Nostalgia: Deadly duo team up as Raith Rovers return to full-time football

The beginnings of a prolific strike partnership at First Division Raith Rovers blossomed at the beginning of the 1991/92 season.
Raith's Ian Ferguson (left) and Craig Brewster (right) challenge Hearts' Gary Mackay in a pre-season friendly in 1991.Raith's Ian Ferguson (left) and Craig Brewster (right) challenge Hearts' Gary Mackay in a pre-season friendly in 1991.
Raith's Ian Ferguson (left) and Craig Brewster (right) challenge Hearts' Gary Mackay in a pre-season friendly in 1991.

It was then that player/manager Jimmy Nicholl captured the signature of Craig Brewster from Forfar for a fee of £57,000, which was finally decided by a transfer tribunal.

Rovers had offered £45,000 – The Loons were asking for £100,000.

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Nicholl finally got his man and it was expected he would line-up alongside the player/boss in midfield, however after a few months the Irishman made the decision to try him as a striker and Brewster would team up with Gordon Dalziel in a front pairing that would eventually shoot the Kirkcaldy side to the Premier League with an abundance of goals between then in just two seasons playing together.

Craig Brewster signs for Raith Rovers in 1991 with manager Jimmy NichollCraig Brewster signs for Raith Rovers in 1991 with manager Jimmy Nicholl
Craig Brewster signs for Raith Rovers in 1991 with manager Jimmy Nicholl

Brewster’s eventual appearance came as a bit of a surprise when he made his debut in a Rovers shirt in a pre-season game against Aberdeen at Stark’s Park – he wasn’t even named on the team sheet that day – but the 24-year-old soon made his mark as he came off the sub’s bench and hit the home side’s goal in the 2-1 defeat.

There were changes off the pitch too with chairman John Urquhart stepping down to be replaced by Peter Campsie as Nicholl, and for the first time in 21 years, Rovers, returned to full-time football.

Nicholl, getting ready for his first full season in charge, added Portadown’s winger Trevor Williamson to his side and another forward, Alan Mckenzie, signed from Fife rivals Cowdenbeath.

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The Rovers boss had replaced Frank Connor halfway through the previous season after Hearts offered him the role of assistant to Joe Jordan and also made the decision to reinstate some more experienced players to his starting line-up, such as Jock McStay, Ian Mcleod and George McGeachie.

Gordon Dalziel heads the ball for Raith in the opening match of the 1991/92 season against Meadowbank.Gordon Dalziel heads the ball for Raith in the opening match of the 1991/92 season against Meadowbank.
Gordon Dalziel heads the ball for Raith in the opening match of the 1991/92 season against Meadowbank.

But it was a young striker who caught the eye in pre-season – Fifer Ian Ferguson hitting a hat trick against Cliftonville in a 4-1 win.

Such was the 22-year-old’s form as the season got underway that he was soon signed by Hearts in October of that year for £100,000.

It was a move that cleared the way for Brewster to move up front permanently and start banging in the goals alongside Dalziel, the latter ending the season voted as the Scottish Professional Footballers Association’s First Division Player of the Year.

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The fee also allowed Rovers to pay out £20,000 for midfielder Peter Hetherston from Falkirk, another player who would go on to make a major impact during his time at Stark’s Park.

There was a further cash boost for the Kirkcaldy club when former player Keith Wright moved from Dundee to Hibs during the transfer window, bagging Rovers £89,000 as part of a selling-on fee agreement they had made when he left for Dens Park five years earlier.

With pre-season underway a Rovers side full of optimism for a good year ahead kicked off the season away to Meadowbank Thistle – and slumped to a 2-0 defeat.

However they soon picked themselves up and just three days later came back from Clydebank with all three points from a 2-0 win with a goal each from Brewster and Dalziel.

It was a sign of things to come...