football

Raith Rovers: Second Place in East Region League Standings

Raith Rovers went into the third round of fixtures in the East region league on Sunday 11th August sitting second in the league. One point behind Hearts in first place, two ahead of Dundee East in second and four ahead of Luncarty in third. The day’s matches would see them play all three sides at the top, as well as Tayport – Reds.

Back row: Colin ‘Titch’ Hardie, Willie Carroll (Mgr.), Davey Ramsay, Harry Gilfillan, Ally Grant, Ritchie Malcolm
Front row: Ian ‘Chillo’ McMillan, John Wylie, Neil Galloway, Scott McIntosh

First up was a change to the fixture order. Hearts were delayed so the second round of fixtures would be played first and then they would catch up.

So, in a change to our advertised programme, first up was Tayport -Reds.

Raith started well when, in the second minute, a pass from Ritchie found Titch, who despatched the ball past the Tayport keeper. The lead was short-lived, however, as Tayport hit back within 90 seconds with a shot from nothing on the right, which beat Harry in the goals. In eight minutes, the ref penalised Raith with a penalty for Ritchie being in the box. Considering he was forced into the box by a Tayport shoulder, this was a bit harsh. Tayport scored for the penalty to take a 2-1 lead. In twelve minutes, the game is effectively over as Harry, unsighted, fumbles a shot from the right, and Tayport increase their lead to 3-1. Despite a few more attempts at goal from both sides, the score remains the same.
Tayport – Reds 3-1 Raith Rovers
St James 1-2 Linlithgow Rose
Dundee East 2-1 Luncarty
Arbroath – Maroon 1-2 Oriam

The second game in the session was against Dundee East. The game looked to have gotten off to a poor start when Neil tackled a Dundee East player from behind in the penalty area and the ref awarded a penalty. However, up stepped Harry to save the penalty from a low shot down the middle of the goals. Within a minute Raith were one up when a pass from Titch to Scott was deflected up in the air by a Dundee defender. Standing just outside the box Scott rifled an unbeatable volley into the roof of the net for 1-0. In the 6th minute a Dundee player wandered into the box and and the ref blew for a penalty. Ally stepped up to take the penalty and beat the keeper low to his left. As the team turned to restart the ref ordered a retake as he hadn’t blown his whistle. Ally stepped up to retake and hit the ball in exactly the same place. However this time the keeper guessed right and saved. In the 9th minute a 50-50 tackle by Ally in the penalty area is penalised and Dundee are awarded their second penalty of the game. But it was Harry ‘s turn to save the day again with a superb save to keep Raith 1-0 up. Raith managed to take the lead in the 12th minute when Titch beat the keeper from in front of the goals. And that ended the scoring for a Raith win.
Arbroath 1-3 St James
Dundee East 0-2 Raith
Hearts 2-1 Oriam
Linlithgow Rose 1-3 Luncarty

Raith sat out round three:
St James 3-4 Oriam
Tayport Reds 0-1 Luncarty
Arbroath – Maroon 1-1 Linlithgow Rose
Dundee East 2-0 Hearts

The penultimate round of fixtures had Raith playing against Perthshire side, Luncarty. A tight start to the game saw the teams level until the 7th minute when Scott turned at the edge of the Luncarty box and shot past the keeper. Within a minute though Titch racked up a third team running foul so it was a penalty to Luncarty. Unfortunately, for Raith, Harry was unable to pull off his previous heroics again and Luncarty scored to tie the match. In eleven minutes the referee, harshly, adjudged contact in the area to be instigated by Ritchie who, at the time, had control of the ball and awarded another penalty to Luncarty which they scored from. The remainder of the game saw Luncarty play out by keeping possession and running the clock down.
Tayport – Reds 3-1 Hearts
Raith Rovers 1-2 Luncarty
Oriam 2-1 Linlithgow Rose
St James 1-3 Dundee East

The final game of the session saw Raith take on a Hearts team that they had beaten in a 4-3 goal fest in the Glasgow Cup four weeks ago. This game, however, turned out to be a lower scoring game. Indeed, the only goal and, to be honest, the only thing of note in the game was a third minute move that saw John find Titch free with only the keeper to beat, which he did. And that’s how the game ended.
Raith 1-0 Hearts
Tayport – Reds 2-2 Arbroath – Maroon

And so the day finished with Raith remaining in second, Dundee East jumping from third to first, Hearts falling from first to fourth and Luncarty jumping one place up to third. With only 3 points separating the top four and Raith being only one ahead of the other three in goal difference it’s going to be an exciting end to the season, and the fight for Champions League placings, in October.

Raith Rovers over 50s Glasgow Cup Tournament: Match Highlights and Results

Raith Rovers over 50s made their third trip of the year to Glasgow on 14th July to take part in Glasgow Life’s Glasgow Cup. There was a bit of a last minute change when we arrived. Expecting to play five 15 minute games we were informed that, due to Dundee East pulling out late on Friday, we would instead be playing in a five team group and therefore playing four 20 minute games.

Back Row: Willie Carroll, Ritchie Malcolm, Ally Grant, Keith Jenkin, Malcolm (Pie) Wilson, Graham Allan
Front Row: Colin (Titch) Hardie, Charles Doherty, John Wylie

Due to the rearranged fixture set we were first up. A new opponent for us today in the shape of Ayr United. The game started well with Titch finding the side netting in the first minute. More pressing from Raith to no effect until the 6th minute when John Wylie has a shot saved. A minute later some good work down the right sees the play switched to Willie on his own to the left of the goal. With only the keeper to beat he blasts the ball over the bar. From the restart Ayr find a striker free in our half and he beats Keith low to his right. 0-1 Raith continue to press but fail to find the target. In the 13th minute a vicious slide tackle by an Ayr player brings down Ritchie in his own defensive area for which he is rightly booked. In 15 minutes a slick passing move down the left ends with the ball at John’s feet and he beats the keeper to tie the game 1-1. Raith go all out to win the game piling shots on the Ayr goal but to no avail. In the 20th minute with time running out Ayr get a free kick in their own defensive area. They make a mistake and in their confusion pass the ball to Raith and Titch slams the ball past the keeper to win the game 2-1.
And so continues our slow opening at tournaments. Fortunately this time we won but it should have been by a bigger margin and not in the last seconds.

The next two games see Winstanley Walkers, from Wigan, beat Hearts 3-1 and St Anthony’s Whites beat Ayr 6-0.

For our second game of the day we play Winstanley Walkers. The game starts well with a John Wylie shot that goes for a corner in the 4th minute. However within the minute a Winstanley player turns Ritchie and shoots low past Keith 0-1. In the 8th minute a wild kick at Titch from a Winstanley defender wide on the right is penalised with a penalty. John Wylie steps up but puts the ball just wide of the post and the score remains the same. Two minutes later a shot from the left beats Keith low again 0-2. In the 13th minute the game is effectively over when a double tackle on Willie sees him end up on the ground. The ref gives nothing and Winstanley score 0-3. Straight from the kick-off we move the ball up the pitch and Titch scores from the corner of the box 1-3. From then on Winstanley play possession football and ration Raith to very few shots or even touches of the ball and walk out 1-3 winners.

We have two games until the mid session break which see Hearts beat St Anthony’s 3-1 and Winstanley beat Ayr 2-1.

After the break we’re up against St Anthony’s Whites. We get off to a quick start scoring within the first 20 seconds after a through ball to Titch 0-1. It’s short lived as St Ants get a free kick and score from it to tie things up 1-1. Two goals and not a minute played. The game swings both ways without any more scoring until the 9th minute when a pass straight through the Raith team finishes with a St Ants player scoring 1-2. The game flows back and forth with no goals until the 18th minute when St Ants get a third and run out 1-3 winners.

Our chances of qualifying are still there but they are slim. But they soon disappear as St Ants beat Winstanley 2-0 after Hearts beat Ayr 5-1. This leaves St Ants on 9 points with + 8 goals and Winstanley on 9 points with +3 goals. We’re on 3 points so can’t progress but Hearts are on 6 points with + 4 goals so a win will see them through and Winstanley out.

With Hearts needing only to win we’re expecting a hard game but we take the lead in 4 minutes when Titch scores off a pass from John. In 6 minutes Hearts equalise with a shot from just inside our half but John Wylie regains our lead with a shot from right in front of the Heart’s goal 2-1. In 8 minutes John’s in the action again. This time he gives away a penalty with a tackle in the penalty area. Hearts score to even up the game again 2-2. In 11 minutes it’s John on the scoreboard again when a passing move between Titch and Ally finds him with the goal at his mercy 3-2. The “Wylie” show continues with his hat trick in the 15th minute when he gets past two defenders and beats the keeper again 4-2. Hearts manage a late consolation in 18 minutes and the game ends with neither team going through. John tries to claim the match ball at the end of the game but he is denied as it would most likely end up down at Inverteil Bridge again the following day.

In reflection two wins and two defeats is not too bad. However if we had played the way we played in the last game in all three games it could have been a different story.

Congrats go to fellow group mates Winstanley Walkers who went on to win the competition. Hope they grateful that we beat Hearts and enabled them to go through and win.

Exciting Matches and Fair Play: Raith Rovers at Walking Football Scotland’s Scottish Cup

Saturday the 22nd June saw Raith’s over 50s travel through to Glasgow Green for this year’s Walking Football Scotland’s Scottish Cup. This year they were joined by some of our younger players who were playing in the non-competitive Festival. An ideal baptism into tournament play and playing with real refs. Scores weren’t counted with the focus being on fun and playing in the right spirit and ethos of walking football.

Both squads

The main event saw the team in a reduced group of only five teams. Glenbuck and Douglas Valley, St Anthony’s, Dumbarton and Giffnock which, in turn, meant twenty minute games.

Back Row: Andy Allison, Willie Carroll, Davey Ramsay, Keith Jenkin, Ritchie Malcolm
Front row: John Wylie, Charles Doherty, Ian McMillan (Chillo), Colin Hardie (Titch), Haig Hutchison

Our group kicked off with with Dumbarton playing Giffnock with Giffnock running out as quite easy 3-0 winners. And next up was Raith V Glenbuck And Douglas Valley.

The game started well enough for Raith with numerous shots, on and off target, in the opening 4 minutes but with no ultimate end product. In the fifth minute Glenbuck were penalised for a third running offense and John Wylie stepped up to take it. The keeper guessed right and saved and less than a minute later the tables were turned and Raith were penalised for the third time and it was a Glenbuck penalty which was expertly saved by Keith Jenkin. The next ten minutes followed the same pattern of Raith raining shots in the direction of the Glenbuck goal with many not hitting the (small) target or being saved by the keeper. However the breakthrough goal game in 15 minutes when John Wylie found Titch with an inch perfect pass and Titch, finally, found the net. The game continued in the same vein for the final five minutes with Raith attacking and shooting and failing to find the back of the net.
Glenbuck and Douglas Valley 0-1 Raith Rovers

We sat out the next two rounds which saw St Anthony’s beat Dumbarton 2-1 and Giffnock beating Glenbuck and Douglas Valley 4-0.

And to our second game, experienced and streetwise St Anthony’s. Ant’s take an early lead in the first minute with a free kick passed to one of their forwards who backs in to the defence lays the ball back while spinning the defender blindsiding our keeper. In any other game it’s a defensive free kick but the ref disagrees and it’s a goal. The teams trade penalties in the 8th and 9th minutes with neither converting and a final failed penalty in the 15th. Raith press hard in the final minutes but St Ant’s hold on to win 1-0.
St Anthony’s 1-0 Raith

The final game before the mid session break sees Dumbarton beat Glenbuck and Douglas Valley 5-1. Then after the break St Ant’s and Giffnock play out a 1-1 draw which means we realistically need to win our remaining two games to progress to the next round.

And we’re on. A cagey start to the game sees Dumbarton take the lead in the 8th minute with a penalty for three running fouls. A second penalty is awarded four minutes later when the ref adjudges Ritchie to have been in the box despite the Dumbarton player leaning in to Ritchie and both player being side by side. It seemed like we weren’t getting any breaks. However we’re awarded a penalty for three running fouls a minute later which Haig takes and scores. We’re pushing Dumbarton hard and they’re penalised for another three running fouls three minutes later. Haig steps up and beats the keeper again. However our joy is short-lived as the ref decides that his standing foot had moved and disallows the penalty. Definitely not getting the breaks. Despite pressing and getting some shots off we fail to score and finish losing 2-1.
Dumbarton 2-1 Raith

The penultimate game had St Ants running out 3-1 winners against Glenbuck and Douglas Valley which leaves only the final game of the group stage.

And so to our last game. Nothing to play for except pride for us but a win for Giffnock would win them the group on goal difference. In the sixth minute we’re awarded a penalty after a third Giffnock running offense. Chillo steps up, keeps his standing foot firmly planted and beats the keeper. 0-1 Some slick passing between Chillo and John in the 14th minute. 0-2 In the nineteenth minute with time running out Titch turns on the edge of the box and beats the keeper. 0-3 It’s looking like a second clean sheet for Keith when with the last kick of the ball Giffnock score to finish the game 1-3.
Our last game of the day and we finally played like we could. Too late but good to know we can still beat one of Scotland’s best teams.

Meanwhile…..

Back row: Charles Doherty, Ally Grant, Ryan Ramsay, John Ross, Graham Allan
Front row: George Lindsay, Ross Paterson, Ian Farmer, Grant Buchan

Over at the non-competitive festival our “youngsters” are enjoying their football and banter with the other teams. They were first up and opening the Festival against today’s sponsors CHSS followed by games against Universal Wanderers, Dumbarton FC, Celtic FC Foundation Parkinsons, Stenhousemuir 24′ and Fort William. The team had a great day out experiencing tournament play, playing with refs but without the pressure of having to win.

To finish off the day the Festival team were awarded the Peter Collins Fair Play trophy. Matt Ramsay from Walking football Scotland said:

Walking Football Scotland were delighted to present the Peter Collins Fair Play Award to Raith Rovers for their outstanding support to the ethos of the game and conveyed true values that the late Peter Collins would have been proud of himself.

Unfortunately most of the team had left for the journey across country when we heard this so only four of the team were available (and in civvies) for the presentation by Rose Reilly. They had come to play and have fun never thinking about winning anything.

Copyright. Walking Football Scotland

On returning to our Monday night session Willie Carroll, East Region Over 50s assistant manager, presented the rest of the team with their medals and the trophy.

WFS East League Premiership 2024 Round 2

After last week’s disappointment in Glasgow we headed up to Dundee for Round 2 of this year’s league. Today we’re locking horns with Arbroath (last year’s champions), Oriam (last year’s runners up) Linlithgow Rose (last weekend’s Glasgow Trophy winners) and St James (perennial Premiership contenders).

Back row: Ritchie Malcolm, Ian (Chillo) McMillan, Harry Gilfillan, Willie Carroll, Davie Ramsay
Front row: Kevin Henderson, John Wylie, Charles Doherty, Colin (Titch) Hardie, Haig Hutchison

Up first are Arbroath. We start well with a well worked goal with some slick passing between Kev and John allowing ‘Titch’ to get free on the right and fire the ball passed the keeper from a tight angle. 1-0. The lead is short-lived though as within two minutes we’re pinged for a third running foul and Arbroath are awarded a penalty which they score to tie things up. 1-1 However two minutes later it’s our turn as Arbroath turn sinners and we’re awarded a penalty. John Wylie steps up to slot it passed the keeper like he does so often but this time the keeper saves and the score remains the same. In the eleventh minute a goal-bound drive from Titch looks to have the keeper beat but he stretches out a hand and brings out a brilliant one handed save. A minute later though Titch manages to beat him again. Finding space on the right he shoots from a tight angle and beats the keeper. 2-1. From now on it’s game management, keeping the ball and starving Arbroath of any possession until the ref blows the final whistle.

Luncarty FC 1-1 Hearts
Oriam 1-2 Dundee East CSC
Raith Rovers 2-1 Arbroath – Maroon
St James 3-0 Tayport – Reds

Next up we face St James. We start well again opening the scoring in the second minute. John Wylie has the ball in a crowded corner but manages to flick it out to Chillo at the corner of the box, who controls it with his chest and fires past the keeper. 1-0. It’s tight for the next four minutes until Ritchie Malcolm steps up and beats the keeper with his trademark side of the foot screamer. 2-0. Two minutes later St James get back into the game as we’re pinged for a third running offense and they score with their penalty. 2-1. There’s very few chances after this as we again try to play the game out again. Keeping possession and frustrating St James for the last five minutes.

Linlithgow Rose CFC 1-1 Dundee East CSC
Luncarty 1-1 Arbroath – Maroon
Oriam 2-0 Tayport – Reds
Raith Rovers 2-1 St James

Our third game sees us playing Oriam, who we haven’t played since we met them in the final of their trophy in 2021. For the third time in a row, we start well. Titch gets the ball wide on the right in the second minute and, from distance, beats the keeper. 1-0. In four minutes, Oriam let us know they’re still in the game with a well taken shot that hits the post. A minute later, a mistake by Ritchie in midfield lets the Oriam striker through, but he fails to beat Harry in our goal, and the score remains the same. A minute later, however, Ritchie makes amends with a great shot. The keeper saves but only parries it out, and there is John Wylie standing at the front of the box to slap it home. The rest of the game Raith resort to playing keep ball passing about smoothly but unable to break down Oriam’s defence any further.
One thing to note in this game. No running fouls for either side.

Oriam 0-2 Raith Rovers
Linlithgow Rose CFC 0-0 Tayport – Reds
Luncarty 1-1 St James
Hearts 1-0 Arbroath

We don’t get off to a quick start in our final game. A lot of effort goes in to marshalling Linlithgow’s striker as he looks to get beyond our backline. The team defends well until the tenth minute when, trying to reach a ball in front of the Linlithgow goal, Titch is pinged for running. It’s a third offence so it’s a penalty to Rose. They score and for the first time today we go behind. 0-1. However we’re not behind for long as two minutes later the Rose keeper passes the ball directly to Davie Ramsay and, not being one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he skelps it past him to level. 1-1. There’s not much more direct action and the game finishes 1-1.

Dundee East CSC 3-1 Tayport – Reds
Hearts 4-4 St James
Linlithgow Rose CFC 1-1 Raith Rovers
Luncarty 3-3 Oriam

Final two games:
Arbroath Maroon 1-2 Dundee East CSC
Hearts 4-1 Linlithgow Rose CFC

And so we end the day unbeaten (over both rounds) and move up the table from fourth to second. All in all a good day out.

WFS East League Premiership 2024 Round 1

A new year and a new season sees Raith Rovers over 50s back where we believe we belong in the top tier of walking football in Scotland. Today we see ourselves playing the two teams that were promoted with us plus two teams from last year’s Premiership. We start with fellow promotees Dundee East (previously Dundee United) followed by Tayport, the also promoted team Luncarty before finishing against last year’s third placed team Hearts.

Back row: Neil Galloway, Davie Ramsay, Harry Gilfillan, Ritchie Malcolm, Willie Carroll (coach), John Wylie
Front row: Haig Hutchison, Kev Henderson, Colin ‘Titch’ Hardie, Ian ‘Chillo’ McMillan

With new rules around contact and walking this year, teams and refs are going to take some time adapting and so this proved in the first game with a lot of offences(?) committed by both teams that would have gone unpunished last year. A very stop-start, non-flowing game with a lot of whistling started well for Raith with a penalty for three not walking offenses going against Dundee in the first three minutes. After a bit of discussion John Wylie stepped aside for ‘Chillo’ to take the ‘no-step’ kick and score. In five minutes Raith had the ball in the net again with ‘Titch’ taking a step past his defender and shooting high past the keeper. However the ref had a different idea and adjudged the two steps he had taken to be not walking and awarded a penalty to Dundee which was scored. A couple of further goal scoring opportunities for Titch came to nothing and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
Arbroath 3-1 St James
Dundee East 1-1 Raith
Hearts 3-0 Oriam
Linlithgow Rose 1-1 Luncarty

Our second game of the day turned out to be a very tight affair with Tayport. Despite raining shots on the Tayport goal from all of our forward and midfield players and even Ritchie getting in on the act we were unable to find any way past the Tayport defense or keeper. And with Tayport having no luck either this game ended 0-0.
Tayport 0-0 Raith
St James 0-3 Linlithgow Rose
Dundee East 2-3 Luncarty
Arbroath 2-0 Oriam

The third round of matched see us having a break and a chance to watch our next opponents before we play.
St James 3-1 Oriam
Tayport 0-1 Luncarty
Arbroath 2-0 Linlithgow Rose
Dundee East 0-2 Hearts

Next up we have fellow promoted side Luncarty. in our two games last season we came away with a one goal win and a draw so it promises to be a tight game. The game starts well for Raith with sustained pressure leading to quick corners in the second minute after shots from Kev and Neil. And in the fourth minute the pressure pays off with Kev passing from midfield to Davie. Davie turns and shoots and beats the keeper for a 1-0 lead. There’s more sustained pressure from Raith without any end product until the twelfth minute when a through ball finds a Luncarty player in midfield. He miss-controls the ball but manages to get a cracking shot off which beats Harry low to his right and the game is tied. A strange incident in the 14th minute sees the ref award a corner to Luncarty after the ball comes off the post and back into Harry’s hands. Puzzled looks all around from both teams but the ref is insistent. Sportingly Luncarty take the corner and put the ball out of play. And with that the scoring is finished. 1-1
Tayport 0-2 Hearts
Raith 1-1 Luncarty
Oriam 2-2 Linlithgow Rose
St James 2-2 Dundee East

And so to our final game of the day against Hearts. We’ve played Hearts a couple of times before, most notably beating them in the Scottish Cup final in 2019, but this is our first league encounter. Hearts start lively forcing Harry to save low to his left in the first minute. In the second minute John Wylie finds Titch with a precision pass but the keeper does well to save. Raith continue to press and a pass from Davie finds Titch again but once more the keeper makes a save. In the fifth minute an intercepted pass in midfield is fed to Titch and this time he manages to finally beat the keeper and Raith go one up. There’s a lot of back and forth for the next five minutes with the Hearts frontman getting penalised more than once for backing in. In ten minutes Raith increase the lead with an intricate passing move from the right flank as Titch finds Davie who slides the ball to John who hits it past the keeper. There is no more scoring in the game and Raith finish the day unbeaten.
Raith 2-0 Hearts
Tayport 1-1 Arbroath

And so we end our first day back in the “big” league in the top half of the table and unbeaten. After the first game we adapted pretty well to the new interpretation and enforcement of the rules so it all bodes well for a good season.