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Start of a Football Lifelong Love Affair

One of our volunteers in Fife, Gordon Handy, wrote this article for his team’s, Raith Rovers FC, programme recently. We think the sentiments will resonate with many of our readers. Thanks to Gordon and Raith Rovers for this sporting memory.  BTW the images above are from a 1995 when Raith Rovers travelled to play Bayern Munich in the UEFA Europa League and almost caused one of the biggest shocks in UEFA history.

Sporting Memories: My First Raith Rovers Game v Dunfermline Athletic August 1979 by Gordon W Handy.

The year was 1979 — a time of flared trousers, Top of the Pops, Worzel Gummidge and ‘I Don’t Like Mondays’ by The Boomtown Rats at the top of the charts. It was Saturday 25th August and Raith Rovers were facing their rivals from the west - Dunfermline Athletic - and little did I know but this game would become my defining moment as a lifelong fan.

I still remember that first walk along Pratt Street to Stark’s Park, the light summer breeze “biting at my cheeks” and the scent of pies and Bovril wafting through the turnstiles. That first glimpse of the pitch, the vivid green grass and the faint hum of transistor radios in the stands is still burned into my memory. I can also still picture my first impression of the Main Stand with its wooden benches, and the distinctive corrugated cladding that rattled in the wind. Standing on old railway sleepers and ash under the “coo shed”.

The Rovers, then in the First Division, were working to establish themselves in the league having finished 11th the season before and Dunfermline were looking to make an impression after being promoted from the Second Division.

The Roar of the Crowd

The conversation rose into cheers as the teams took to the pitch. The roar of the crowd, though smaller than I had seen from watching Premier League teams on Sportscene, felt thunderous to a teenager witnessing it all for the first time. Little did I know that this 0-0 draw would leave an indelible mark on my heart and shape my passion for football forever.

The match itself? I don’t actually recollect exactly what happened but vaguely recall both sides pressed forward with intent. Attacks surged down the flanks with both sets of players playing free flowing football. Though I do remember a Dunfermline player cut inside only to see his curling shot clawed away by the Rovers’ keeper who I would soon learn was Murray McDermott and who I still believe to this day to be Rovers’ best goalkeeper. Despite the lack of goals, the tension in every tackle and the drama in each near miss proved that football’s heartbeat doesn’t rely solely on goals!

Fans around me shouted with passion, calling out other Rovers’ players names I would come to know: Murray McDermott, Gordon Wallace, Andy Harrow and “Elvis”.

As the final whistle blew, half in relief, half in frustration fans spilled onto Pratt Street discussing the saves, near misses and that penalty that never was.... That night sleep eluded me as I continued to hear the echo of feet against the ball and crowd chants in my head.

Life Lessons Learned

In the years since, I’ve watched countless matches, celebrated thrilling victories, and endured painful defeats. Yet none matched the excitement of that first game, where raw passion outweighed polished play. A 0-0 draw may seem uneventful on paper, but it taught me the value of perseverance, community, and shared emotion. It sparked a friendship with fellow fans and inspired me to over 46 years of chasing the same rush of anticipation before every Rovers’ game. That August afternoon in 1979 became the seed from which my love for football grew.

My first football match was not about goals but about the shared heartbeat of fans and players united by a simple game. It was proof that sometimes the most unforgettable moments emerge from the silent spaces between triumph and defeat.

Many thanks to Gordon for allowing us to publish this article. Do you have a story about the start of you life long sporting love affair? We’d love to hear it. Do get in touch with contact@sportingmemories.uk