Raith Rovers 2012s' footballers enjoy fantastic weekend of success at Blackpool Cup

Rovers’ Renegades side – whose squad members included captain Lochlan Wilson, goalkeeper Thomas Ritchie, Gordon Watson, Jack Morgan, Sonny Gibb, Jacob Forrest, Jamie Gucci Stephen, Zach Loudon and Callum McLean – lifted the cup in their class, while their Raptors team were defeated in their final.

Laura Watson, 36, of Kirkcaldy, the mum of victorious 10-year-old Dunnikier Primary School pupil Gordon, told the Fife Free Press: “The Renegades played two games on the Saturday and three games on the Sunday, with the matches lasting 25 minutes each way.

"They were actually losing 1-0 in the final against Heston Rovers of Dumfries but they equalised to make it 1-1 and it went through to penalties so it was very tense.

"They won it when Thomas saved a penalty in the shootout. He’s a brilliant wee keeper, who also scored one.

"It was amazing to watch the full weekend unfold with my husband Gordon (40) and my two daughters Ruby (12) and Amber (5). The boys came away with the trophy, which makes it even better.

"It was very overwhelming, memories made that we’ll never forget.

"To go down there for the first ever time and come back with a trophy, we never expected that at all.

"They played their wee socks off. We are all still on Cloud Nine."

Deserving of massive credit for the two teams’ success are overall club coaches Lisa and Johnny Lithgow, as well as Renegades coaches Ramsey Wilson and Gordon Gibb and Raptors coaches David Elder, Johnny and Andy Gill.

And also well worth a mention is Laura’s 83-year-old gran Ella Renton, a Raith Rovers season ticket-holder who gave Laura a lucky flag to take to Blackpool that she’d had at the 1994 Coca-Cola Cup final at Ibrox Stadium, which saw Raith win by beating Celtic 6-5 on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

"I was at that game as a child with my gran,” Laura said. “She bought me a small navy blue flag with ‘Raith Rovers’ on it and she still has it.

"We took it to the Blackpool tournament and we think that’s brought us luck.

"I called my gran all through the tournament and she just thinks it’s absolutely amazing that the two teams did so well.

"She’s just absolutely buzzing to see her great grandson wearing a Rovers strip, playing for Rovers and obviously winning a cup for Rovers.”

Domestically, the Rovers 2012 lads compete in a Saturday league, with home matches played at Windmill Community Campus.

At time of going to press, Laura was trying to arrange for the Renegades and Raptors teams and coaches to be given permission to take to the pitch at half-time in Friday night’s Raith Rovers v Partick Thistle Championship match and parade their trophy to the crowd.