Source: FOOTYMAD
Too Close To Call?
One of the closest derbies in Scotland geographically takes place on Saturday. Six miles separates The Pars and The Blue Brazil. Two goals from Willie Callaghan gave an eventually relegated Cowdenbeath a 2-0 win at East End Park in the last league meeting of the teams in 1993 in the First Division. 17 years later The Kingdom of Fife is enjoying one of its best runs in Scottish Football in recent years with three of the four county clubs in the First Division Top Six.Blue Brazil boss Jimmy Nicholl returns to his old East End Park stomping ground, where he enjoyed success with Jimmy Calderwood, looking to plunder a win as he did at one of his other old club's, Raith Rovers, earlier in the season but not many fans would have predicted that Cowden would be so close to their old rivals in league position on the Saturday of the first Pars- Blue Brazil derby of the campaign.Blue Brazilians can look to these 'Famous Five' memorable wins for encouragement on Saturday1970: Dunfermline 1 Cowdenbeath 2This win in the old First Division was Cowden's first top league match with the Pars in over 40 years. The Pars were still participating in Europe when their part-time neighbours rolled them over not once but THREE times during season 1970/1 as 'beath repeated this scoreline at Central Park on New Year's Day 1971 and also beat the Eastenders on their own patch 1-0 in the Fife Cup that season.1973: Cowdenbeath 1 Dunfermline 0Billy Laing (who ended up playing for both clubs) bundled a Jim Taylor net bound header over the line on Jan 1st to give a red shirted Cowdenbeath a win over a Pars side who had been relegated the previous season to the old Second Division. Cowden boss Andy Matthew had ordered the second kit to be used that day so home players could see themselves better in dense fog. Nearly 7,000 attended the game at Central Park.1976: Cowdenbeath 4 Dunfermline 0The one and only season of the Spring Cup in the 1970's saw Cowden gain revenge for a 1-0 defeat at East End Park (scorer Roddy Georgeson) in the second sectional derby meeting in a group that also contained Queens Park and Hamilton. Shortly afterwards Jim Leishman left his beloved Pars for a season with the Blue Brazil, getting himself sent off wearing blue and white in a 2-0 league defeat for 'beath by the Pars later in the year at East End Park1977: Cowdenbeath 3 Dunfermline 1The Pars were unusually in Scotland's third tier when this league match was played at Central Park in front of a crowd of nearly 4000. Ian Harley and Jim Marshall on the scoresheet for Cowden.1993: Dunfermline 0 Cowdenbeath 2Son of the former Pars hero Willie Callaghan (Jnr) got both strikes in one of Cowden's few wins in season 1992/3. Cowden were relegated after only one season out of their customary place in the basement of Scottish Football. They were led by manager Andy Harrow, a former Cowden and Raith forward. Editor Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba.net)Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba.net)This is Scottish-Fitba.Net
