Gordon Arthur on Raith Rovers' golden years

When Gordon Arthur signed for Raith Rovers little did he know he was joining a club on the cusp of its glory years.
Gordon Arthur is challenged by Rangers' Richard Gough in a Skol Cup match at Ibrox in 1990Gordon Arthur is challenged by Rangers' Richard Gough in a Skol Cup match at Ibrox in 1990
Gordon Arthur is challenged by Rangers' Richard Gough in a Skol Cup match at Ibrox in 1990

Born in Kirkcaldy, and brought up in Cardenden then Dunfermline, goalkeeper Gordon had played for Stirling, Partick Thistle and Dumbarton before signing for Raith Rovers in 1988 when Frank Connor was manager, a man he describes as "different class".

"Frank was old school," he says, "if you needed told something, Frank would tell you, but he was as honest as the day comes.

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"If you speak to the boys that played under Frank they’ll tell you the same. He was a brilliant manager.”

Gordon arrived at Raith Rovers as the seeds were being sewn for the club's golden period in the early to mid-90s.

"When I first arrived the players Frank was signing were experienced with character, the likes of Ronnie Coyle and Jock McStay.

"They had hunger, desire and a bit of professionalism about them. That was what Frank needed to do to pull the club up.

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“In the two or three years that I played under Frank every year we made a bit of progress so when he left to go to Hearts, all the building blocks were in place.”

After Connor left in 1990 his successor Jimmy Nicholl took the club up to the Premier Division after winning the First Division in 192/93 where Gordon played a big part.

"I played 17 or 18 games in the season when we won the First Division. That was a big achievement. For the club to win the league by a large number of points was great.

“When teams win a league what tends to happen is when you get on a roll, confidence breeds confidence, and that's what happened.

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“We went out expecting to win every game. We were winning games that we might have drawn before. Peter Hetherston came in and he was the last piece of the puzzle. He was brilliant.”

The promotion to the Premier League meant the end for Gordon at Stark’s Park, but he says he looks back on his time with the club fondly.

“I knew my time was up as I wasn't going to go full-time so I was part of the deal that saw Scott Thomson come to Rovers and me go to Forfar.

"Five and half years I had at the Rovers and thoroughly enjoyed it.

“I played over 170 times so I mustn't have been a mug!”