Raith Rovers legend recounts 'disbelief' at only time he was sent off in over 400 games

The date was October 25, 1994, the venue was Perth's McDiarmid Park and the occasion was a Scottish League Cup semi-final which Raith were leading 1-0 in the second half against fellow first division side Airdrieonians thanks to Ally Graham's first half opener.

But the contest then exploded into unexpected drama when Thomson – rushing out to catch a long ball forward by the Diamonds – was deemed to have caught it inches outside the box and was controversially sent off by whistler Bill Crombie, severely jeopardising Raith’s hopes of booking a final date with Celtic at Ibrox Stadium the following month.

Reflecting on the most infamous moment of his 19-year playing career, now 58-year-old Ross County goalkeeping coach Thomson told the Fife Free Press: "I don't even know what the referee's thoughts were in sending me off. Because between me and the Airdrie player was David Narey (Raith Rovers defender), so I've not even stopped a goalscoring opportunity.

"If the referee thinks I'm outside the box that's fine, but it's certainly not a sending off.

"Bill Crombie used to referee my boys club games coming through at Hutchy Vale under-12s and under-13s so I knew him.

"We played Kilmarnock the following season and he refereed the game. He came in before the game and he was speaking about the semi-final red card.

"I think he was saying he didn't really mean to do it and he shouldn't have done it.

"But he made that decision at the time and I had to live with it.”

Raith diehards would have feared the worst at Thomson’s dismissal seeing their favourites reduced to 10 men and the fact that the regular number one’s replacement from the bench was 17-year-old YTS kid Brian Potter, who had only ever previously played one match for the first team.

Although Steve Cooper soon equalised past Potter for Airdrie to force extra-time, the teenage Raith stopper played soundly during his time on the pitch and ultimately saved the decisive penalty from Alan Lawrence to seal Rovers’ place in the final with a 5-4 penalty shootout victory.

Thomson added: "The red card created the whole League Cup story because Brian - a great guy who I still speak to now - came in as a YTS goalie.

"He stepped on the pitch and away he went, played extra-time no problem, full of beans and full of confidence and saved his penalty.

"I always think it adds another wee layer to what we did.

"I never felt the worst for us when Brian came on because he trained with us every day and he was the type of character who would take it in his stride.

"I just felt pig sick for the team in terms of: 'This could cost us here'. But I never had any qualms about Brian going on the pitch and dealing with the occasion.

"And he's created his own little bit of history as well.”

Thomson only served a one-game suspension for his straight red card in the semi-final and was famously back between the sticks for the 1994 League Cup final, which saw him save the decisive penalty from Paul McStay as Rovers prevailed 6-5 in a penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw after extra-time at Ibrox Stadium.