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Glasgow Cup 2023

The over 50s set off from Kirkcaldy this morning heading to Glasgow for this year’s Glasgow Cup with an unusually full squad. The group ahead of us included: Glenbuck &Douglas Valley, who we haven’t played before; Drumchapel United Reds, who we last played in last year’s Scottish Cup; Arbroath, from the East Premiership; Park Villa, who we played in this year’s Scottish cup and The Ants, a late addition from the St Anthony’s programme who were filling in for a late pull out.

Back row: Willie Carroll, Stephen MacCrimmon, Davey Ramsay, Ian (Chillo) McMillan, George Lindsay, Garry Cochrane
Front row: Haig Hutchison, Kev Henderson, Charles Doherty, Ritchie Malcolm

We sit out the first two games which see Drumchapel Utd beat Arbroath 1-0 and The Ants beat Park Villa 6-1.
And so to our first game against Glenbuck & Douglas Valley. We were desperate not to continue our competitive form with a slow start however we found ourselves struggling to score. Mainly due to the exploits of Glenbuck’s goalkeeper who was playing out of his skin. However a loose defensive ball was pounced on in the seventh minute by Kev and he shot past the keeper for a 1-0 lead. Within a minute we were 2-0 up when the team pressed hard on the defense allowing Kev to again fire past the keeper. We were unable to stretch the lead however due to some great saves and finished the game winning 2-0.

The next group game saw Arbroath beat Park Villa 4-0.
We were next up against Drumchapel Utd. The game was pretty unremarkable except for a penalty given to Drumchapel for a foul in the penalty zone. However the Drumchapel penalty taker fired his shot wide of Garry’s right hand post. Both teams pushed for a winning goal but accuracy was in short supply in this game and it ended 0-0.

Our next game is against Arbroath who currently play in the league above us. However before we played them The Ants beat Glenbuck 4-0. Our game against Arbroath went as our games against them normally go. Tight! Both teams cancelling each other out. So much so that when Haig played a corner in from the right for Kev to score in the eleventh minute Arbroath equalised within a minute with a cracking shot from midfield. However with time running out in the last minute Stevie sets off after a ball down the right wing and cuts it back to Davey standing almost on the penalty spot who puts the ball past the keeper for a 2-1 victory.

There are two more games before we have a break for the refs. Glenbuck & Douglas Valley beat Park Villa 1-0 and The Ants beat Drumchapel 2-1. This leaves St Ants, who on closer inspection are St Anthony’s first team not a “filling in” team, lead the group on 9 points with ourselves in second on 7 points and Drumchapel on 4.

After the break Arbroath beat Glenbuck 2-0 and then we were up against “The Ants”. Things start badly for us against the team we lost on penalties to in the Scottish Cup semi as an Ants player loses his marker in the first minute and finds the goal to lead 0-1. In six minutes “The Ants” double their lead and in the tenth minute it’s 0-3 as a deflected shot flies past Garry. Despite fighting back Raith were unable to beat an inspired Ants’ keeper and lost 0-3.

We were now in a precarious position in our group. Three points ahead of Drumchapel we had one game to play whereas they had two games. We both had a goal difference of zero so whatever goal difference they racked up in their two games we had to match or better in the final group game.

The next game is Drumchapel against Park Villa. Drumchapel run wild scoring six unanswered goals to run out 6-0 winners. Next up “The Ants” beat Arbroath 2-0 before Drumchapel face Glenbuck. At this point we’re hoping for a Glenbuck victory or at worse a small loss to give us a chance in the final group game. However Drumchapel score three without reply to win 3-0 meaning we have to beat Park Villa by nine clear goals to tie Drumchapel on points and goal difference!

The game starts well with a passing move on the right in the first minute ending with the ball at Kev’s feet and he coolly slots it past the keeper. A minute later it’s Kev again and our lead has doubled. Despite pressure and shots, some actually on target, there are no further goals and it looks like our progress out of the group will stall. However we got a glimmer of hope in six minutes when Kev gets his hat trick. In eight minutes a long ball out of defence from Ritchie finds Kev who passes inside for Willie to blast the ball past the keeper for 4-0. In eleven minutes it’s Kev again as a defensive blunder presents him with an opportunity which he takes. 5-0. Another two goals in the twelfth minute, yes from Kev, take us to 7-0 with three minutes to get three goals. In thirteen minutes Davey puts the ball in the net followed by another Kev goal (his seventh in this game!!!) leaves us needing just a goal to go through. In the last minute of the game Stevie finds himself in space with only the keeper to beat but instead of shooting he passes and the ball is deflected out for a corner. The resultant corner comes in and Ritchie is on hand to slot it past the keeper for our tenth and our exit to the quarter final.

The quarter final saw us play against Giffnock Reds. A tight first 4 minutes ends with us losing the ball in midfield and Giffnock scoring. In 10 minutes we draw level when a pass from Chillo finds Kev who beats the keeper. The parity doesn’t last long as a Giffnock player gets beyond the defense and fires past Garry in the Raith goals. However in 13 minutes Stevie MacCrimmon finds Chillo with an inch perfect pass and parity is restored and we head to penalties.
We start the penalties with the first attempt and of course Kev scores. Garry saves the first Giffnock penalty and we have a 1-0 lead.
Chillo steps up next and scores as does the Giffnock player 2-1.
Next up Stevie’s shot is saved but Giffnock score 2-2.
Ritchie’s shot is also saved but so is Giffnock’s 2-2.
Willie steps up for our fifth penalty and scores. Garry saves Giffnock’s final penalty and we go through to our third semi final in three competitions this year.

The semi final against Hearts was a close affair. Both team’s defenses cancelling out the other’s attacks, both keepers pulling off saves and both team’s strikers failing to find the back of the net. Just as we’re heading for penalties the ref calls a third running infringement on Raith and awards a penalty to Hearts. Hearts score the penalty with almost the last kick of the ball and progress to the final.

Scottish Cup 2023

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!

Glasgow Life Trophy 2023

Raith Rovers over 50s made the trip through to Toryglen on Sunday for this year’s Glasgow Life Trophy. Last year we were unable to exit the group stage so were hoping to improve on that this year. In our group this year we were playing Pollock Thistle, Dunfermline Dynamos, Gretna 2008, Townhead Strollers and Saints in the Community.

Raith Rovers Walking Football team photo
Charles Doherty, Ritchie Malcolm, Haig Hutchison, Colin (Titch) Hardie, Pete Munn, Scott McIntosh, Kevin Henderson, Dave Fawcett, Colin McIntosh

The first game in the group saw Pollock Thistle and Dunfermline Dynamos contest a tight game ending 2-2.

We were up next against former Scottish Cup winners Gretna 2008. The game started well for Raith. In the second minute Kev intercepted a pass out of defence and found Titch who calmly slotted the ball past the keeper. In the seventh minute Titch was on the scoreboard again after Scott intercepted a defensive pass and squared the ball to him. In ten minutes Gretna almost got on the scoreboard with a deflected shot but Pete got his hands to it and kept his first clean sheet of the day. Gretna 0-2 Raith Rovers

The next game in the league saw Townhead Strollers impressively defeat Saints in the Community 4-0 despite the heroics of Saints’ keeper, Gary.

We were up next against Pollock Thistle. Raith took an early lead in the fourth minute when Scott once again intercepted an opposition pass and found Titch who hit the ball high past the keeper. Despite further Raith pressure there is no further scoring until the tenth minute when Pollock score despite the Pollock forward backing forcefully into the Raith defender. Almost straight from the restart the ball finds itself at Ritchie’s feet and with the Pollock defenders backing away he unleashes a shot from not far inside the Pollock half which beats the keeper low to his left. Pollock Thistle 1-2 Raith Rovers.

We sit out the next three games which see Townhead Strollers beat Dunfermline Dynamos 2-1, Saints in the Community lose to Gretna 2008 0-1 and Pollock Thistle lose to Townhead Strollers 1-2.

Our next game was against Saints in the Community who we played only last month in the league winning 3-0 with hopes for a repeat. A tight game ensued until the eighth minute when a great passing move featuring all of the outfield players resulted in another goal from Titch. A further goal in the tenth minute this time from a break away which saw Titch strike the post with his shot but Kev netted the rebound. Raith had the ball in the net again in the eleventh minute but the referee ruled it out for either a running foul or an attacker in the box. We’re still not sure. However the third goal wasn’t far away when Kev broke through the Saints defence and slotted past the keeper. Saints in the Community 0-3 Raith Rovers.

Another three games were played before the much anticipated Fife derby with Dunfermline. Firstly Gretna 2008 beat Dunfermline Dynamos 1-0, then Pollock beat Saints in the Community 3-0 and Gretna 2008 and Townhead Strollers drawing 1-1.

And so to the Fife derby. Another great passing move in the third minute ended up with Titch adding to his haul for the day. From then on it all seemed to go a bit wrong for Raith with two many passes going astray and players being regularly out of position. Two great saves from Pete in the fourth and sixth minutes kept Raith in front. In thirteen minutes however the slick passing re-appeared and ended with a goal for Kev. A minute later, with Dunfermline heads down, a pass from Dave found Titch who could do no more than score. Dunfermline Dynamos 0-3 Raith Rovers.

There were two more games in the group before the final important game. Pollock Thistle beating Gretna 1-0 and Saints in the Community losing to Dunfermline Dynamos 1-2.

And so to the last group game of the day. Townhead Strollers versus Raith Rovers. Both teams had, at this point, qualified for the quarters with only who would finish where in the league to be decided. A win or draw for Raith would see then progress as league winners. The game was tight with Raith passing well and pressing Townhead when they had the ball. Townhead’s striker, who had bossed other teams in the group was successfully marshalled by Ritchie all game. In five minutes Raith almost went ahead when Scott’s shot came off the post. However it was Townhead who went ahead against the run of play in eight minutes with a break away goal. The lead didn’t last long though with Kev finding Scott a minute later and Scott scoring for 1-1. Continued pressure from Raith brought off some great saves from the Townhead keeper and the game seemed to be settling for a draw. However with the last kick of the game a long, speculative shot, suspiciously close to being in the Townhead half, sneaked past the un-sighted Pete and gave Townhead the win 2-1.

And so onto the quarter final where we found ourselves playing North East England team Grangetown who won group A. The game started badly for Raith with a foul in the penalty area leading to the award of a penalty to Grangetown. The penalty taker stepped up and dispatched the ball past Pete. However the ref adjudged that the player had taken more than the allowed one step and awarded a free kick to Raith. Despite containing Grangetown in their own half for most of the game Raith were unable to convert the pressure to goals and so the game ended 0-0 and we went to penalties. Before the penalty shoot out took place however both teams had a masterclass on how penalties were to be taken from the referee and tournament organiser Matt Ramsay. Grangetown won the toss and decided to shoot first. They scored their first and the keeper then saved Raith’s first to put the pressure on the Raith kickers. However on the third kick Grangetown missed and Raith scored so the teams were back even. With scores being equal after all outfield players had taken a penalty it was down to the keepers next. Both keepers scored and so sudden death went on through the outfield players again. Everyone scored until we came to the tenth kick. The Grangetown player slammed the ball past Pete in the Raith goal but the ref hadn’t blown his whistle and a retake was ordered. The player retook and the ball rolled past the post. Titch was up next and he coolly put the ball past the keeper for a 9-8 penalty win.

Our semi final was against Oriam who we last played, and beat, in the final of their own tournament in late 2019. Oriam opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a long shot from just inside our half which beat the keeper. A minute later a pass in from the side from Titch to Scott sees Scott smash the ball past the keeper to even things up. In nine minutes a pass from the side finds an Oriam player who shoots round the Raith defender un-sighting Pete in the Raith goal for 2-1. In eleven minutes a slide tackle by an Oriam player in the penalty area leads to the ref awarding a penalty which Ritchie takes to level the game once again. Two minutes Oriam take the lead again and despite Raith pressure they hold on to win 3-2.

And so we ended with a semi final loss but great pride from having reached the semi final playing an attractive passing game when we had the ball and an aggressive, non-contact, pressing game without it, while only committing four running fouls throughout the seven games. If we can continue this style and form into the league next month we should see a nice crop of points.

WFS East League Championship 2023 Round 1

After league reconstruction we find ourselves in the East League Championship this year. The second tier of the competition with the hope that we can progress to the highest tier. This season there are three new teams in our league, Luncarty FC from the Perth area, Dundee FC and Highland United and a second team from Tayport, Tayport Yellows.

Today’s squad: Harry Gilfillan, Willie Carroll, Kevin Henderson, Scott McIntosh, Scott Jackson, Ian McMillan, Shaun O’Donnell, Haig Hutchison, Charles Doherty.

Before today’s games kicked off players from all teams across both leagues came together for a minute’s applause in memory of John Cunningham.

Our first game is against newcomers Dundee FC. The game started well with Ian McMillan hitting the bye line in the first minute and cutting the ball back to Scott Jackson who placed the ball behind the keeper for a one goal lead. However Dundee hit back in four minutes when Raith are penalised for a third running offence and Dundee convert the penalty. From here on it’s almost one way traffic as Raith push Dundee back but fail to convert until with time running out a throw out by the keeper is intercepted and, as the ref blows his whistle, Kev Henderson fires the ball into the net. The goal stands!
Dundee FC 1-2 Raith Rovers


Carnoustie Panmure 2-0 Saints in the Community
Dundee FC 1-2 Raith Rovers
Dundee Utc 2-1 Montrose
Highland Utd 0-1 Luncarty FC

Our second game has us playing against semi-newcomers Tayport Yellows. Raith get off to a flyer in this one with two goals in the second minute. First Ian McMillan finds Scott Jackson again for Scott to score and then some nice interplay between Scott Jackson and Scott McIntosh sees Scott McIntosh slot the ball past the keeper. In five minutes a third Raith running foul leads to a Tayport penalty and though Harry Gilfillan gets to the ball he can’t keep it out and Tayport pull one back. Raith continue to press and in twelve minutes the ref awards Raith a corner. The players don’t seem to notice and the Tayport keeper throws the ball into play but it’s intercepted and Raith score. No goal! After the confusion is sorted out Shaun O’Donnell takes the corner to Scott McIntosh who fires the ball past the keeper for a two goal lead. Raith continue to press for the next three minutes but it comes to nothing and the game ends.
Tayport Yellows 1-3 Raith Rovers



Tayport Yellows 1-3 Raith Rovers
Carnoustie Panmure 2-0 Montrose

We sit out the next three rounds.
Dundee FC 1-2 Luncarty FC
Dundee Utd 2-0 Highland Utd
Saints in the Community 2-2 Montrose
Tayport Yellows 0-2 Luncarty FC
Carnoustie Panmure 1-1 Highland Utd
Dundee FC 0-2 Dundee Utd

In our third game we play Perthshire newcomers Luncarty FC. With Luncarty already having won their previous three games this is an important game for today’s league placings. The game starts well for Raith when Luncarty are penalised for a slide tackle. As the offence is in the attacking zone the referee correctly awards Raith a penalty which Scott Jackson converts. The game is all Raith though we fail to convert and in twelve minutes the ref awards Luncarty a penalty for a third running offence which they convert. Raith continue to press but time runs out and the game ends in a draw.
Raith Rovers 1-1 Luncarty FC



Raith Rovers 1-1 Luncarty FC
Saints in the Community 0-0 Highland Utd
Tayport Yellows 0-1 Dundee Utd
Carnoustie Panmure 2-0 Dundee FC

In our final game of this round we play our old friends Saints in the Community. The game starts really well for Raith when Ian McMillan intercepts the ball in the first minute and passes to Scott Jackson who scores. In six minutes Haig Hutchison intercepts a ball in midfield and feeds Scott Jackson who again fires at the keeper who manages a half save but the ball trickles over the line. It’s almost all one way traffic for the rest of the game and further goals from Kevin Henderson and Scott Jackson (Yes Scott, you got a hat-trick) sees the game finish with a four-nil victory to Raith.
Raith Rovers 4-0 Saints in the Community.


Montrose 3-1 Tayport Yellows
Raith Rovers 4-0 Saints in the Community

All in all a good day at the office with no goals conceded from open play. Might need to work on the running fouls we are conceding. However we’re sitting second in the table after the first round of fixtures.

Christmas Cup 2022

Sunday 11th December saw the third annual Raith Rovers Christmas Cup competition. The late withdrawal of Saints in the Community lead to some fixture changes with Raith Rovers cutting one of their team entries to create two equal groups of four. With some extra space in the schedule it was decided that rather than a straight playoff between matching places in each group there would be “semi finals” instead with the first in each group playing the runners up in the other group and third and fourth places likewise playing a semi final before playing a final game each to decide the placings.

Group 1Group 2
Braehead FCCrieff Juniors
Fife Wanderers 65Fife Wandersers
Fairfield BDunfermline
Raith RoversFairfield

Raith’s first game was against current holders Braehead. The game started well for Raith with a nice passing move through midfield leading to a John Wylie goal in the second minute. Some good football from both sides negated each other until the thirteenth minute when a John Wylie pass released Scott McIntosh to put the ball past the keeper for a two nil lead. With the game coming to an end Rovers were penalised for a third running offence and a penalty was awarded to Braehead in the last minute which they coolly dispatched past Pete Munn in the Raith goal to make the score two one. With time running out Raith held onto the ball and recorded a victory against a strong Braehead team.

Raith 2-1 Braehead
Fairfield B 2-2 Fife Wanderers 65
Crieff Juniors 6-1 Fife Wanderers
Fairfield 3-0 Dunfermline

Raith’s second game saw us play Fairfield B. A tight game saw nobody take any initiative for the first eight minutes despite plenty effort. The game came to life however in the ninth minute. Fairfield had a claim for a penalty which wasn’t given by the ref and they switched off. While Raith drove up the pitch and John Wylie scored his second of the day with the opener. A “still out of sorts” Fairfield conceded another within a minute as Scott McIntosh also scored his second of the day to increase Raith’s lead to two. Again within a minute Fairfield got a foot back in the game with a goal and then a minute later equalised with a well worked goal from the left side of the pitch. The goal action wasn’t finished with a fifth goal in a five minute period restored Raith’s lead. Scott Jackson received a ball in the Fairfield half and, feeling the defender behind him, turned on a sixpence to leave him one on one with the keeper to slot the ball past for the winning goal.

Raith 3-2 Fairfield B
Braehead 2-2 Fife Wanderers 65
Crieff 2-1 Dunfermline
Fife Wanderers 2-2 Fairfield

Going into the last of the league fixtures Raith had group one tied up with any of the other teams able to take second place. In group two Fairfield and Crieff playing for first place. However a win for Fife Wanderers coupled with a win for Crieff could see Fife take second place.

The final league match saw Raith play Fife Wanderers 65. In the third minute Ian McMillan bamboozled his defender with some of his legendary fancy footwork and slotted the ball past the Wanderers’ keeper. Fife quickly equalised with a goal from a corner in the next minute. In ten minutes Raith retook the lead when a through pass from defense by Kev Henderson found Scott McIntosh in front of goal. Two minutes later a sweet passing move between multiple players found Scott McIntosh again in front of the goal to increase Raith’s lead to two. A minute later Harry Younger scores his first of the day to make it four one to Raith. With the game running down Fife score a late consolation goal to end the game four two in Raith’s favour.

Raith 4-2 Fife Wanderers 65
Braehead Fairfield B
Crieff Juniors Fairfield
Fife Wanderers 4-0 Dunfermline

And so to the “semi finals” we had Braehead V Fairfield and Raith V Crieff Juniors for the top of the table and Fife Wanderers 65 V Dunfermline and Fairfield B V Fife Wanderers for the lower half.

Raith versus Crieff Juniors had the look of a tight game.Our games in the league this year ended in a 2-2 draw and a fortunate 1-0 Raith win. The game started well for Crieff with star striker Davie getting the ball in the Raith half and firing a low shot past Pete in goals to take a one nil lead. Raith fought back and a slick passing move in the ninth minute allowed Ian McMillan to slip a pass to Scott McIntosh who shot into the net. From the kickoff Crieff pressed and won a corner. However a break away from the corner saw Ian McMillan one on one with the keeper from which he scored. In the twelfth minute a passing move through almost all of the Raith team saw Scott McIntosh score his second of the game for a two goal Raith lead. The two goal margin doesn’t last for long as the ball slips out of Pete Munn’s hands as he throws out and the ball flies high. An indirect free kick results and clever play by Crieff cuts Raith lead to one.A comedy of errors in the sixteenth minute sees Crieff draw level. Kev Henderson takes a kick in level with the Raith box but the ball goes between Willie Carroll and Pete in goals and straight to a Crieff attacker who wasted no time equalising. The game looks to be going to penalties until John Wylie fires past the keeper to win the game four three.
Braehead 1-5 Fairfield
Raith 4-3 Crieff

Fife Wanderers 65 0-5 Dunfermline
Fairfield B 4-3 Fife Wanderers

And so to the final between Raith and Fairfield

A tight first half ended with a break away for Fairfield with the striker scoring following a one on one with the keeper. In the second half Raith pressed and passed up a few opportunities to equalise until Fairfield scored after a through ball in seventeen minutes. A further goal in nineteen minutes put the result beyond doubt and Fairfield ran out worthy 3-0 winners.

So congratulations to Fairfield and many thanks to all the teams, players, officials and referees who turned up on what was a bitterly cold day and played, watched and mixed with smiles on their faces. Special mention to John Wylie for playing on in good spirits after a bad injury and extra special thanks to JJ Henderson for organising the event and being present on the day to keep all of us old guys under control.

Christmas Cup 2022 – Preview

Sunday 11th December 2022 will see the third running of Raith Rovers Walking Football’s Christmas cup. Won in 2019 by Raith Rovers and in 2021 by Braehead FC, this year will see 10 teams competing for the trophy at Starks Park, Kirkcaldy.

Group 1

Saints in the Community
A long established Walking Football Scotland team, Saints finished 11th in the East of Scotland League this year. Despite their lowly league position they are a hard team to beat having drawn 9 of their league games.

Braehead FC
Last year’s Christmas Cup winners and an impressive fourth position in their first competitive year in the Central League.

Fife Wanderers 65
One of two Fife Wanderers teams in this year’s competition, this looks to be the squad that will compete in next years over 65s league competition. On their day a hard team to beat.

Fairfield B
One of two Fairfield teams in this year’s competition. Fairfield finished fifth in the East league in their inaugural season this year. A resilient team, always up for a game.

Raith Rovers Reds
Another team that are here as one of a pair. This Rovers’ version consists of newly league qualified players some of whom will be looking to stake a claim in next year’s league team.

Group 2

Crieff Juniors
Third place in this year’s East league by two goals despite matching St James on goals scored and scoring more than Arbroath.

Fife Wanderers
The other Fife Wanderers’ team in this year’s competition. A ninth position in this year’s league doesn’t do Wanderers justice and they always show up well in this competition.

Raith Rovers Blues
Raith Rovers league squad finished eighth in the East league this year in what was a disappointing showing for the former Scottish Cup winners.

Dunfermline Dynamos
A hard season for Dunfermline in the league with many injury problems leading to some game forfeits. A stubborn side who, on their day, can match most teams in the league.

Fairfield A
The second of Fairfield’s entries this year who will no doubt be looking to make it to the final against Fairfield B.

Teams in each group will play each other once and then the teams in matching positions in each group will play to decide the final cup positions.

First game kicks off at 12:30 with access for teams and supporters from 12. Spectating for the group stages will be from the North Stand with the Main Stand being used for the Final.
Sunday’s weather looks to be dry but cold so wrap up warm and enjoy the fun.

WFS East League 2022 Month 8

The final Sunday of this year’s league and the team head up to Dundee on a bright, sunny but cold morning. Starting the day in eighth place in the league nine points from today’s three games could see us jump to fifth place depending on other results. This month’s fixtures are against Dundee United, Dunfermline Dynamos and Fairfield.

Back row: John Cunningham, Scott Jackson, Dave Fawcett, Willie Carroll, Steve Fleming, Brian Geddes.
Front row: Harry Younger, Martin Page, Kevin Henderson, Haig Hutchison.

We sit out the first round of matches.

Arbroath 4-0 St Andrews and East Neuk
Dundee United 0-1 Montrose
Carnoustie Panmure 3-0 Saints in the Community
Dunfermline Dynamos 1-4 Fife Wanderers

Our first game of the day is against Dundee United who won the first tie earlier this year 1-0. The game starts at pace and a rarely seen yellow card is produced for Scott Jackson in the second minute. No-one is sure what for but it’s only our second yellow of the season. The game flashes bad temperedly in the fifth minute with a hard tackle from behind by a Dundee Utd player which provokes a reaction from Kev and both players receive a yellow card. In seven minutes the deadlock is broken when Scott Jackson finds the back of the net. In twelve minutes a ball from Martin in his goal area finds Harry in midfield who passes to John at the edge of the box and he scores. Dundee Utd continue to press but a Raith corner in the last minute is fired through the Dundee Utd box to find Haig alone at the back and he slots it past the keeper.
Dundee United 0-1 Raith

Carnoustie Panmure 2-0 Tayport
Dundee Utd 0-3 Raith
Crieff Juniors St James

Our second game of the day sees us play local rivals Dunfermline Dynamos. The game starts well for Raith when, in the fourth minute, Dave presses the Dunfermline defense in the corner and the ball comes out to Steve who shoots and scores. Not much of note happens until the tenth minute when John gets a shot off but only manages to find the post. With the game winding down Scott finds John in front of goal in the fifteenth minute and he puts the ball past the keeper for 2-0. Thirty seconds later an almost identical move sees Scott find John again for a third goal to Raith.
Dunfermline Dynamos 0-3 Raith

Dunfermline Dynamos 0-3 Raith
Dundee United 2-1 St Andrews
Arbroath 1-2 St James

We sit out the next round of matches.
Fairfield 1-1 Montrose
Dunfermline Dynamos 3-3 Saints in the Community
Crieff Juniors 5-1 Fife Wanderers

For our final match of the day we play Fairfield. The game starts badly with a pass across the defence being intercepted in the first minute and the Fairfield player slotting the ball past Pagey. It gets worse less than a minute later when a mix up in defense allows Fairfield to take a two goal lead. In four minutes Fairfield score again to give Raith an even harder task. The fightback begins in the eighth minute with a Scott Jackson goal. In eleven minutes John Cunningham hits the post again and that’s that. Fairfield 3-1 Raith

Fairfield 3-1 Raith
Arbroath 2-1 Tayport
Crieff Juniors 4-1 St Andrews and East Neuk

We end the day with two wins out of three so despite not improving our league position it was overall a successful day. A special mention for our stand in ref for the last two games. The ref team were a man down and Matt Ramsey from Walking Football Scotland stepped up. And we’ve got to say he was one of the best refs we’ve experienced all year. When I say “we have to say” he was good that’s because Matt has promised £20 to charity if we do. 😉

WFS East League 2022 Month 8 – Preview

The over 50s travel up to Dundee this weekend for the last set of fixtures in this year’s league competition. Currently sitting in eight place the right results could see the team rise to fourth place.

This weekends games see us playing local rivals Dunfermline Dynamos, the always fiery Dundee United and newcomers Fairfield. Previous games this season saw us beat Dunfermline 3-0 and lose a tight game 1-0 against Dundee Utd. Our game against Fairfield wasn’t played due to Fairfield being unable to play that weekend so was awarded to us 3-0.

WFS East League 2022 Month 7

The penultimate Sunday of this year’s league saw the team once again head north to Dundee. With league changes mooted for next year where we finish in the league will play a big part in where, and who, we play next year. This month’s fixtures are against Tayport, Crieff Juniors and Arbroath. Three straight games in a row, one after the other.

Back row: George Lindsay, Scott Jackson, John Wylie, Martin Page, Charles Doherty Front row: Kevin Henderson, Harry Younger, Haig Hutchison, Dave Fawcett

Our first game is against Tayport and hopefully will only be 15 minutes long this time. As always it’s a tight game with few clear chances for either side. In the sixth minute Haig collects the ball on the right wing and angles a shot across the goal but it goes wide. In the twelfth minute Raith force four corners one after the other pinning Tayport back in their own half. In the thirteenth minute a Scott Jackson shot flies over the bar and that’s the last real action of the game and it finishes Raith Rovers 0-0 Tayport

Saints in the Community 0-3 St James
Crieff Juniors 2-1 Fairfield
Carnoustie Panmure 3-1 Fife Wanderers
Raith 0-0 Tayport

Our second game of the day is against Crieff Juniors who we’ve played only once before competitively. That last meeting was a 2-2 draw so another close game is expected. And so it turns out with much effort but both keepers on top form. In the sixth minute a Crieff attack brings out a great save from Martin Page but the ball falls to a Crieff player alone at the edge of the box. But he slips and blasts the ball high over the bar from just a few yards. In eleven minutes Raith get pinged for a second running offense and now have to take care in the last few minutes. With time running out in the fourteenth minute there’s some controversy as John Wylie rockets in a shot which comes off the underside of the bar and bounces back over the goalkeeper’s head. The referee, much to the ire of the Crieff players, gives a goal adjudging that the ball had bounced over the line and back into play. With only a minute left the Raith boys dig in and hold on for a well fought win.
Crieff Juniors 0-1 Raith

Crieff Juniors 0-1 Raith
Arbroath 6-0 Montrose
St Andrews & East Neuk 0-8 St James
Dundee Utd 2-1 Fairfield

Our last game of the day is another tough one against second placed Arbroath. Always a tough game against a team of big guys. The game starts poorly for Raith when a shot from the right beats Pagey in the goals for an Arbroath lead. In the eighth minute however a lovely passing move ends up at Kev’s feet and he puts the ball behind the keeper for the equaliser. The parity lasts for three minutes however as Arbroath score from a corner that doesn’t seem to be taken from anywhere near the corner. Determined to try and get something from the game Raith press and in thirteen minutes a midfield interception by Charles leads to a pass to Kev who finds John at the right hand corner of the box and he slots the ball past the keeper for the equaliser. However less than a minute later Arbroath score to retake the lead and manage to hold on to take all three points.
Arbroath 3-2 Raith

Crieff Juniors 5-0 Montrose
St Andrews & East Neuk 0-4 Tayport
Arbroath 3-2 Raith
Dundee Utd CT 4-0 Fife Wanderers

The remaining games:
Carnoustie Panmure 2-1 St Andrews & East Neuk
Arbroath 1-1 Saints in the Community
Saints in the Community 0-2 Tayport
Carnoustie Panmure 1-2 St James

The day ends with a draw, a win and a loss and four points out of nine. A good result against three of the teams in the top four and a result that sees us move up a place in the league.

WFS East League 2022 Month 6

The over 50s returned to competitive league action on Sunday after the summer break and an enforced extra month off due to injuries and availability issues. This meant that last months fixtures against Fife Wanderers, Montrose and Saints in the Community were forfeited as 3-0 defeats. This month’s fixtures are against St Andrews and East Neuk, St James and Carnoustie Panmure.

Back row: Charles Doherty, Willie Carroll, Scott Jackson, Dave Fawcett Front row: John Wylie, Haig Hutchison, Kevin Henderson, George Lindsay

After a few months away from league action the team are eager to get back to it but we sit out the first round of games.
Montrose 2-0 St Andrews and East Neuk
Arbroath 2-0 Fairfield
Fife Wanderers 1-2 St James
Dundee Utd CT 1-1 Saints in the Community

Our first game back is against St Andrews and East Neuk who currently sit at the bottom of the table but have a few very good players. The game starts well for Rovers. In two minutes Scott and John exchange a flurry of short passes in front of the St Andrews goal and John slides the ball past the keeper. Five minutes later a pass in from the corner finds Scott who puts the ball behind the keeper for 2-0. Before the restart Willie comes on for Dave. Raith regain the ball after the kick off and a nice passing move through the middle of the pitch finishes with Willie scoring with almost his first touch. A minute later a through ball from Willie sees Kev get the slightest of touches to divert the ball past the keeper for 4-0. In 13 minutes Charles comes on for Haig and a minute later Scott scores again to finish the scoring 5-0. A special mention for George Lindsay in goals for the first time. A few great saves and a clean sheet.
Raith 5-0 St Andrews and East Neuk

Carnoustie Panmure 0-2 Dundee Utd CT
Raith 5-0 St Andrews and East Neuk
Crieff Juniors 3-1 Saints in the Community
Fife Wanderers 0-3 Tayport

We sit out the next round of games.
Fairfield 4-1 Tayport
Montrose 0-6 St James
Saints in the Community 2-0 St Andrews and East Neuk
Crieff Juniors 3-0 Dundee Utd CT

Our second game of the day is against table toppers St James. As always it promises to be a tight competitive game. The game starts well with the defence not allowing St James forwards much space but in the second minute St James get some space and the ball ends up in our net 0-1. The boys press and the game flows back and forward with chances for both sides. In the tenth minute a speculative shot from the left beats George in the Raith goal and St James increase their lead 0-2. A minute later though the fight back starts with a wicked Scott Jackson shot that takes a slight deflection off a defender and flies past the St James keeper 1-2. Raith continue to press but a mix up in defence in the thirteenth minute leaves a St James player free at the edge of the box and he makes no mistake 1-3. Despite some valiant pressing the match finishes.
Raith 1-3 St James

Raith 1-3 St James
Carnoustie Panmure 1-2 Fairfield
Montrose 1-2 Tayport
Arbroath 5-1 Fife Wanderers

We finish the day with a match against Carnoustie Panmure. Never an easy team to play but after a hard game against St James this could be tough. The game starts well for Raith with a rare Willie Carroll goal in the second minute 0-1. However the lead doesn’t last and Carnoustie equalise within a minute 1-1. Three minutes later and he does it again. Willie Carroll is now looking for a hat trick which will make him totally unbearable in the car journey home 2-1. Raith change keeper replacing George with Scott. In the eighth minute the impossible almost happens. First Willie hits the post and then unbelievably he hits the post again with the ball then rebounding off the keeper and……it’s a corner. In ten minutes Carnoustie equalise and just after Raith replace Dave with Charles they score again to go ahead 2-3. With time running out Charles slips the ball to John and he shoots past the Carnoustie keeper to tie things up 3-3.
The game ends with honours even and Raith gaining four points out of nine this month.
Carnoustie Panmure 3-3 Raith