Title winning Antonio returns for induction into Hall of Fame

The popular Spaniard will make a welcome return for our sold out live show at the Adam Smith Theatre on Monday, November 7.

It’ll mark a rare return to the Kingdom for the man who guided Rovers to promotion and kept them in Division One.

Calderon is the latest inductee to be announced for the 2016 show which will feature special guests Paul Merson and Phil Thomson, the former Arsenal and Liverpool legends.

They’ll join a host of ex-Rovers stars and guests from the world of Scottish football as our fifth annual show takes centre stage.

The inductees revealed so far include goalkeeper Murray McDermott, plus Marvin Andrews, Donald Urquhart, and Peter Hetherston.

Two of the club’s McCrae Battalion members, Jimmy Scott and Jimmy Todd, will also inducted on the 100th anniversary of their death.

The return of Calderon will be warmly welcomed by fans at the show - and the organisers are delighted he is flying over for the special night.

John Greer said: “It will be great to see Antonio in Kirkcaldy again.

“We have been chatting to him for some time and he is looking forward to spending time in fife and visiting Scotland again.

“He is one of our promotion winning managers and thoroughly deserves his place in the Hall of Fame.”

Calderon was born in Cadiz and played in La Liga - an attacking midfielder, he helped Mallorca to promotion in his first season.

His 18-year senior career brought him to Scotland where he played in 2000 when he joined Steve Archibald’s Spanish revolution at Airdrie.

He was one of more than half a dozen Spaniards to join the Lanarkshire side in a bold move by Archibald which led them to the Scottish Challenge Cup, and then liquidation.

With the club in tatters, Calderon went to Rugby Park to play with Kilmarnock for one season before joining Rovers as manager.

He guided the club to promotion out of the old Division Two.

He recalled: “When I joined Rovers, Paquito had been at the club for one season. He was a player that I knew from us playing against each other in Spain. I didn’t know him very well, but I have to say he helped me greatly in settling in.

“I brought some good players to the club: Wilfred Nanou, Martin Prest, Christian Patino, goalkeeper Raul, Ramon Pereira and Joaquin Bornes as well as guys such as Craig Stanley and Karl Hawley, who went on to have good careers.”

Paying tribute 100 years on ...

The 2016 Hall of Fame will honour a commitment to induct the players who gave their lives in World War One.

Raith Rovers’ players signed up to be part of the McCrae Battalion.

And five of them made the ultimate sacricifice.

The Hall of Fame has announced plans to induct each one on the centenary of their death, starting with the two Jimmies.

Jimmy Scott and Jimmy Todd both died in 1916, and, 100 years on, members of their family will be on stage to accept their inductions into the Hall of Fame.