New book celebrates a brief moment in Raith Rovers History

The book goes further though with a summary of Raith Rovers' full European adventures following the Coca Cola League Cup win in 1994.

'We Led In Munich' (Pitch Publishing, £18.99) primarily examines that brief moment when Raith were beating Bayern Munich 1-0 at half time away from home in Germany. They were one goal and 45 minutes away from taking the mighty Bayern Munich to extra time in the year that they would go on to win the tournament. In fact, along the way Bayern disposed of Bordeaux, Nottingham Forest and Barcelona.

The trips to Akranes in Iceland and Gøtu Ítróttarfelag in the Faroe Islands] meant some hair-raising trips like 25 hours on a ferry just to get to the ‘proper’ rounds. Casualties before that round saw Galatasaray and Manchester United being eliminated before Raith.

Author Steven told us: "It’s about celebrating that moment in the club’s history, it’s about that journey for the players, that journey for the fans and their memories and how it’s about supporting a club like Raith Rovers and how it unravelled quite quickly since then."

Steven’s book follows two previously successful publications about Scotland’s ladies in the Euros and Unthinkable Surely, about Celtic captain Paul McStay’s penalty miss that gifted Raith Rovers the cup in 1994, although Raith fans insist it was Scott Thomson's save.

That quote from the Jock Brown commentary has gone into folklore as has the European Cup run that followed and all due to that cup win at Ibrox Stadium on November 27, 1994.

'We Led In Munich' is captured perfectly in the photos fans took, and several did including Steven who subsequently lost his camera that same night.

Former MP Gordon Brown has that photo too hanging proudly at home and provides the Foreword to the book. In fact, many will have that iconic image in print including Tony Rougier who played that night (and almost made it 2-0 but hit the side netting). These days Tony hosts a football academy in the US.

Author Steven reflected on how he came to write about Raith and his motivation cultured by seeing all the football books in stores about bit players for Rangers and Celtic and nothing about Raith winning the cup against the odds.

That is how it began and in this, his third book, like a true fan that he is, he was privileged to interview some of the squad who played their part along the way. Names like Julian Brodle, Scott Thomson, Ally Graham, Colin Cameron, Stevie Crawford, Jason Dair, Davie Kirkwood, Barry Wilson and the manager of the squad Jimmy Nicholl along with journalists from the Goto and Arkranes teams and Scottish journalist Scott Davie from Kirkcaldy.

Among the joys though he recalls the difficult moments from players, being sold or dropped for these historic games and how those who did play in the two Bayern ties were a bit star struck, sharing the Easter Road pitch at full capacity with the likes of Oliver Kahn in goals with 86 caps for Germany, World Cup winner Jurgen Klinsmann and Jean Pierre Papin who had won the Ballon d’Or as best footballer in Europe.

One challenge for the author was getting photographs to illustrate the six European ties, but the fans helped, and all games are covered.

Published as a hardback on September 29, the book will be available locally and online as well as the RRFC Club Shop and a special Meet The Author free event takes place at Waterstones Kirkcaldy on October 16 at 7pm with guest Danny Lennon and rightfully so, after all he took the free kick in Munich that scored the goal to make it Bayern Munich 0, Raith Rovers 1.

Never forget, we led in Munich.