Back the Blue Brazil - Part One

Cowdenbeath Football Club is one win away, with three games remaining, from clinching the Irn-Bru 2nd Division Championship and making a return to the First Division at the first time of asking. 

The first opportunity comes this Saturday against Forfar Athletic at Central Park, and we call on the local community and Blue Brasilians from further afield to come out in numbers to back the team.  

History COULD be in the making and if it happens this Saturday, make sure you can say in years to come “I was there.” We have only won a league title once in the last 73 years - no Cowden fan present will ever forget the memory of the helicopter dispatching the trophy at Central Park for Innes Ritchie to hold alfoft, and end the 67-year wait for a well earned title celebration party.

Encourage family, friends and strangers to come along on Saturday. Your club needs you.

But no one at Central Park will be taking anything for granted. Dick Campbell’s side are fighting for survival at the opposite end of the table and are a match for anyone in this division on their day - as we found to our cost at Station Park back in January.

Until, and if, the arithmetic says otherwise, each Saturday is just another game in a season long quest to win the league.

But we can dream. And put our trust in Colin Cameron and his talented team of young men who have performed with commitment, heart and no shortage of skill throughout the season. Whatever the final outcome, this team will have done the club and the community of Cowdenbeath proud.

Hopefully, we will do the necessary over the next three games and have the privilege of watching Jon Robertson and the team lift the coveted trophy come the 5th of May 2012.

Over the next few days we will look back at the teams that have league titles to their names - starting with the 1914/15 Championship winning team.

Cowden were denied election to the 1st Division on the casting vote of the League chairman in 1913. Thus they were doubly determined to establish their claim for elevation to the top flight in the following season. Cowden went on to enjoy a string of victories that took them to the top of the table. The Miners were 4 points clear of the second placed side Dundee Hibs as the New Year began. On March 7, Cowden travelled to play Dundee Hibs at Tannadice. Unfortunately, the team was injury hit. Bob Birrell missed a penalty in the 1 st half and Dundee Hibs ran in 3 goals in the second half. However, dismay at this 3-0 setback soon turned to joy when it was learned that Albion Rovers had lost to hand the championship to Cowden. A week later, Dundee Hibs came to North End Park for the return fixture. Cowden made amends for their previous ignominious defeat with a championship style display as they ran out 7-0 victors. Willie Philp scored 5 with Jim Frew notching the other 2 on a stormy day at North End Park. Cowdenbeath again applied for election to Division 1 but once more were turned down. However, the Scottish League agreed that automatic promotion and relegation would be introduced for 1914/15. Cowden had ended as champions with a league record of P 22 W 13 D 5 L 4 F 34 A 17 Pts 31.

The start of season 1914/15 was overshadowed by the onset of the 1st World war albeit it was decided that League football should continue. Lochgelly United’s first ever League game ended unhappily for the Recreation Park side as Cowden romped home 4-0 victors with Willie Philp 3 and Bobby Tait counting for the visitors. The 1913/14 league flag was then unfurled at North End Park a week later and Cowden celebrated by sweeping Dunfermline aside by 3-1 (Philp, Jock McKenzie, Bob Birrell). Cowden went 9 league games without defeat.

Cowden eventually finished the season with 37 points but level with both St Bernards and Leith Athletic. A tripartite play off for the title was required. The first play off game saw Cowden meet Leith at East End Park, Dunfermline. Bob Taylor and Bobby Tait scored for Cowden while Paddy Savage was the hero by saving a penalty to secure a 2-1 win for the Miners. Cowden then beat St Bernards 3-1 at Easter Road with Philp scoring twice and for the second time in a row Cowden were the proud champions of Division 2. However, yet again Cowden were denied the 1 st Division status their fine team deserved as the Scottish League decided that the plan for automatic promotion should be suspended and that Division 2 should be disbanded for the rest of the War. Cowden then joined the regional Eastern League where they were to be twice champions in the next 3 years. Cowden’s League record for 1914/15 was P 26 W 16 D 5 L 5 F 49 A 17 Pts 37. A regular line up during these 2 seasons was: Savage, Gillespie, MacKenzie: R Birrell, W Birrell, Mitchell; Lancaster, Tait, Philp, Brownlie, Taylor.