The 2025 version of our Christmas Cup competition occurred on Sunday the 9th November. 12 teams took to the pitches after a slight delay and a unique setup on pitch 4.
Group 1 consisted of Stenhousemuir, Dunfermline Athletic, Alloa, Scone, Arbroath and Falkirk. Going into the last round of fixtures it was tight at the top of the table. Arbroath were sitting on top with 12 points having yet to concede a goal while Alloa and Falkirk were close on their heels on 9 points. With Arbroath and Falkirk still to play in the last round it could get even tighter. And so it proved. Alloa picked up 3 points in a tight win over Stenhousemuir and a thrilling 3-2 win for Falkirk left all three teams on 12 points. And so we went to goal difference where the stingy defences of Alloa (just 1 goal conceded) and Arbroath (Just 3 goals and all in the last game) was what helped them through to the semis.
Group 1 ScoresGroup 1 Table
In group 2 we had Linlithgow Rose, Dunfermline Dynamos, Forfar, Hibernian, Dundee East CSC and Raith Rovers. Again going into the last round of games it was tight at the top. Raith Rovers were leading the way on 10 points with Dundee East CSC holding second place with 9 points and Forfar sitting third on 7 points. With Raith and Dundee East still to play each other this was going down to the wire. With Forfar beating Linlithgow Rose 2-1 they moved up to second place behind Raith. However the top of the table changed dramatically when Dundee East beat Raith 2-1. This promoted Dundee East to the top of the table. With Raith and Forfar both now on 10 points and the exact same goal difference it came down to goals scored. Forfar 13, Raith 12. Forfar gained second place and the lack of precision in front of goal that has dogged Raith all season proved to be their undoing.
Group 2 ScoresGroup 2 Table
And so onto the semi finals. Group 1 winners Alloa would play Group 2 runners up Forfar while Group 2 winners Dundee East CSC would play Group 1 runners up Arbroath. Both games turned out to be tight affairs with the group runners up coming through to win their respective games. Forfar beating Alloa 2-1 while Dundee East and Arbroath fought out a 1-1 draw with Arbroath winning on penalties due to a superb double save from Arbroath goalie, Phil Gibson. Penalty save
The final then, was between the top two teams in this year’s over 50’s East Premiership Forfar and Arbroath. This was maybe one game too far for Arbroath though as Forfar ran out comfortable 4-1 winners to claim the trophy.
Cup Winners Forfar
On behalf of Raith Rovers Walking Football we would like to thank all players and officials for turning out on the day and playing in great spirit despite the weather conditions at times. A big thanks also to the referees who once again gave up their time and refereed fairly throughout. And finally a thank you to the guys who helped set up the pitches and keep close to 100 50+ year old’s on the right pitches at the right time.
With an under strength team, due to the late fixture date change, we made our way to Dundee on Sunday more in hope than expectation. With games against the current top two in the league and games against the two teams directly above and below us, points were going to be hard to get. But we would give it our best.
The day’s team included Gavin Gowans, Ritchie Malcolm, Kev Henderson, John Wylie, Fraser Terris, Neil Galloway and Ally Grant.
First up was second placed Arbroath and the game started poorly with Raith conceding a goal in under a minute. Parity was achieved in the second minute when Arbroath were penalised for a third non walking offence as referee Sean stamped his mark on how the game was going to be officiated. Ally Grant stepped up and scored the penalty. In six minutes Raith took the lead with a Neil Galloway shot through a defender’s legs that unsighted the Arbroath keeper. Yet, the inevitable third running offence for Raith raised its ugly head a minute later and Arbroath scored from the spot. In fourteen minutes some good interplay from the Raith front line saw the ball ending at Fraser’s feet and he confidently beat the keeper to give Raith, what looked like, a late winner. With the time running down an Arbroath shot from close range caught Ritchie on the arm and the ref awarded a penalty. How he was supposed to avoid the ball is anyone’s guess but the ref’s decision is final so… Arbroath score the penalty and end the game 3-3.
Raith Rovers 3-3 Arbroath – Maroon Oriam 0-1 Dundee East Luncarty FC 1-0 Fairfield Hearts 0-5 ForfarWF
Game 2 only gets harder as we faced top of the league Forfar. Forfar got the ball in the net in the third minute but the referee, harshly, disallowed the goal for the player being in the keeper’s box. Unfortunately within the minute Forfar did go one up when an intercepted pass was fired past Gav in the Raith net. In six minutes Forfar’s Tam Gauld received the ball at the edge of the Raith box and beat Gav again for a 2-0 lead. A minute later Neil shot from a tight angle on the left and beat the keeper through his legs. The game was back on. Forfar’s ‘Gogs’ Smith nonetheless had other ideas. A long ball up the right allowed him just a little space and he smashed the ball high into the top corner of the net. The game continued back and forth for the final half of the game with neither keeper really being tested allowing Forfar to run out 3-1 winners.
Oriam 1-1 St James Luncarty FC 0-2 Arbroath – Maroon Hearts 2-5 Dundee East Forfar WF 3-1 Raith
And so we moved on to Game 3 and Luncarty. We had a tight game against Luncarty three weeks earlier where only a last minute penalty separated the sides. Yet, with both teams missing players from that game, maybe this game would have been different. The game went well for Raith in the fourth minute when a tackle in the penalty area gave us a penalty. Ally Grant stepped up once again to score his second penalty of the day. Three minutes later and it’s three Luncarty runs and another penalty to Raith. Once again Ally steps up but this time the penalty is saved. The rebound though comes straight out to Ally and he beat the keeper at the second attempt. A minute later Luncarty were back in the game beating Gav to make the score 2-1. Both teams continued to press looking for a winner or the equaliser. True to form though Raith commit a third running foul and the resultant penalty tied the game 2-2.
Luncarty FC 2-2 Raith Hearts 1-4 St James Forfar WF 1-1 Arbroath – Maroon Fairfield 1-3 Dundee East
Finally our last game of the day, Dundee East. We drew with Dundee East on the opening day of the season but their three earlier games on the day had seen them win convincingly scoring nine goals overall. In the second minute Neil Galloway scores his third for the day with a lovely shot from the left. Dundee were stung by this and pressed heavily against a stubborn but resolute Raith defence. Until the fifth minute when a controversial penalty was awarded. A Dundee player goes down feigning contact with Fraser and the ref awards a penalty. Facing his fourth penalty of the day Gav pulls off a great save to deny what would have been a great injustice. Dundee continued to push but couldn’t find many ways through the Raith team but when they did they came up against Gav having a great game which included a brilliant double save. It wasn’t all one way though with shots from Ritchie, Kev and Fraser failing to beat Scott in the Dundee goal giving Dundee hope of equalising. But Raith held for our first victory of the day and a five point haul for the day.
Hearts 0-2 Oriam Fairfield 2-5 St James Forfar WF 2-1 Luncarty Dundee East 0-1 Raith
Fairfield 2-3 Oriam Arbroath 3-3 St James
Reflections A hard day at the office but all things considered a reasonable outcome. Two draws, one of which should have been a win, and a win against a team playing well on the day until they met us is a job well done.
On the 13th April the squad traveled to Glasgow. This was the first of three planned trips for the year. This trip was to compete for the Glasgow Life Trophy. Our group stage opponents were: perennial knockout stagers Pollok United, Collingham all the way from Lincolnshire, fellow East Region team Linlithgow Rose, South Lanarkshire’s Glenbuck and Douglas Valley and finally former Scottish Cup winners Gretna 2008.
Back Row: Ritchie Malcolm, Ally Grant, Harry Gilfillan, Davie Ramsay, Willie Carroll Front Row: Haig Hutchison, John Wylie, Tam Dunsire Beckwith, Kev Henderson, Charles Doherty
Our first game is the third on the schedule so we have a chance to watch the first two games and assess how the games are going to be reffed for our group stages. The first two games both end up as draws. Glenbuck and Douglas Valley and Gretna 2008 share a 1-1 draw. Collingham and Linlithgow Rose also end their match in a draw, with both teams failing to beat the other’s keeper. Glenbuck and Douglas Valley 1-1 Gretna 2008 Collingham 0-0 Linlithgow Rose
And then our first game. Games against Pollok (either of their teams) are always tight and this one proved to be no different. We started well with a second minute goal from John Wylie. A pass to his feet and the defender allowed him time to turn and beat the keeper. Seconds after the goal Harry Gilfillan in the Raith net brings off a spectacular save to keep our lead. The game is hectic and goes back and forth. This continues until the 7th minute. Pollok get lucky when a deflected Tommy Sheridan shot beats Harry to tie the game. Within a minute Pollok are penalised for a third running offense and Raith are awarded a penalty. Yet the penalty is saved and the game remains tied. But not for long as an Ally Grant shot is deflected past the Pollok keeper to make it 2-1. The direction of the game changes again within a minute as Raith are now penalised for three running offenses. This attempt is unfortunately good and Pollok tie the game up. 2-2. In 12 minutes, Harry makes a brilliant save from a long-range shot in the Raith goal. Nonetheless, 2 minutes later, he is beaten from wide right, and Pollok take the lead. 2-3. With a minute left Raith press for an equaliser but Pollok hold on to collect a 2-3 win.
Another two game break sees Linlithgow Rose beat Glenbuck and Douglas Valley and Pollok beat Gretna, both by a single goal. Glenbuck and Douglas Valley 1-2 Linlithgow Rose Pollok United 1-0 Gretna 2008
Our second game pairs us with Lincolnshire side Collingham. The game started brightly for Raith with a saved Ritchie shot from the left in the second minute. two minutes later there is contact in the Collingham penalty area and Raith are awarded a penalty. Ally Grant steps up. And misses! Collingham respond by going straight up the pitch and hitting the post with a great shot. Goalkeepers are on top for the next five minutes with both pulling off some great saves. In the 10th minute, John has a shot well saved. Within seconds, he beats the keeper with a great shot into the top left corner of the goal. Looking to increase their lead, Raith continue to press. They are unlucky not to score, hitting the bar twice in the closing minutes. Raith 1-0 Collingham
The next game saw Pollok continue unbeaten with a win over Glenbuck and Douglas Valley. Glenbuck and Douglas Valley 0-2 Pollok
Our last game before the break was against Linlithgow Rose. The team that beat us on the last day of last year’s East League before getting themselves relegated. Raith have the ball in the net in 4 minutes. But, the ref makes a harsh call. He adjudges Kev to have run as he struck the ball. Three minutes later the ball rolls along the edge of the Raith box and a Linlithgow player slides it past Harry. It gets worse in three minutes when Raith are penalised for three running fouls and Linlithgow score to take a 2-0 lead. It’s looking very like a rerun of the last game of the season with only 6 minutes left. Both teams continue to press with harry keeping Raith in the game with some great work. The breakthrough comes in the 14th minute when Kev finally manages to beat the Linlithgow keeper. But with little time left Linlithgow run out winners. 2-1 Raith 1-2 Linlithgow Rose
Before the mid session break Gretna beat Collingham in a close game. Collingham 1-2 Gretna 2008
We come back after the break. We know that to have any chance of progressing to the quarter finals, we need to win both of our remaining games. The boys are fired up. They start well. John beats the keeper after some patient build up. It starts at the back with Harry. Continuous pressure pays off in the seventh minute. Ally receives the ball on the edge of the box and beats the keeper. A minute later, Ally passes to John, who is wide on the right. John’s shot beats the keeper to give us a three-goal lead. It’s all action again in this middle period as Glenbuck & Douglas Valley crash a shot off the bar. And with the Raith defence asleep net the rebound. Our three-goal lead is back in an instant. Another passing move from the back results in Kev beating the keeper. Glenbuck & Douglas Valley push in the later stages but Raith hold out. Until a defensive mix up in the 13th minute allows Glenbuck & Douglas Valley a second goal. But that’s all they get and Raith hold on to win.
Glenbuck & Douglas Valley 2-4 Raith
We’ve completed the first part of our task. We can now only sit and watch the results of the next three games. After that, we will try to win the second of our afternoon matches. Collingham 1-3 Pollok United Gretna 2008 2-1 Linlithgow Rose Glenbuck & Douglas Valley 0-0 Collingham
Going into our last game against Gretna 2008 we know we have to win to have a chance of progressing. Gretna and Linlithgow both sit on 7 points while we’re on 6. Both teams need to win, so it’s a tight game. Brilliant saves from Harry and poor shooting from the boys keep the score 0-0. But with time running out John Wylie gets off a shot through some players and beats the un-sighted keeper. 1-0. Finally, the Raith guys make a sensible decision. They play possession football for the remaining minute and run down the clock. Raith 1-0 Gretna 2008
We’ve done what we can. Now, we need Pollok to continue unbeaten. They must at least beat or draw with Linlithgow for us to go through. And Pollok come through for us and beat Linlithgow and we progress to the quarter finals.
And so to the quarter final where our opponents were Newcastle United. They had a tough start to their group. Adjusting to different rules was challenging. Still, they came through strong in the end to top it. Newcastle started strongly bringing out a great save from Harry in the first minute. Two minutes later Raith tested the Newcastle keeper when Davie laid off the ball for a Haig shot. In the 6th minute Harry was called into action again parrying a shot onto the post and away. A minute later and John was testing the Newcastle keeper again. In minute 9, Harry was again called into action. He made a brilliant save but it was pointless as the Newcastle player was running. From the free kick Raith pressed upfield and a foul on Tam gave another free kick. Some quick thinking from Tam found John with a pass and he beat the keeper for a 1-0 lead. Raith pushed to increase their lead with shots from John and Kev but had to be aware of Newcastle’s attack. Indeed though Raith were pressing Newcastle brought out a good few saves from Harry. However in the 13th minute a glorious team move started with Harry finding Davie. He sent a cross pitch pass to Tam who found Kev who beat the keeper to score 2-0. Raith tried to see the game out though Newcastle weren’t up for that and still managed to test Harry. But to no avail. Newcastle United 0-2 Raith
Our semi final opponents were St Anthony’s who we’ve played a few times in cup competitions. The game started with a bang with a shot from John in the first minute going wide. From the throw out, the keeper found St Ant’s striker. He scuffed his shot, but it somehow found its way under Harry. 0-1 Raith hit back from the kick off with a shot from Ally going for a corner. Raith continue to press with shots from Davie and John but, in 6 minutes St Ant’s score. A ball from their right wing finds a player in the middle, unmarked, and he beats Harry. 0-2 We are up against it now. Another long ball finds the St Ant’s striker. This time, he hits his shot well, and Harry saves. In the 12th minute we’re pinged for three running fouls and it’s a penalty to St Ant’s. Harry gets a hand to the ball but doesn’t stop it. 0-3 With a three nil lead St Ant’s run the game down keeping possession and frustrating the Raith boys. St Anthony’s 3-0 Raith
The final saw St Ant’s beat Pollok in the usual tight game to claim the trophy.
Conclusions: After our start in the group, we were pleased to get to the quarters. We were even more pleased to make it to the semi. It was a good day out and a great experience which we’ll learn from and come back stronger. Special mention goes to Harry Gilfillan in goals. He kept us in contention in most of the games with his saves, while also putting us in some great attacking positions with his distribution.
RRCF Walking Football 