Nostalgia: Turbulent times at Raith Rovers

But the club’s dire financial situation off the park had a major impact on it and in the end the Stark’s Park side narrowly avoided relegation amid a season of turmoil.

They lost the opening game of the season at home by 2-1 to Alloa Athletic , a defeat which included a Kevin Gaughan own goal and a sending off for Sacha Opinel.

It was a portent of the shambolic year to come.

The Fife Free Press sports pages had tipped Rovers to finish third but with manager Peter Hetherston having seen the likes of Didier Agathe, Craig Dargo and Jean-Phillippe Javary leave during the summer to be replaced by the likes of Ivan Mballa and Gerry Creaney, an air of optimism couldn’t disguise the fact that the team were heading into the new season with a weaker squad than the last.

Former Dunfermline and Livingston star Marc Millar had impressed in pre-season whilst turning out as a trialist but with Rovers only able to offer a one year deal, the midfielder opted for a two-year contract with First Division rivals Ross County instead.

There was some good news with the return of fan’s favourite Marvin Andrews, although even his signing had an air of the ridiculous when, after agreeing terms with Rovers, he then went on trial with Sheffield Wednesday, before finally returning to Kirkcaldy.

Nothing, it seemed, was going to be straight forward.

After the loss to Alloa, Rovers improved but come Christmas time it was clear that the FFP’s prediction was way off with the team sat in mid-table, trailing leaders Livingston by a massive 18 points.

By that point the cash-strapped club had already reduced all employees salaries by 25 per cent and it later emerged the players hadn’t been consulted.

In a bid to keep the club afloat the owners began to cash in on some of the club’sbetter players, with the inevitable consequences on the pitch and the knock on effect of driving the fans away from the turnstiles.

The supporters were furious when the club sold Marvin Andrews, Alex Burns and Stevie Tosh to division rivals Livingston for a paltry £22,500. The directors falsely claiming that £100,000 had been raised

Dene Shields, who had only started one league match for the club, was then sold to Sunderland for £60,000.

To add to the ignominy Rovers were sent crashing out of the Scottish Cup by Stirling Albion – a team who were sat rock bottom of the Second Division at the time.

It was a match that would prove to be the last for the popular Guido Van Derr Kamp. In utter desperation the board offered him a free transfer solely to cut money from the club’s wage bill.

The league campaign was now totally focused on avoiding the drop and they managed it with the only two league wins recorded after November 11 against fellow strugglers Alloa and Airdrie.

But it was merely papering over the cracks. The club was now on a downward spiral which it took into the following season and it would see Raith end 2001/02 relegated to the Second Division.