27-11-94. Six numbers that carry huge meaning for me, and for many fans of a small town, lower league Scottish football team that most people have never heard of. Once, a couple of years after this famous date, when my high school English class was tasked with writing about ‘the best day of your life’, […]
Category: Football
Death or glory? Raith’s future hangs in the balance
It was a candid comment of the sort we’re not used to in the inane realm of post-match interviews. Asked whether the target for next season is promotion, John McGlynn, architect of Raith Rovers’ season of over-achievement, refused to gloss over the grim predicament facing the club. The practiced tone of upbeat, football-manager-speak noticably fell away […]
Ronnie Coyle RIP
A few weeks ago I wrote about the Ronnie Coyle benefit match at Stark’s Park (see below), which was a genuinely great occasion to be in the stand for. Although he didn’t kick a ball, Coyle seemed energetic and upbeat, joining the players on the pitch with his family and waving to fans after the […]
“Surely unthinkable for the skipper to miss…”
“… And he doesn’t! “Celtic have won the Coca-Cola Cup!” Doesn’t really have the same ring to it does it? But even the staunchest Raith supporter would not begrudge Paul McStay his penalty spot revenge over Scott Thomson in the Ronnie Coyle benefit match at Stark’s Park today that featured some of the players from […]
Scotland’s glorious failure #3,423
Watching football from the stands or from the sofa – there are, of course, some fundamental differences. While your average SkySports-subscribing Joe will get a better overview of the match complete with instant replays and ‘expert commentary’, there are still aspects of going to the game that collectively outweigh any flashy TV wizardry. Last night […]
Raith Rovers 0 – 2 Dundee United: My take on the Scottish Cup semi-final
So near and yet so far… I wrote a quick reaction piece on Raith Rovers’ Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Dundee United for scotsman.com. Sometimes it’s hard to be a Rover, as Tammy Wynette might have sung if she had experienced lower league Scottish football. And that’s just getting to the game. Unless you’re a member of […]
Why it’s sometimes good to support the wee team
Last night Raith Rovers beat Aberdeen 1-0 in the replay of their Scottish Cup fifth round tie. For anyone unfamiliar with the context or the sport, there’s nothing remarkable about this fact. But it was remarkable when you consider these facts: In the original game, Aberdeen bundled in an equaliser in the fifth minute of […]
