We travelled to Glasgow on Saturday for the Walking Football Scotland Scottish Cup and Festival to compete in the over 50s cup. We travel in hopes of emulating our 2019 victory but realistically hoping to get out of our group and into the quarter finals. We have a varied group consisting of:
Saints in the Community, currently 6th in WFS East Over 50s Championship
Falkirk Foundation, currently 7th in WFS West Over 50s Championship
Park Villa, newly formed and only playing for 6 weeks
Pollock United, currently 6th in WFS West Over 50s Premiership
Fort William, currently playing at Lochaber High School on Tuesdays between 7.30pm and 9.00pm

Back row: Ritchie Malcolm, George Lindsay, Keith Jenkin, Scott Jackson, Ian (Chillo) McMillan, Wille Carroll
Front row: Kevin Henderson, Colin (Titch) Hardie, Shaun O’Donnell, Charles Doherty

The group session starts with Falkirk Foundation beating Fort William 5-3 followed by Park Villa losing heavily to Pollock United 7-0. The next game is our first and sees us play fellow East Championship team Saints in the Community.

The game starts well for Rovers with Kev Henderson scoring a well executed goal in the first minute to start our cup campaign in the best possible way. We continue to press and pepper Gary in the Saints’ goal but today he is inspired (with some help from the posts and the crossbar) and Rovers fail to convert again. In the ninth minute and against the run of play Saints score and despite more pressure from the Rovers we fail to regain the lead and the final whistle goes. Another slow start to a tournament and on balance of play two group points dropped
Raith Rovers 1-1 Saints in the Community

Game four sees Falkirk Foundation lose 2-4 to Pollock United.

In game five we play a new team for us in Fort William. Another quick start to the game for Rovers with a first minute goal with Titch scoring from the right. In the third minute Fort William equalise with the Fort player running past our midfield to get to the ball first and shoot. But the ref didn’t see it that way so the goal stands. In the seventh minute the ball falls to Scott Jackson just inside the Fort half and he unleashes a shot which beats the keeper and puts us back into the lead. Almost straight from the restart Fort equalise and within thirty seconds they’re in the lead. Stung by the quick brace Raith get back on level terms within a minute with a shot from Chillo from the right hand side. In the twelfth minute an infringement in the “penalty” area gives Fort a penalty. The Fort player steps up to take it but Keith saves and parity remains. But not for long. Fort are pinged for a third running foul and Titch steps up to put the ball past the keeper and restore our lead. The game continues back and forth for the next two minutes with no further scoring and we hold on to our first victory.
Raith Rovers 4-3 Fort William

Another short break for the team as Saints beat Park Villa 3-0

Our next game is another new team for us, Falkirk Foundation. Once again we start the game well with two goals in the second minute. The first from Kev following a great passing move between four players and then Chillo scoring after a pass in from the right hand side. In the sixth minute Kev battles in the corner and comes out with the ball and shoots. His shot only hits the post but rebounds out and Titch is on hand to stroke the ball into an empty net. Falkirk get one back in the next minute but within seconds the three goal lead is restored when a ball in from the left is dummied by Scott and lands at Shawn’s feet and he gives the keeper no chance. The game continues with chances for both teams but no more goals.
Falkirk Foundation 1-4 Raith Rovers

The morning session ends with two games before the lunch break and sees Pollock United and Fort William record 3-0 and 4-0 victories over Saints and Park Villa respectively.
After the break Falkirk and Saints fight out a 1-1 draw which guarantees us a quarter final place if we can beat Park Villa in our next game.

Again we have a quick start and are two up in the second minute. First Kev intercepts a ball across the front of the Park Villa box and scores. Within a minute Titch scores our second after he and Ritchie pass between themselves in the opposition half. In the fourth minute Titch is persisitent in chasing down the ball and manages to find Chillo who puts the ball past the keeper. Within 90 seconds a pass from defense finds Chillo and he adds another to his day’s total. In eight minutes a sweet passing play sees Titch finish well. We look to be heading to our first clean sheet of the day when a Park Villa shot beats Keith but fortunately comes off the bar and goes high. However Scott heads the high ball into the goal with Keith beaten. The referee says no goal. and instead awards a penalty to Park Villa. The ball was high but as it was high off the bar it was still in play and Scott’s header was with a live ball and inside the penalty area so a penalty it is. Park Villa score and the first clean sheet is gone. Just before the end a pass from Kev arrives at Shawn’s feet and he restores our five goal lead.
Park Villa 1-6 Raith Rovers

There are three more games before our final game of the group against Pollock United. Firstly Pollock beat Fort William 2-1 followed by Falkirk soundly beating Park Villa (but losing a goal) 8-1 and then Saints and Fort William sharing the points in a 1-1 draw.

With both teams through to the quarter finals this game will decide who goes through as winners and who will play the top side in one of the other groups. The game starts badly for Raith with Ritchie chasing a Pollock player towards the corner. He manages to steal the ball off the player with a quick prod at the ball from behind. However by the letter of the law that’s a foul and as it’s within the “penalty” area that’s a penalty to Pollock. The Pollock player steps up and misses! The deadlock is broken within a minute however as Pollock forward John receives the ball with his back to goal but manages a quick turn and shoot which beats Keith and gives Pollock the lead. It’s a play we expected, he scored two against us in the quarters last year in the same way, so it’s a sore one. However up steps Captain Fantastic, Willie Carroll in the fifth minute with a wonderstrike from the right wing to restore parity (He donated money to charity for those words so they’re obviously true). The game thereafter became a bit of a war of attrition with the Raith defense nullifying the Pollock frontman but our attack failing to beat the Pollock keeper. No further goals though so Pollock go through as group winners and Raith as runners up.
Raith Rovers 1-1 Pollock United

The quarter finals. We were here last year and got beat at this stage by Pollock. Can we go one further this time? Giffnock Auld Timers (Blacks) are the team we have to beat.
The game starts well once more with Chillo finding Kev in the first minute for Kev’s fourth goal of the day and a one nil lead. The teams seem to be evenly matched and neither giving up much until the ninth minute when a shot from Chillo comes off the post and Titch is there to slot the ball in and increase our lead. A minute later Titch makes it a brace in this game with a shot from the right which beats the keeper for a convincing three nil lead. In the thirteenth minute it’s Mr Hat-Trick as Titch controls the ball well and gives the keeper no chance to close out the quarter final four nil.
Giffnock Auld Timers (Blacks) 0-4 Raith Rovers

The semi final has us playing against St Anthony’s from Glasgow. Another new team for us to play. Been in the same tournaments a few times but our paths have never crossed. It’s a tight game. Both teams employing a neat and precise passing game and both keepers playing well. In the fourth minute a trip by a Raith player inside the penalty area leads to a St Ant’s penalty which they convert. St Ant’s now play possession football (with many well timed substitutions) stroking the ball around comfortably restricting Raith to snatched chances but making no real inroads on the Raith goal to try and increase their lead. This does backfire late in the game when, with the clock ticking down, Scott Jackson hits an unstoppable shot past Ant’s keeper to tie the game. November 1994 anyone? And so we go to penalties. 5 each and then, god forbid, sudden death. St Ant’s win the toss and we’re left to shoot first.
Rovers Score but so do St Ant’s 1-1
Rovers miss but so do St Ant’s 1-1
Rovers miss and St Ant’s score 1-2
Rovers Score but so do St Ant’s 2-3
Rovers Score but so do St Ant’s 3-4
St Anthony’s 2-1 Raith

St Anthony’s go on to play Pollock United in the final where they narrowly lose 1-0 despite having a penalty in the last two minutes allowing Pollock to retain the Scottish Cup they won last year.

Reflections.
A great day out with almost perfect weather (maybe a little too hot but we’re not complaining). Seven games with no defeats. 1-1 draws with both finalists. Six different scorers from the nine outfield players. One stage further than last year. All in all a very positive experience.
It is also worth pointing out that our group referee was possibly one of the best referees we have had the pleasure of playing with. And I use the word “with” deliberately. He spoke to both teams throughout every game. Advising players to slow down and penalising when they didn’t. Explaining his decisions clearly and being very approachable. Not only in the eyes of the Raith players but this was the consensus from all teams (who again were a great bunch who played in the right spirit with no (very little) talking back or aggression). Too often we only hear about how “bad” referees are perceived to be. On this occasion we can only say “More of this, please.” and well played sir.

On to next year!