Cowdenbeath F.C.

Cowdenbeath
Full name Cowdenbeath Football Club
Nickname(s) The Blue Brazil, Cowden, The Miners
Founded 1881
Ground Central Park,
Cowdenbeath,
Scotland
(Capacity: 4,370 (1,622 seated)
Manager Colin Cameron (player/manager)
League Scottish Second Division
2010–11 Scottish First Division, 9th (Relegated via play-offs)
Home colours
Away colours
Current season

Cowdenbeath Football Club are a professional Scottish football team based in the town of Cowdenbeath, Fife. They currently play in the Second Division of the Scottish Football League. The club plays its home games at Central Park in the centre of the town which has the unusual feature of a motor racing track around the playing surface as the ground hosts regular stock car racing events. As they are a small, provincial club, they have had little major successes in the Scottish game, particularly in the modern era.

Contents

History

Cowdenbeath traditionally date their origin to the merger of two local clubs, Cowdenbeath Rangers (formed 1880) and Cowdenbeath Thistle, which occurred in 1881.[1] However, research by the club's historian[2] suggests the Cowdenbeath Rangers name continued to be used at this time and the founding of Cowdenbeath F.C. should properly be dated to 1882,[3] when another merger saw Rangers combine with a local club called Raith Rovers (formed 1881 and unrelated to the present Kirkcaldy club). The establishment of one club to represent the town thus coincided with the establishment of the Fifeshire Football Association that year. Cowdenbeath, who are the oldest surviving football club in Fife, lost in the inaugural Fife Cup final in 1883 but won the Cup for the first time in 1885. The club were relegated in the 1933–34 season but claimed their third Division Two championship in the 1938–39 season. This feat was in no small part aided by Rab Walls' 54 League goals – the second highest seasonal total in Scottish League history – as well as Daniel Swann's 87th minute winner in the last game of the season,after what is considered one of the best crosses in footballing history from the creative young fishmunger Dom Brown. Dom Brown's father Thomas Whittingham also played for the club post 1840 but was struck down by, at the time, a career ending injury. Securing the championship for Cowdenbeath. However, the outbreak of the Second World War cut short Cowden's return to Division One, and the club closed down for the duration of hostilities. When peacetime football resumed, the club were controversially placed in the new (second tier) B Division.

While a 1949 League Cup success over Rangers at Ibrox was a highlight of the early post-war period, Cowden struggled to return to the elite level of Scottish football. This was finally achieved under popular manager Andy Matthew in the 1969–70 season, but the solitary season in Division One that followed remains the club's only top flight campaign since the 1930s. More recently, hopes for the future were raised when Cowden were promoted to the First Division in season 1991–92, but they soon slumped back to the basement of the Scottish League amidst a run of 38 League games without a win at Central Park.

A more professional approach was ushered in with the appointment of former Scotland defender Craig Levein, who had begun his playing career with Cowdenbeath, as manager in 1997. Promotion from the Third Division was achieved in the 2000–01 season, although they would be relegated again two years later. After a third place finish in the 2004–05 season. The 2005–06 campaign saw the team achieve their first divisional title win for 67 years with player-manager Mixu Paatelainen when they won the Third Division. Season 2008/09 saw Danny Lennon's side miss out on promotion in a penalty shoot-out after a scoreless 2 legged match and extra time against Stenhousemuir. However, they were promoted to the second division for the 2009–10 season as Livingston were demoted to the Scottish Third Division after breaching the league's rules on insolvency. After a tough start to life in the Scottish Second Division, Cowden soon found their feet and finished in 3rd place. Amazingly they went onto defeat Alloa and Brechin in the play-offs to secure promotion.

Prior to the 2010/11-season Jimmy Nicholl was appointed new manager.[4] They were relegated from the First Division to the Second Division on Saturday 14 May 2011 after losing their relegation/promotion play-off semi-final tie 4–2 on aggregate to Brechin City with the first leg at Glebe Park ending 2–2 and the second leg at Central Park ending 2–0 to Brechin City. It was a massive blow to the club especially after being 2–0 up at half time in the first leg in Brechin.

Honours

Club records

Biggest win: 12–0 vs Johnstone in Scottish Cup on 21 January 1928

Biggest league loss: 1–11 vs Clyde on 6 October 1951

Biggest home attendance: 25,586 vs Rangers on 21 September 1949

Players

Current squad

As of 30 December 2011.[6]

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
GK Youssef Bejaoui
GK Thomas Flynn
DF Kenny Adamson
DF John Armstrong
DF Steven Bennett
DF Dean Brett
DF Paul Byrne
DF David Cowan
DF Scott Linton
DF Joe Mbu
DF Thomas O'Brien
MF Colin Cameron (Player Manager)
No. Position Player
MF Danny MacKay
MF Lee Makel (Player Assistant Manager)
MF Kyle Miller
MF Lewis Milne
MF Jordan Morton (on loan from Hearts)
MF Mark Ramsay
MF Jon Robertson
MF Craig Winter
FW Lewis Coult
FW Marc McKenzie
FW Kal Naismith (on loan from Rangers)
FW Greg Stewart

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
DF Dene Droudge (on loan to Dundonald Bluebell)
DF Jamie Pyper (on loan to Oakley United )
No. Position Player
FW John Ferguson (on loan to Vale of Leithen)

Transfers

For recent transfers, see Cowdenbeath transfers in 2011–12 season.

Noted players

The following former Cowdenbeath players are all members of the club's Hall of Fame or recent players who are still playing at a higher level in Scotland (as well as some notable loan players).

Notes

  1. ^ This continues to be the official date of foundation given by the club. See Club Info, Cowdenbeath F.C. official website
  2. ^ Letter to the Editor by David Allan, Scottish Football Historian No.47, May/June 1991
  3. ^ David Allan's history of the club on their website supports the 1882 date, contradicting the official date given elsewhere on the site. See Club Info – History, Cowdenbeath F.C. official website
  4. ^ Cowdenbeath FC. "Jimmy Nicholl appointed as new Blue Brazil manager". Cowdenbeath website. http://www.cowdenbeathfc.com/index.php?act=viewNews&id=381. 
  5. ^ Known as second division prior to 1975
  6. ^ "1st Team Squad". (Cowdenbeath F.C.). http://www.cowdenbeathfc.com/index.php?act=viewTeam&catId=5. Retrieved 28 July 2011. 

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