Nostalgia: Raith Rovers get ready to kick off the 1980s

As manager Gordon Wallace got his squad in shape for the 1980/81 campaign, Rovers took part in a series of friendlies which would see them defeating none other than Chelsea at Stark’s Park.

Season 1979/80 had ended with Rovers finishing in fifth place in the First Division table – though if they hadn’t thrown away a three goal half time lead on the last day of the season away to Berwick, they would have finished third – and also saw a testimonial match held for the goalkeeper Murray McDermott.

Wallace was aiming for his team to finish higher the following year, though his task was made that bit harder as Hibs’ relegation from the Premier League instantly saw them named as firm favourites for the title.

Pre-season kicked off with Rovers on their travels to play Lincoln City with a number of players missing for reasons that you couldn’t quite imagine today; Ian Ballantyne and Bertie Miller were still on holiday, Andy Harrow was at a wedding whilst Tom McFarlane was having to work in his pub!

The match ended 1-1 with young striker Colin Harris scoring for Rovers, before they returned to Kirkcaldy to welcome Chelsea.

True, it was a pale shadow of the multi-million pound Chelsea we know today. Indeed, the 60s and 70s Stamford Bridge side were regulars in cup finals and in Europe, but had fallen on hard times and were in the middle of a spell that would see them languishing mid-table in the old English Second Division.

But the sight of a World Cup winner in the shape of Chelsea’s manager, Geoff Hurst, sat in the Stark’s Park visitors’ dug out was a treat nonetheless, particularly as the hat-trick hero of 1966 watched his side fall to a shock 3-2 defeat. Rovers’ goals coming from Bobby Ford, Miller and Micky Lawson.

Two further Stark’s Park friendlies would see a 2-0 defeat to Swansea followed by a 6-0 win over Burntisland Shipyard.

So, with pre-season over and future European Cup winners defeated, it was down to league business and the opening day of the season on August 9 saw Rovers return from Easter Road with all three points after an 88th minute goal from Ian Ballantyne gave them a 1-0 win over title favourites Hibs.

And Rovers would go on to make it two wins out of two with another late goal, this time in the 83rd minute from Chris Candlish, sealing a 3-2 home victory over Falkirk.

It would prove to be a satisfying, if slightly frustrating season.

With a quarter of the season remaining Rovers sat top of the table but weren’t able to maintain momentum and were eventually overtaken by the three full-time teams in the league – Hibs, Dundee and St Johnstone – finishing in a very respectable fourth place.