Nostalgia: Raith Rovers reach Scottish Cup semi-final in 2010

Though they were in a relegation battle at the bottom of the First Division, league business was forgotten for the day when, on Sunday, April 11, 2010, John McGlynn led his team out to play Peter Houston’s Dundee United of the SPL – the side standing between Rovers and only their second ever appearance at Scotland’s end of the season showpiece – the first time back in 1913.

Peterhead, Airdrie United, Aberdeen and Dundee had all been beaten by Rovers on the way to the mouth-watering tie against the Tangerines and Kirkcaldy was gripped by the semi-final spirit in the build up to the match with 7000 eager Rovers fans snapping up the club’s entire allocation of tickets for Hampden, forcing the club to put in a request for more seats.

It was only sixth time in the club’s history that they had made it to the last four of the competition and the first since a 5-2 defeat to Celtic on April 13, 1963.

An estimated 90 supporters buses were packed full of Rovers fans heading west for the occasion from across the Kirkcaldy region.

One of the biggest convoys headed out from O’Connell’s on the High Street where 10 buses were fully booked and breakfast was laid on before the journey to Hampden – and the bar also planned a post-game party – regardless of the result – with live music from Dennis Alexander.

The Novar, a long-standing Rovers pub, had five buses Hampden bound, and Liz Evans, manager, said at the time: “We are going to be mobbed! Everyone is up for it!”

Raith Rovers Supporters Club had eight buses fully booked with a further eight departing from Styx on Victoria Road and Mike Keddie, manager, reckoned: “Anyone can win on the day. We’ve already shown we can do it by getting to the semi final.”

His optimism was echoed by Rovers boss John McGlynn who acknowledged his side were underdogs but told the Fife Free Press: “Dundee United are expected to do the business, we’re not and we’ll thrive on that.

“It’s just a massive boost for the club to be in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup. We feel our performances have merited us getting there and we hope for the fans to have a great day.”

The game kicked off with both sides eager to make it through to the final where, after a shock win over Celtic 24 hours earlier, the winners would face Ross County.

Sadly for Rovers it was one game too far on their Scottish Cup run.

Despite having the best of the early part of the match, Dundee United won 2-0 with goals from David Goodwillie and Andy Webster – and would go on to lift to the trophy winning comfortably 3-0 – but the Rovers fans could feel justifiably proud of their team’s cup run.