game shortly after the break when Kirk missed an open goal after a deep Clarke cross. The Pars fans had their heads in their hands once more when Neil McGregor picked up his second yellow card of the game after scything down Scott McBride.

Raith were now well in control but fifteen minutes from time their fans were almost rioting. Kirk had left the pitch to be treated by the physio, while manager McIntyre made two substitutions. Kirk was unaware that he had been subbed and after receiving treatment he strolled back onto the pitch to make the teams even again at 11v11. Referee Eddie Smith soon turned his attention to the Raith fans screaming “cheats!” and booing incessantly. He finally realised that Kirk had incorrectly come back onto the pitch and booked the striker before he trotted back off the pitch onto the bench.

Raith managed to grab a goal back on the 83^rd minute when keeper' Chris Smith failed to hold onto the ball and former Par Ian Williamson nicked it off him and slotted home into the empty net.

Minutes later Williamson rattled the bar and Craig Wilson fired a belting shot inches over. The Pars looked to have held out for the three points, but two minutes into stoppage time Allan Walker looped the ball over Smith into the back of the net to level the game at 2-2.

For Dunfermline fans it felt like a defeat, for Rovers, it was a victorious feeling.

With so much to play for, Sundays game should be a cracker too.

Raith Rovers 2 v 0 Dunfermline Athletic [Match Report]

Click here or read below for my match report of the Irn-Bru First Division fixture between Raith Rovers & Dunfermline Athletic. It was published on the official Raith Rovers website.

Derby Day Delight For Rovers

Two second half goals in five minutes sent Raith Rovers three points clear at the top of the Scottish First Division this afternoon.

Substitute Iain Davidson broke the deadlock on the 73rd minute and just five minutes later Laurie Ellis doubled Rovers’ advantage to send the home side on their way to three points.

Dunfermline had a host of great opportunities in the first half but failed to take advantage and were punished by a determined Raith side, despite striker John Baird missing a penalty on the 49th minute.

It was the Starks Park side who dominated the first fifteen minutes of the match, but apart from an Iain Williamson header Rovers had nothing to show for their hard work.

Dunfermline started to see more of the ball and on the 23rd minute Nick Phinn had a great chance to put the away side ahead as he ran the length of the Rovers half, waltzing past the defence, but his effort wasn’t clinical and David McGurn made a comfortable save.

Minutes later, midfielder Stephen Simmons passed straight to Dunfermline’s Willie Gibson and McGurn was relieved to see the winger’s shot flash past his post.

Ellis had a shot saved by Chris Smith before Gibson was causing more problems with a dangerous corner on the 33rd minute. Rovers fans had Willie Dyer to thank as the full back kicked Andy Kirk’s goal-bound header off the line.

The Pars continued to press forward before the break, but Joe Cardle and Chris Higgins couldn’t make their shots count.

Raith started the second half with real desire and they were rewarded with a penalty on the 48th minute. Mark Ferry clipped a lovely ball through to John Baird who was brought down by the outrushing Smith. Baird, the First Division’s top goal scorer had his head in his hands moments later as Smith made amends for his mistake with a great save from the striker’s penalty kick.

Despite the disappointment of missing a golden opportunity, it didn’t seem to affect Rovers as they began to match their rivals in all areas of the pitch, but they again came close to losing a goal on the 70th minute when Phinn’s swerving effort clipped the crossbar.

Rovers punished Dunfermline for wasting their chances when just minutes later Davidson broke the deadlock. Allan Walker’s cross was bundled in by the club captain minute with one of his first touches of the ball.

Raith now had the momentum and just five minutes later they sealed the game with Walker the provider again. The midfielder’s corner was met by the onrushing Ellis and the ball rebounded off Smith and into the back of the net.

Dunfermline now looked demoralised and they should have been three goals down seven minutes before time. Substitute Jamie Mole did some great work down the right wing, slotting a great ball through two Dunfermline defenders, but with all the time and space in the world Gregory Tade scuffled the ball wide of the post.

In the end Tade’s miss didn’t matter and Rovers saw the match out to gain the three points. The win marked Rovers first league win over Dunfermline at Starks Park since the New Year derby in 2000.

Raith Rovers 1 v 2 Dunfermline Athletic [Match Report]

Click Here for the link to my match report of the Irn Bru First Division fixture between Raith Rovers and Dunfermline Athletic which took place this afternoon. The match report was published on The Away End's website.

Dunfermline Athletic 2 v 1 Raith Rovers [Match Report]

Click Here for the link to my match report of the Irn Bru First Division fixture between Dunfermline Athletic and Raith Rovers which took place this evening. The match report was published on The Away End's website.