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Isn't
it about that time of the year for some media pundit
to trot out that perennial favourite that Scotland
has too many League clubs and that clubs should
amalgamate. We could for example see amalgamated
sides such as Lanarkshire Buckfast Rovers, Dundee
& United United, Angus Berrypickers, and Racing
Club de Stirlingshire. Notwithstanding the patent
nonsense of the whole idea, it's always worth a
column in the paper for Alex Cameron and his ilk
every few years. I can still remember the furore
when Townie boss George Farm mooted the same idea
in 1970. He was quickly shot down in flames by all
parties including his own directors. Cowden fans,
like any real football fans, would be horrified
at the idea of any such merger albeit the present
Cowdenbeath club itself emerged out of an amalgamation
of two clubs which both played 'oer the brig' –
Cowdenbeath Rangers and Raith Rovers. I wonder if
there was a "Hands of Rovers" campaign
back then or if some diehards permanently boycotted
the merged club?
However, it must be said that one of the few parts
of Scotland where a county team might have worked
was Fife given it is the only part of Scotland which
has really retained its identity despite 2 Local
Authority reorganisations in the last 25 years.
Fifers remain proud of their status as natives of
the ancient Kingdom of Fife. Indeed, there have
been two occasions when the football clubs of Fife
did join forces to present a united front.
The first such occasion arose in October 1967 in
order to raise funds for the Michael Colliery Disaster
Fund. Sunderland were invited to play a select side
drawn from the four Fife clubs at East End Park.
Of course, Sunderland was a club with which Cowdenbeath
has always had a strong link. In the 1920's/30's,
Bill Murray, Bob Wallace, Jim "Hooky"
Leonard, Bob Middleton, and Dave Wright had all
left Central Park for Roker Park whilst Cowden boss
Scott Duncan had turned down the post as Sunderland
manager. The 1967 Sunderland side boasted two Cowdenbeath
lads, the inimitable Jim Baxter and his cousin George
Kinnell who used to work in the Co-op butchers at
Kirkford. In addition, winger George Mulhall's brother
Martin had once been a Central Park favourite.
The Fife Select side for this game lined up Billy
McGann (East Fife); Willie Callaghan (Dunfermline),
Andy Rolland (Cowdenbeath); Roy Barry (Dunfermline),
Gilchrist (East Fife), Ian Porterfield (Raith Rovers);
Alex Edwards (Dunfermline), Jim Burns (Cowdenbeath),
George Dewar (East Fife), Jim Murphy (Raith Rovers)
& Gordon Wallace (Raith Rovers). Subs were Bobby
Reid (Raith Rovers) and Denis Jack (Cowdenbeath).
Local boys Willie Callaghan and Ian Porterfield
of course boosted the Cowdenbeath presence in the
Fife side. Indeed, McGann, Callaghan and Porterfield
(only once as a trialist) all wore Cowden's royal
blue shirt during their careers. The game itself
turned out to be a memorable one with the Fife Select
showing real flair and skill for a side which had
never played together before. Fittingly the goals
were shared around in a 4-2 victory with goals supplied
by players from all 4 clubs. Porterfield, Dewar,
Edwards and Rolland were the scorers. Rolland's
was the goal of the match, a typical 25 yard screamer
from the Lumphinnans lad. Rolland's goal came after
Denis Jack had replaced Murphy and he was moved
up to inside forward. Star men on the night were
Porterfield and Rolland and both were soon transferred
- Rolland to Dundee United and Porterfield to Sunderland
where he was to earn immortality by scoring the
winner in the 1972 FA Cup final.
After this winning debut, a Fife side didn't take
the field again until January 1975 when the Fife
select was revived to take on John Martis's select
at Bayview in a benefit match for the East Fife
skipper. Ex-Scotland centre-half Martis's side was
essentially an East Fife side with some guests which
included Willie Mathieson (Rangers), Tommy Gemmell
(Dundee), future Cowden boss Pat Stanton (Hibs),
Kenny Aird (Hearts), Dixie Deans (Celtic) and last
but probably not least a certain Bobby Charlton
(once of Manchester United and then boss of Preston
North End). Among the East Fife players who opposed
the Fife Select were Ernie McGarr, Bertie Miller
and Drew Rutherford (all later to play for Cowden)
together with Harry Kinnear and John Martis himself.
The Fife Select side was Murray McDermott (Raith
Rovers); Jim Scott (Dunfermline), Dave Cairns (Cowdenbeath);
Alex Kinninmonth (Dunfermline), Jim Taylor (Raith
Rovers), Hamilton (Dunfermline); Billy Laing (Cowdenbeath),
Alfie Conn (Spurs – he qualified as a Fifer
having been born in Kirkcaldy), Ken Mackie (Dunfermline),
Gordon Wallace (Raith Rovers) & Andy Harrow
(Cowdenbeath). Subs for the Fife Select were Geir
Karlsen (Dunfermline), Honeyman (East Fife) and
Ritchie (East Fife). Jim 'Ty' Taylor was of course
an ex-Cowden favourite whilst Gordon Wallace (not
the one who played in the 1967 match) would subsequently
play for Cowden. This too was an enthralling game
full of skill and spectacle. Kenny Aird put "East
Fife" ahead after only 8 minutes but goals
from Kinninmonth and Ken Mackie made it 2-1 to Fife.
Alfie Conn then burst onto the scene with 2 fine
goals. Soon thereafter, Harrow and Mackie combined
to let Billy Laing make it 5-1 to the Fife Select
at half-time. The second half was more even as Fife
took their foot off the pedal. The crowd was suitably
thrilled when Bobby Charlton pulled a goal back
with one of his specials from 25-yards which flew
past Geir Karlsen. The scoring was rounded off by
Mackie who made it 6-2 to Fife in the 61st minute.
Thus Fife remain to this day unbeaten on the field
of play and it would be nice to see them try and
make it 3 in a row sometime. However, although seeing
a united Fife team perform would be a pleasant diversion
every few years it could never be a real substitute
for the current 4 Fife clubs with their individual
traditions and partisan followers.
As a final footnote though, it should also be noted
that in the early days of Scottish Football, most
counties annually played matches v other counties.
It was regarded as a great honour to be chosen to
represent Fifeshire in those days. Fife regularly
played Stirlingshire, Perthshire, Forfarshire and
Linlithgowshire in the 1880's/90's. The first such
game took place in 1884 when Fife lost 6-0 to Forfarshire
at Craigie Park, Dundee with a team which included
Cowden's "Iron Man" Will Cowan. A 4-4
draw v Stirlingshire followed with Cowden supplying
the Pollock brothers and John Dougary to the Fife
side. Indeed, John Pollock was one of the scorers.
Many other Cowden players were to feature in such
matches as well as players from now forgotten clubs
such as Townhill, Lassodie, Lochgelly United, Burntisland
Thistle, Kirkcaldy Wanderers, Clackmannan and Dunfermline.
Matches were held at various grounds in Fife and
the first one held at Cowdenbeath was the Fife v
Stirlingshire match at Crawford's North End Park
in March 1888. Fife lost 3-1 with Harrower, Drummond,
Cowan, Law and Gardiner of Cowden all wearing the
Fife colours.
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