Terrace Travels 2011-12 #4

Click here or read below for my Terrace Travels report of the recent fixture between Raith Rovers and Greenock Morton. It was published on The Terrace. 

Raith Rovers 1 v 1 Greenock Morton

Raith Rovers found themselves embroiled in a bitter title challenge with neighbours Dunfermline Athletic last season, but after sizeable budget cuts in the summer little is expected of the Kirkcaldy side this campaign. However, Rovers have begun the season with a bang, collecting six points from two games placing them second in the table. As Greenock Morton came to town Will Lyon headed to Stark’s Park to see if Raith are the real McCoy.



Stark’s Park is an odd football ground. It has an old fashioned L-shaped main stand, complemented by a disused and “unsafe” coo shed on the other side, while two large modern stands sit behind the goals. It also lies on what some might say the aptly named, Pratt Street. However, for the usual sixteen hundred home fans, they could not imagine being anywhere else come three o'clock on a Saturday afternoon.

Once seated in the South Stand behind the goals, the first thing you notice is how far away the travelling support are situated. The three or four hundred Morton fans soak up the sun 120 yards away in the North Stand which makes it quite tricky to generate any sort of atmosphere.

Above the disused coo shed (otherwise known as the Railway Stand) is the Second Division flag still proudly fluttering in the breezy seaside air, two years on from its unfurling.

Stark’s Park has a different feel to it from last year and indeed that Second Division championship season. There is less of a buzz around the ground, despite the club's similarly lofty position to just four months ago. This is probably due to a sharp dose of realism amongst the Rovers faithful. Fifteen players left the club in the summer due to a lack of money spinning local derbies against Dunfermline and now, a drop in season ticket sales.

On Raith's bench today are five players with an average age of nineteen, none of which have SPL experience and manager John McGlynn unable to even find one striker to bring along. Go back in time twelve months and you would find a bench with an average age of twenty-four, three of which possessed a total of 135 SPL appearances between them. Therefore it is easy to see why there is a relative hush over Starks Park these days, Raith fans are lacking faith with a squad whose depth and experience has been completed mutilated.

The match itself starts of in a decent fashion. Despite the slightly long grass (probably due to the incessant rain the nation has had to suffer in recent weeks) both teams try to play the ball on the deck, although it must be said the pace of the game is frighteningly pedestrian compared to what was witnessed of Spurs at Tynecastle on Thursday.

Morton decide they are going to try and catch out Raith striker John Baird, a player who likes to play off the shoulder of defenders and as a result Rovers are caught offside an incredible five times in the first fifteen minutes.

Another fifteen minutes later, Baird keeps himself in an onside position and threads a lovely little ball through to St Johnstone loanee Stephen Reynolds who proceeds to round the lanky goalkeeper that is Colin Stewart and rolls the ball into the empty net.

Rovers begin to gain an extra air of confidence after the goal but somehow find themselves back all square eight minutes later when a Morton freekick is knocked on by the outstanding Michael Tidser, and Paul Di Giacomo, who could barely score for love nor money at Ross County, smashes home his sixth goal of the season.

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, sitting in the Rovers Directors Box, is obviously very upset that Morton have scored against his beloved team, so he scurries off for a pie with his bodyguard before the half time whistle.

The second half is a little more frustrating than the first, with both teams squandering chances in the final third of the pitch.

What is enjoyable however, is the performances of Baird and Tidser. Baird, frustrated by a lack of service in the Rovers midfield continually drops deep, receiving the ball, spraying it wide, running into the box and trying to get himself on the end of crosses. Tidser on the other hand is spraying balls all across the pitch to his Morton team mates, with his fair share of quick, short passes too, while cracking spectacular twenty-five yard shots at goal when given the appropriate space.

Although most attacks are going through both players it would be unfair to label both Raith and Morton as “one man teams” but there can be little doubt that the loss of these players would have fairly catastrophic consequences for both sides respectively. No doubt McGlynn and Morton boss Allan Moore would have loved to lock both players in a safe house straight after the game to keep any potential buyers away and continue to do so until the transfer window shuts later this month.

Back to the game, Morton striker Peter McDonald, who has been trying to con referee Charlie Richmond into giving him a free-kick all game, threw himself to the ground for what is now a third time but Richmond once again waves play on. Then McGlynn, with no other attacking options replaces striker Stephen Reynolds with left winger Scott McBride who looks completely lost up front.

Meanwhile at the other end of the park, six stewards make their way to the bottom of the North Stand to stop any mental Morton fans running onto the pitch to celebrate a winning goal. To be honest, they might as well have gone home early as a Darren McGeough powerdriver aside, a goal was never on the cards.

It is hard to tell whether either of these two sides are able to mount some sort of title challenge, as Baird and Tidser aside, there were no star performers aside from defenders. In truth, it could be a number of months before some teams begin to break away from the pack and show title credentials. Most teams in the First Division have solid defences and with a general lack of talent in attacking positions it would be sensible to predict a side with the least injuries and suspensions to have a chance of glory.

On another note, Gordon Brown never returned to his seat, the part time fan that he is. Boooo!

written by Will Lyon

My Team & I - Raith Rovers

Click here or read below for my article on why I support Raith Rovers and take you over the trials and tribulations of doing so. It was published on The Footy Blog.

Rovers

Why Raith?

I have my dad to “thank” for being a Raith fan. He was brought up in a village half way between Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline, but he chose to support the less successful team (*sigh*). I actually grew up in Jersey, but I was made aware of Raith Rovers when bought the away strip shortly after the club beat Celtic in the 1994 League Cup Final. Through the years my dad and I would often take in a pre season friendly on our summer holidays and when I moved to Edinburgh University in 2007 I was finally able to watch Raith every week. I'm not sure if it was the 2-1 defeat to Berwick Rangers in front of 570 fans or attending a Scottish Cup Third Round fixture against Threave Rovers and being so cold that my whole body became numb, but I was hooked very quickly.

Favourite Player?

The dependable, Laurie Ellis

Rovers haven't possessed a real quality player since I've watched them, but I would go for left sided defender, Laurie Ellis. He is now in his third spell at Starks Park and although he isn't the best defender the club has ever had, he reads the game better than most. Laurie comes across as someone who loves playing for the club and goes out of his way to interact with the fans. Also, featuring at left back, his light hearted berating of the nearby linesman, or “lino”, is generally quite amusing.

Favourite Game?

A 2-2 draw with local rivals Dunfermline last year at East End Park was probably the best game I have ever watched. It was a top of the table clash with Raith sitting in first place on 26 points and the Pars just one point behind. The tension rose to another level with kickoff being delayed by ten minutes due to an unexpectedly big crowd.

The Pars absolutely battered Raith in the first half and the 2-0 half time scoreline did not accurately convey the utter dominance they had. To add insult to injury, it also meant that as things stood, Dunfermline would go top of the league. However, the second half was a different story.

Just six minutes into the second period Dunfermline's Andy Kirk sliced a shot wide of an open goal. If Kirk's shot had found the back of the net, most agree that would have been no way back for Raith. However, Rovers took confidence from the miss and started to gain a foothold in the match, but were struggling to find a way through the Pars defence. This changed on the 73^rd minute when Dunfermline's Neil McGregor was shown a second yellow card and given his marching orders by referee Eddie Smith. The atmosphere was now becoming more volatile.

Three minutes after McGregor's dismissal, Kirk was taken onto the sidelines to receive treatment for an injury and while this was happening, manager Jim McIntyre made two substitutions, one replacing Kirk himself. However, after a rub of the magic sponge Kirk trotted back onto the pitch, apparently oblivious to the fact he had been subbed. Play raged on with Dunfermline back to eleven men but soon a Raith fan nearby chirped “they've got eleven men again”. His neighbour screamed “whit?!” followed by a loud “BOOOOO!”. As word spread, the chants of “cheats, cheats, cheats” boomed out of the travelling support. Referee Smith brought his finger out and started counting the number of Dunfermline players. After consulting his nearby linesman he swiftly booked Kirk and ordered him off the pitch.

The match restarted again and seven minutes from time Raith clawed a goal back. Dunfermline 'keeper Chris Smith inexplicably dropped a ball at the feet of Iain Williamson and the Raith winger duly passed it into the back of the net. Just minutes later Williamson unbelievably hit the bar from just yards out, but the away support continued to urge their side on. Then, two minutes into injury time Willie Dyer clipped a speculative cross into the box which Allan Walker nodded on and the ball looped – almost in slow motion - into the top corner of the goal. The noise was incredible and the hugs were intense. Walker's equalising goal had kept Raith top of the league and the fans were sure to let the quickly escaping home support know this.

Allan Walker celebrates after his equalising goal against the Pars

Favourite Strip?

The 125^th anniversary “Blackburn style” strip was the most aesthetically pleasing one, made all the better by the fact Raith won the Second Division wearing it.

Iain Davidson shows off the 125th anniversary strip with the Second Division trophy

Worst Thing About Being A Raith Fan?

When Raith beat Celtic in the 1994 League Cup Final a commentator apparently claimed that the fans would be “dancing in the streets of Raith tonight”. This was a glaring error as Rovers home town is Kirkcaldy, not Raith. However, the phrase is repeated far too often for my liking and has become a little tiresome now. 

Funniest Moment?

For the last two seasons Raith had a striker called Gregory Tade. In his first campaign he was well known for tripping over his own feet and blazing shots over the bar from two yards out, but the funniest moment came during a match against Airdrie United in October 2009. Tade – who was already on a yellow card - received a through ball, turned his marker and blasted the ball not only over the bar, but out of the ground. The referee ran up to Tade, threw up a yellow card, followed by a red. A large number of Raith fans began to start laughing hysterically, for it appeared Tade had been given a second yellow card and sent off for simply being rubbish. To this day the sending off is a mystery. There was no foul in the build up to the shot and with Raith winning 2-0 at the time, one can only assume the referee mistook Tade's wild shot as an act of time wasting. 

Walker protests, but Tade is ordered off

Favourite Moment?

The full time whistle after beating Dundee at Dens Park in the Scottish Cup Quarter Final last season is by far and away my favourite moment. The sheer euphoria of the fact that Raith were going to Hampden Park, not to play Queens Park, but to play in a Scottish Cup Semi Final was just incredible. It was also the first Scottish Cup Semi Final Raith had made in forty-seven years which made me feel like I was part of the club making history.

Laurie Ellis celebrates the winning goal over Dundee

written by Will Lyon

Highworth Town with Fraser Haines

Please read below for my interview with Highworth Town secretary Fraser Haines. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Leyton Orient, Dunfermline Athletic, Crawley Town and many more football clubs.

Highworth Town

Highworth Town line up

Last month Football Focus chatted with Highworth Town secretary Fraser Haines and not before long, it became apparent that they are an incredibly close-knit club, and proud of it. Fraser's brother is the current chairman and he took over the reigns when their father passed away. Fraser believes that it is the comradeship within the staff that has helped the club move forward so successfully. “We are all a very close club and have grown rapidly recently after merging with our junior section in 2008.”

Indeed, it is in the youth that Highworth have invested towards in large sums and Fraser is delighted with the rewards reaped. “We’ve kids of all age groups and we have over four hundred children registered with us in thirty-two teams. Our manager Dave Webb trusts youth players and gives them a go if they are good enough. The average age of our first team is around twenty-two which bodes well for the future and shows our youth system is working.”

Although Fraser is rightly optimistic about the future of the club, he is also pleased with the current success of the first team in the Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division, despite their lack of experience. “Our league performance has been very good considering how young our squad is and we don’t pay players unlike a number of teams at our level. Within five years I would like to see the club in the Southern League. We almost got there in 2005, but at the time our ground didn’t reach the required standard.”

After being held back from promotion six years ago, the club were adamant to make the necessary improvements and Fraser cannot speak highly enough of the people who helped make it possible. “We have so many volunteers and everyone involved works so hard here. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them. We’ve spent money on the facility including floodlights, stands and dugouts and have enclosed the pitch with a fence all around the perimeter. We were recently awarded our community status with the FA which gives us a chance to develop our facility further.”

With Highworth Town Reserves having recently won their respective league, Fraser is hoping the first team can kick on from their current spot in the higher echelons of the Premier Division and occupy a place in the Southern League before long.

written by Will Lyon

Dunfermline Athletic - Back In The SPL

Please read below for my article on Dunfermline Athletic who recently won promotion back to the Scottish Premier League. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Leyton Orient, Crawley Town and many more football clubs.

Back In The SPL 

East End Park, the home of Dunfermline Athletic

In May 2007, Dunfermline Athletic found themselves relegated from the Scottish Premier League, but finally, four years on, they were on the brink of returning to the promised land.

With relegation to the First Division comes severe budget cuts and because of this, the Pars stuttered to a fifth place finish in their first season back in the second tier. Dunfermline sacked Irish manager Stephen Kenny and decided to invest their faith in their experienced striker Jim McIntyre who would initially take a player-manager role. Progress was initially quite slow, but over the years McIntyre removed the ageing core of the squad, bringing exciting players to the club, such as Willie Gibson, Joe Cardle and Steven Bell. The Pars began to form an exciting brand of football, with much of their creativity emerging from new signings, Cardle and Gibson.

Dunfermline trailed First Division champions Inverness Caledonian Thistle by fifteen points last season which placed McIntyre under immense pressure from the fans to deliver the goods for this year's campaign. Thankfully, they made a solid start to the term, but were unable to grind out the narrow victories that nearby rivals, Raith Rovers performed. Indeed after a 2-1 defeat to Raith in the New Year derby, some Pars fans were resigned to another season in the First Division.

However, influential winger, Willie Gibson, was snapped up for a six figure fee by Crawley Town and McIntyre was allowed to reinvest the money in the squad. Seasoned pros Kevin Rutkiewicz and Martin Hardie were brought in to add a bit of steel and experience to the squad, while Liam Buchanan, released from his Partick Thistle contract, added some much needed pace to the Pars attack.

McIntyre stressed the importance of being able to grind out victories and if necessary, ditching their attractive style of play. It was a vital decision by McIntyre, setting Dunfermline up for a nine game unbeaten streak before facing Raith again for a top of the table clash. After their impressive run of form, Dunfermline found themselves one point clear before the match and therefore would extend that gap to four points with just two games to play, if they managed to beat their Fife rivals.

On match day, Dunfermline dominated the first period, but after a goalkeeping error, found themselves a goal down at the break. However, the experienced Hardie drove his side on and scored two second half goals to place Dunfermline in the driving seat for promotion.

Director Of Football, Jim Leishman, was delighted with the victory and now sets his sights on preparing for a return to the SPL. “The league is in our hands and we have played very well throughout the season. Next seasons plans will very much depend on if we get promoted, but if we do, we will do everything we can to stay in the division.” However, if the SPL get their way and reduce the number of teams in the division to ten, there is likely to be three relegation places instead of the usual one, making survival extremely tough for the Pars.

written by Will Lyon

Binfield FC with Bob Bacon

Please read below for my interview with Binfield chairman Bob Bacon. It was published in the latest Football Focus magazine which can be viewed here for absolutely free! Included in the current issue are Leyton Orient, Dunfermline Athletic, Crawley Town and many more football clubs.

Binfield FC

Above: Hill Farm Lane, the home of Binfield Football Club

Bob Bacon, chairman of Binfield Football Club, is an ambitious man and it appears that his principals lie in the right areas. Bob is seeks a successful youth policy, improved coaching, modern facilities and a club who play football the right way – producing exciting football that the local community can be proud of.

All the above components are important to Binfield, but Bob believes success with youngsters is particularly vital, although he stresses that they must enjoy themselves too. “Binfield FC has 400 registered players below Under 18 level, of which 40% are from the local village. We run a Soccer School, which takes boys and girls from 3-and-a-half to 6 and typically has an attendance of 40-plus each Sunday. We invest in 10 coaches, all at least FA Level 1 qualified and first-aid trained but this is very much a fun culture.”

Indeed, it is the youth system which nurtures youngsters from the local community into becoming quality players for the future and as Bob explains, the Hellenic Football League, Premier Division side produces one or two players every year which attract scouts from bigger clubs. “We have Chelsea, Brentford and Queens Park Rangers regularly scout at the football club and some boys go and enjoy a couple of years of slick training on fantastic pitches, which really helps their game. I don't want to tempt fate, but we have two centre forwards this year who have scored more than 60 goals between them - it is fair to say they are getting increased attention from clubs. Clearly, we hope they stay with Binfield!”

Binfield possess some quality facilities and a fantastic playing surface at their ground, Hill Farm Lane, so it is little wonder that the club has a knack for producing exciting players. However, Bob explains that it is the hospitality that Binfield supply that wins them just as many plaudits. “Margate FC came to Hill Farm Lane in the summer for an FA Cup game; they were very complimentary on how we looked after them and our playing style. A jewel in the crown for us is the playing surface, which gets accolades. Most of our opposition love playing on it as it is flat and has grass on it! We invest heavily in it during the close season, and will continue to do so. In total, we have two full size pitches, one of which is fenced off for the senior teams and a further pitch for the 7 a-sides.”

If the Hill Farm Lane facilities are in use, then Binfield are sure to have their remaining coaches helping elsewhere in the local area and Bob is proud to label Binfield a community club. “We achieved FA Charter status 4 years ago, and then we were awarded FA Community status 2 years later. We work actively with the local Binfield primary school and 2 of our coaches run after-school soccer clubs for a nearby primary school. We are also looking at striking a relationship with a local senior club, where we will work with boys and girls and in turn, look to train our seniors on their 3G pitch and use their gym facilities during the winter months. We also, as a club, sponsor of the Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) charity, and recently funded screening for 30 teenagers to check on their cardiac health.”

Looking towards the future, Bob seeks further improvement in the youth side of the club. “I want to see the junior club standard increase, which doesn't mean thrashing everyone in sight, but playing a standard and a quality of football that people admire. I would like to see the coaches improve and share their skill with other age groups and for the Community Club ethos reach out to other schools and organisations. Ideally, I would like to see our under 18's Allied Counties team have 60% of their squad come up through the ranks of the club.”

Bob's ambitions do not stop there. He also wants the senior team to keep progressing. At the time of writing, the Binfield senior side are pushing towards the top of the Hellenic Premier Division and could find themselves in a higher league next season. Bob is delighted with their achievements so far this season and hopes they can push on. “At the senior end I want to see the first team get to the next step in the pyramid, playing the brand of football that they have played this year - quick, on the floor, passionate, lots of shooting. It would also be nice to see us get further in the FA Vase and the FA Cup than we got last year and to make Hill Farm Lane a fortress.”

written by Will Lyon

Date night in Kilmarnock

Click here to listen to this week's Terrace Podcast.

On this week's show we look back on the Old Firm derby at the weekend - from team selections, to star players and managerial ear-cupping. As well as the rumble in Glasgow, there were another three other matches and plenty of goals to look back on.

In the lower league round-up, we look back on the Fife derby - gun-toting mascot and all - as well as the battles at the top and bottom of SFL2 and we congratulate Arbroath on their first ever title!

There's also predictions for this week's top-flight football and plenty more. Wrap your ears around it and enjoy.

Email: theterrace@scotzine.com / Twitter: @terracepodcast

Terrace Travels #9: Dunfermline Athletic 2 - 1 Raith Rovers

Click here or read below for my experience of one of the biggest Fife derbies in living memory between Dunfermline Athletic and Raith Rovers. It was published on The Terrace Scottish Football website.

Saturday 23rd April 2011 

 

Dunfermline Athletic 2 v 1 Raith Rovers

Raith started Saturday just one point behind their table-topping rivals Dunfermline Athletic with two games still remaining, making this Fife derby a crunch match of epic proportions. East End Park was packed to the rafters and The Terrace’s very own Will Lyon was there to see it.

The Norrie McCathie Stand

Nerves had been experienced by Raith fans in the build up to their Scottish Cup semi final against Dundee United last season, but this was different. Tickets sold faster than Usain Bolt on speed and it soon emerged that East End Park would be sold out for the first time in well over a decade. During the week leading up to the match, endless hours were spent scouring youtube for previous derby-day delights and my university revision brainstorms turned into doodles of Gregory Tade lashing home thirty-yard screamers.

Following a week of procrastination, derby day finally dawned. After the last fixture at East End Park was delayed by twenty minutes due to crowd congestion, Rovers fans this time made their way into the East Stand with plenty of time to spare. My dad and I found ourselves standing by our seats a full hour before kickoff and much to our amazement, so were another thousand Raith fans, already in full song.

Across to our right in the North East stand were some youngsters dressed in full tracksuits, some complemented by black and white scarves, who were only too happy to remind us that “we f*cking hate you, you're just a wee team.” The large choir of Raith fans hit back, informing the young team that we do not particularly like their team either.

The 'Cage' at East End Park

The atmosphere continued to simmer quite nicely for the next fifteen minutes. The teams emerged for their warm up and the songs continued to flow, with the visiting fans exchanging applause with their players who ventured near the stand from time to time. Meanwhile the young team in the North East stand decided to do the 'Poznan', turning their backs to the pitch and jumping in unison whilst singing “Ole, ole, ole, ole, the Pars, the Pars”. Raith fans once again retaliated, changing the lyrics rather intelligently to “Ole, ole, ole, ole, f*ck the Pars, f*ck the Pars”. Yes, we football fans are among the best thinkers of the world.

The players strode off the pitch with about ten minutes to kickoff and on came the rather strangely dressed 'Sammy the Tammy' – the Pars mascot. Sammy appeared to be wearing some sort of cardboard box, sporting – as one fan gleefully turned around and claimed - “a cardboard cock!” Sammy sat down at the halfway line, aiming his “cardboard cock” at the away end. It was only when he started swaying from side-to-side accompanied by the sound of machine gun fire over the tannoy, we realised that Sammy the Tammy had become 'Sammy, Tank Commander' and was pretending to shoot the Raith fans. One wonders what sort of uproar this would have instigated had the same activity unfolded at an Old Firm derby...

Raith fans in the away end

Scotland's “number one mascot” soon departed the pitch as the teams entered the arena from the dressing rooms, taking up their positions. Rain had pounded down onto the pitch before the match and it was no surprise that along with nerves, there were numerous miscontrolled passes and awful touches in the opening stages.

However, Dunfermline began to master the conditions far better than the visitors and should have taken the lead early on when player-of-the-year candidate Andy Kirk smashed a shot off the bar. Despite the Pars complete control of the game, they went in at the break a goal down. Goalkeeper Chris Smith failed to grasp a fairly innocuous looking shot and John Baird (another player-of-the-year candidate) pounced on the mistake and smashed the ball into the net.

The second half was actually a more tightly-contested affair, but Dunfermline equalised ten minutes after the restart with 'Big, Bad, Mental,' Martin Hardie heading in from close range following a corner.

The Pars scored the winning goal twelve minutes from time. Hibs loanee Kevin McBride needlessly conceded a freekick on the edge of the Raith box and Hardie took advantage, stepping up and curling the ball into the top corner of the Rovers goal.

The Main Stand at East End Park

Some of the away fans began to filter out of the stadium as the final minutes ticked by, simply unable to bear watching the Pars effectively clinching the title.

At the full time whistle there appeared to be some sort of altercation between Dunfermline's David Graham and Raith's Allan Walker, but they were separated before either player could land a blow.

The Pars fans sang their hearts out as their heroes proudly strutted off the park and before the remaining Raith fans fled the ground, they gave a standing ovation to their players, recognising just how far the club have come since sitting second bottom of the Second Division just over four years ago.

Looking back, the build up to the match was utterly fantastic and with the nerves and emotion during the game, it was possibly the quickest ninety minutes of my life. It is now ninety minutes that I hope to forget.

written by Will Lyon

The Terrace Scottish Football Podcast - "Following the Fast Food Rockers…"

Click here to listen to this week's Terrace Podcast.

 After a little week's hiatus, welcome to a brand spanking new episode of The Terrace.

On this week's show we will talk about the weekend's Scottish Cup semi-finals, which saw Motherwell and Celtic both claim comfortable victories which ensured they will meet each other in the May 21st showpiece.

There's also SPL action to look back on, with Rangers ascending (temporarily?) to the top of the SPL and Hibs somehow contriving to lose at home to relegation victims-elect Hamilton Accies. There was also a fairly entertaining draw up in Inverness...so they say...none of us saw the match.

In the lower leagues we congratulate the champions of SFL2 Livingston, and look ahead to the match which may go a long way to deciding the champions of SFL1 - the mouth-watering Fife Derby between Dunfermline and Raith Rovers.

There's even an in-depth look at all of those names who could land a PFA award come May 1st and a full prediction of the SPL action to come in the next week - including Rangers vs Celtic VII.

Email: theterrace@scotzine.com / Twitter: @terracepodcast

Enjoy the Show!

Saturday 16th April 2011 - Stirling Albion 1 v 2 Raith Rovers

Please click here or read below for my match report from this afternoon's fixture between Stirling Albion and Raith Rovers. It was published on the official Raith Rovers website.

Baird Keeps Rovers Challenge On Course For Derby Day Showdown

An 80th minute John Baird header clinched a vital three points over already-relegated Stirling Albion this afternoon at the Doubletree Dunblane Stadium.

 

The winning goal sets up next week’s Fife derby between Raith Rovers and Dunfermline Athletic perfectly, but when Josh Flood cancelled out Allan Walker’s 15th minute free-kick, mid-way through the second half, it looked like Raith’s title challenge was close to capitulation. 

Despite the equaliser from the home side, the large travelling support roared their team on and paid tribute to the recently departed Ronnie Coyle, chanting “One Ronnie Coyle” throughout the match.

The captains lead the teams out

Indeed, all at the ground observed a minute silence for Ronnie prior to kick-off.

Rovers started the first half as the better side, with Grant Murray heading wide from an early corner.

Albion hit back through Paul McHale whose 18 yard strike was tipped wide by Andrew McNeil.

After 13 minutes Raith should have taken the lead. Gregory Tade flicked the ball to Walker at the back post and his pass was diverted to Stephen Simmons who, with keeper’ Calum Reidford nowhere in sight, somehow managed to blaze his effort over the bar.

Just 3 minutes later, Raith were able to take the lead. Walker was brought down on the edge of the box and the midfielder picked himself up to curl the free-kick past the helpless Reidford.

Stirling were determined to keep fighting and shortly after falling behind, had a chance through Gordon Smith. The young striker received the ball in the box and shot for the bottom corner, only to be denied by the sprawling McNeil.

Rovers fans in the away stand

Craig Wilson and Baird both had shots at goal before Mark Campbell forced a strong header at Reidford from a Walker corner and before half time, Campbell had another decent headed effort, this time from a Walker free-kick. 

The second half started in a slightly subdued atmosphere as Stirling tried to impose themselves on the game, with Tom Brighton and McHale striking weak efforts towards goal.

Just 4 minutes after the break Campbell managed to haul himself onto another free-kick smashing a firm header at goal and Reidford did well to stop the ball crossing the line. 

Raith kept up the pressure and although Kevin McBride is not known for his attacking prowess, after latching onto a Baird flick, he half-volleyed the ball at goal, only to see it creep inches past the post.

The teams get ready to line up

Rovers would regret their missed chances on the 63rd minute when a Walker freekick was cleared to Mark Ferry, who conceded possession. Stirling pounced on the mistake and winger Flood, ran the length of the pitch, slotting past McNeil with ease to bring the hosts level.

The Rovers fans urged their players on and many felt their luck was out when Reidford pulled off a fantastic save with his foot to deny Baird on the 70th minute. 

Five minutes later, Raith suffered a scare when Flood tried to double his tally, but McNeil was able to tip wide for a corner and from the set piece, Sean Welsh could only head into the keeper’s arms.

However, with 10 minutes remaining, the roof of the away stand was raised. A Walker free-kick was cleared to Simmons who headed the ball back towards goal and Baird nipped in, ahead of Reidford and dinked a header into the back of the net for what turned out to be the crucial winning goal.

Raith began to slow down play, but they were still able to force another chance right at the end when Baird set up Walker at the edge of the box. The midfielder connected first time and looked up to the heavens in disbelief when the ball rattled the crossbar and came back into play.

To the Rovers fans’ delight, referee Frank McDermott blew the full time whistle and the result means Raith stay just 1 point behind Dunfermline, with the two sides set to meet in a crunch tie at East End Park next Saturday.

written by Will Lyon

Saturday 9th April 2011 - Raith Rovers 2 v 2 Cowdenbeath

Please click here or read below for my match report from this afternoon's fixture between Raith Rovers and Cowdenbeath. It was published on the official Raith Rovers website.

Rovers Bounce Back Twice To Claim Point 

Raith Rovers failed to knock Dunfermline Athletic off the top of the table this afternoon after a 2-2 draw with relegation strugglers Cowdenbeath, but in truth, the situation could have been worse.

The teams

Greg Stewart opened the scoring for Cowdenbeath on the 55th minute, only for Rovers centre-half, Grant Murray to slam in an equaliser four minutes later.

However, on the 70th minute, a mistake by Raith keeper’ Andrew McNeil led to Stewart nipping in and scoring his second, into an empty net.

With the clock ticking down, it looked like all three points would be heading to Cowdenbeath, until Mark Campbell scrambled the ball over the line for a last minute leveller.

The game was frantic from the word go, with play thundering from end to end and it was remarkable that both teams were unable to score before the break.

Last week’s hero, Allan Walker, was first to strike at the Cowdenbeath goal and Stewart was quick to reply for the visitors, but neither could find a way past the opposing keepers’.

On the twelfth minute, Raith had a fantastic opportunity to open the scoring when Gregory Tade won a header and laid the ball off to John Baird who snatched at his shot, which failed to even find the target.

The teams warm up

Four minutes later, Cowdenbeath had just as good a chance when a suspiciously offside-looking Stewart latched onto a long ball and cut inside, only to be thwarted by McNeil. The ball landed at the feet of Scott Linton who had the goal at his mercy, but Craig Wilson made the all-important block and the danger was cleared.

Any neutrals at Starks Park would have been delighted with the excitement on show, which incidentally, was showing no signs of ebbing.

Cowdenbeath’s next great opportunity came to fruition 29 minutes in, when a cross into the Raith box was unable to be cleared by Campbell and former Rover, Stevie Crawford, nipped in, but McNeil pulled off a wonderful save to deny the thirty-seven-year-old.

Three minutes later, Tade and Baird linked again, with the latter outpacing another former Rover, Craig Winter, and he looked set to score, but Cowdenbeath keeper’ Ludovic Roy had other ideas, making a quality stop with his legs.

Tade lobbed a shot wide of the goal, before Roy made a second crucial save in the dying embers of the first half. Former Blue Brazil winger, Scott McBride, crossed a flush ball into the box, Baird connected very well and Roy made just as good an effort to save the shot.

The teams went back into their respective dressing rooms for a half-time refreshment and reflected on what might have been. With better composure and a bit of luck, the scoreline could have been 3-3 at this stage.

Some warm up music from Kirkcaldy High School

Thankfully, the second half started no differently. Both sides were intent on gaining the three points and it was Cowdenbeath who took the initiative on the 55th minute.

Stewart had been causing problems all game and he had Murray twisting and turning once more, deep in the Rovers half. With Murray left in tangles, the striker ran in on goal and beat McNeil on his near post to send the small band of travelling fans ballistic.

Two minutes later, Cowdenbeath had a strong penalty appeal turned down and sixty seconds later, their lead had vanished. McBride curled a corner right onto the head of Murray whose effort was so powerful that Roy’s right hand was unable to stop the ball crossing the line.

The home fans were now roaring and believing their side could go on to clinch the three points, but they almost found themselves pegged back immediately when Stewart got himself on the end of a cross only to be denied by a fantastic fingertip save by McNeil.

Raith fans in the South Stand

On the 66th minute, Baird missed yet another brilliant opportunity when he connected first-time to a Walker cross and he watched in agony as his shot dribbled past the post, with Roy rooted to the spot.

Two minutes later, Murray was beaten again, this time by Crawford who rolled the years back and turned the defender cleverly. However, McNeil looked in the form of his life, rushing out and pulling off a phenomenal block with his chest.

Almost before the Rovers fans had finished sounding their appreciation of their keeper’, McNeil went from hero to zero. A long ball over the top was left by Campbell for McNeil to clear, but he hit the ball straight at Stewart and it looped towards the Raith goal and the striker, with the goal lying empty, made no mistake from six yards out.

Graham Weir replaced winger McBride as Rovers pushed everybody up front. However, the long balls were not working, the chances were drying up and Cowdenbeath looked dangerous on the break.

With Raith fans about to start their exodus out of Starks Park, they were soon halted when a long ball into the box was not dealt with by the Cowdenbeath defence and somehow Campbell managed to scrape the ball over the line from 8 yards.

Cowdenbeath fans in the McDermid Stand

Unbelievably, Raith could have secured all the points three minutes into injury time when a Baird cross was met by Tade but the Frenchman could only head the ball into the ground and just wide of the post.

With both sides contributing to such a fantastic open game it was only fair that both came away with a point, but Rovers, particularly John Baird, may regret their missed chances.

The result means Raith are now one point behind Dunfermline with four games to play. Next week Rovers face Stirling Albion at the Doubletree Dunblane Stadium, the same location where Stevie Hislop fired Rovers top of the Second Division two seasons ago. Will history repeat itself?

written by Will Lyon

First Division Round-Up - Saturday 12th February 2011

Fairytale Dees, sacking Staggies and a ceremony at Central Park...just another day in the First Division!

Neil McCann celebrates after scoring against Raith Rovers

After their CVA agreement on Tuesday, Dundee's financial problems appeared to heading towards an end. The question was, how would Dundee respond on the park to this welcome news? The answer would be provided in fairytale fashion with their match winner coming from a man who came out of retirement and played for no fee, just to help out his first ever senior side.

Dundee were facing top of the table Raith Rovers at Dens Park in a clash that would have been a top of the table one, if it were not for the Dees SFL imposed points deduction.

Both teams struggled to dictate play in the opening period but it would be Rovers who took the lead after a Grant Murray header beat former Scotland keeper' Rab Douglas.

However, few could have predicted the perfect comeback from the battling Dees. Gary Harkins stepped up 25 yards from goal and curled a stupendous freekick into the back of the net to haul Dundee level with just 7 minutes to go.

The fairytale comeback was complete, unbelievably, in the 5^th minute of stoppage time when 36-year-old Neil McCann, who came out of retirement to play for Dundee, controlled a cross and delicately looped the ball over the despairing Andrew McNeil to send the Dens Park crowd into raptures. Indeed, the joy on show from both Dundee's players and fans, would bring a tear to a glass eye after recent events.

Elsewhere in the First Division, Dunfermline Athletic romped to a 4-0 victory over struggling Cowdenbeath which means they are now just 2 points behind pace setters Raith, with a game in hand. Other landmarks in this game was an official ceremony for the unveiling of Cowdenbeath's brand new floodlights, but less pleasing for the Central Park side was watching former Blue Brazil striker, Liam Buchanan, scoring his first goal in Dunfermline colours.

At the other end of the table, Ross County laboured to a 0-0 draw against bottom side Stirling Albion and this would prove to be Willie McStay's last match in charge of the Staggies as he was relieved of his duties shortly after the match. Quite unbelievably, it was only McStay's 9^th game in charge of the Highland outfit.

Meanwhile, Queen of the South managed to hold Partick Thistle to a thrilling 3-3 draw at Palmerston after two late goals and Falkirk kept up with the title challengers after a narrow 1-0 win over Greenock Morton.

What we have learnt

Today was another reminder that first of all, there are likely to be many twists and turns in the race for promotion. The contenders could not be any more different as Raith are a physical and workman-like side, but Dunfermline are a fairly free-flowing and attacking outfit. However, we cannot forget about Falkirk, who need to place together some sort of Caley-esq consistency if they are to challenge for the title. Narrow wins over Raith and Morton are certainly a step in the right direction for Steven Pressley's men.

At the other end of the table, Dundee, who are as Jim Spence would claim, “morally” top of the league, are already up to 7^th place in the real world and bar a catastrophic collapse, are all but clear of relegation because they have a superior side to those around them. So that leaves Stirling rooted at the bottom, which looks like the position they will end up finishing in, unless new manager Jocky Scott can pull a few rabbits out of the hat. The more interesting battle down the bottom is likely to be between Ross County and Cowdenbeath as they battle it out to avoid slipping into the relegation play-off spot. Ross County have a huge decision to make with regards to a new manager and will arguably need to appoint an experienced head, while Cowdenbeath need to find their early season form again if they are to avoid nerve shredding play-off fixtures.

written by Will Lyon

First Division Still Keeping Up With The SPL

Click here for my latest article on how the Scottish First Division standards are still keeping up with the SPL despite the chronic lack of money in the league. It was published in the latest 52 page edition of Scotzine, which you can buy electronically for £1.00 or in print for £2.61. You can purchase the fanzine here.

Something stirring in the Kingdom of Fife

Click here or read below for my article on the recent success of football in Fife. It was published on The Terrace.

Something stirring in the Kingdom of Fife

Season 2006/07 seems a long time ago now and Fife clubs, Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline Athletic, East Fife and Raith Rovers have good reasons to push it to the back of their minds.

On 5 May 2007, Raith were humbled 3-1 in the second leg of the Second Division playoff final by Stirling Albion, meaning that the Kirkcaldy side would be stuck in the third tier of Scottish football for another long season. Seven days later Dunfermline fell to a 2-1 defeat at Inverness Caledonian Thistle to confirm their relegation to the First Division after seven brave years in the Scottish Premier League. On the same day East Fife fared no better as they were thrashed 3-0 by Queens Park in the Third Division playoff final, condemning them to the lowest tier of the Scottish Football League for another term. Meanwhile Cowdenbeath narrowly avoided relegation to Division 3 after finishing the season just six points off the relegation play-off position in Division 2.

Oh, how times have changed! Whilst there are still no Fife teams in the SPL, there is a great chance of one being there next season. If you take off the recently-confirmed 25 point deduction for Dundee then Dunfermline and Raith are actually sitting in the top two places of the First Division. There is currently only one point between the sides and Raith have a game in hand over their west Fife rivals.

Cowdenbeath, after two back-to-back promotions find themselves punching well above their weight in the First Division and are remarkably four (nine, if you take Dundee's point deduction into consideration) points clear of the automatic relegation. The Blue Brazil, tipped to go straight back down to Division 2, have defied the odds so far this season. East Fife are currently undergoing a bit of modification after Stevie Crawford stepped down as manager. Despite this, Hearts hero John Robertson has taken the reigns and has the Methil side sitting seventh in the Second Division and has already nabbed a Manager of the Month award.

Football in Fife hasn’t looked so rosy in many years. Cowdenbeath, East Fife and Raith are all in higher leagues compared to 2006/07 and Dunfermline fans will be currently enjoying watching their team fly to the top of the First Division rather than the horrible relegation suffered in 2007. So what has changed?

Dunfermline 
The situation at East End Park worsened before it got better. In season 2007/08 the Pars finished their return to Division 1 in a disappointing 5th place and suffered humiliating home defeats to Hamilton Academical (0-5) and Livingston (0-4) in the space of three weeks. After finishing as runners-up in the Scottish Cup the season previous, Dunfermline actually competed in Europe in 2007, but were knocked out at the first hurdle by BK Hacken.

The Pars board soon realised that manager Stephen Kenny was not capable of producing the goods that they demanded and he was sacked on 4 December 2007. Striker Jim McIntyre was handed the job on a permanent basis a month later. Since McIntyre's appointment, the Pars have steadily progressed and finished in a respectable third position in the last two seasons. McIntyre has disposed of dead wood at the club and has brought in some fantastic younger players such as Willie Gibson and Steven Bell. McIntyre has done a fine job and his side look favourites for promotion back into the SPL this season.

Raith Rovers
Season 2006-2007 ended in disappointment for Raith, but it had actually been the start of a new era. Hearts coach John McGlynn was hired on 20 November 2006 and steered Rovers from 9th place in Division 2 to finish 3rd. Rovers finished third again the following season and bowed out in the playoffs to Airdrie United. However, 2008/09 was to be the season that Raith finally hauled themselves back into the First Division, winning automatic promotion by finishing two points ahead of second-placed Ayr United.

McGlynn performed further miracles in 2009-2010 by leading the Starks Park club to 7th place (after amazingly heading the division for a period) and also took the club to their first Scottish Cup semi-final in 47 years.

After keeping Raith up in their return to the First Division, McGlynn added Brechin full back Willie Dyer, Cowdenbeath winger Scott McBride, Montrose keeper Andy McNeil and Airdrie forward John Baird to his squad. Despite these relatively unremarkable signings, Raith somehow find themselves just one point behind Dunfermline and in a promotion battle that even their most ambitious fans could not have predicted at the start of the season.

Cowdenbeath
The recent story of Cowdenbeath is just as impressive as their Kirkcaldy neighbours. However, the story begins with a failure, as in 2007/08 they were relegated to the Third Division, finishing 9th and, via the playoffs, succumbing to a 3-2 aggregate defeat against Arbroath.

The Central Park side sacked manager Brian Welsh in June 2008 and Danny Lennon stepped up from the playing staff to take control in the dugout, much like Jim McIntyre. Yet, much like McIntyre, Lennon proved to be a natural. His managerial reign started well as Cowden finished second in the 2008/09 season and although they lost on penalties to Stenhousemuir in the playoff final they were promoted just days before the start of the new season due to Livingston being demoted to the Third Division.

Remarkably, with a squad that Lennon had assembled to compete in the Third Division, Cowdenbeath performed well above expectations and finished third in Division 2. They defeated Alloa Athletic in the play-off semi-final and then swept past Brechin City 3-0 to unbelievably seal promotion to the First Division.
Danny Lennon left Cowdenbeath for SPL club St. Mirren in the summer, but the experienced Jimmy Nicholl has taken over and produced good results such as narrow victories over Dundee and Raith while a 5-1 romp over Stirling was a particular high point.

East Fife 
The Fifers have had the hardest time of the four clubs in recent years, but most of their fans will admit that Division 2 is around their natural level anyway. Season 2007/08 saw a lot of investment in East Fife from Willie Gray and his financial backing paid off as the Methil side ran away with the Third Division title, finishing with 88 points, 23 more than runners-up Stranraer. 2008/09 was expected to be another successful year for East Fife, but Dave Baikie's side failed to make the impact they hoped, finishing sixth in the Second Division.

Striker Stevie Crawford had now taken over the reins and despite the withdrawal of funds from Gray, he managed to keep the team in the division, edging the dreaded play-offs by one point. Recently, John Robertson has taken over as manager which has allowed Crawford to solely focus on scoring goals again. It's still early in Robertson's tenure, but after beating Stenhousemuir 6-0 in their last league fixture they will be looking to push up the league from their current seventh position.

So there you have it. Considering the size of Fife, its football clubs are prospering and progressing very well. There is a fantastic chance of one of them being in the SPL next season and Cowdenbeath will be keen to stay up and keep punching above their weight in Division 1.

As a side note, it is interesting that Cowdenbeath (Danny Lennon), Dunfermline (Jim McIntyre) and Raith Rovers (John McGlynn) have had their clubs transformed by managers that were in their first permanent managerial job. It certainly backs the theory that older and experienced managers are being forced out of the game by chairmen looking for candidates that are in touch with the modern tactics and theories, as these young guns aim to bring success to the Kingdom.