Saturday afternoon sees us kick off the New Year with a West Fife derby game with Ladbrokes League 1 leaders Dunfermline at East End Park with a 3 p.m. kick off.

 

A big crowd is expected as fans of both sides get a chance to pay tribute to Norrie McCathie six days before the 20th anniversary of his untimely death on 8th January 1996 at the age of just 34.

 

Norrie is best know for his 15 years at East End Park where he made a club record of 576 appearances but he of course started out in senior football at Central Park.

 

He was signed by Pat Stanton from juvenile side Edina Hibs on 26th September 1980 after scoring 36 times for the Edinburgh side the previous season and came off the bench for his debut the following afternoon in a 1-0 win over Meadowbank Thistle at Central Park replacing Brian Ferrier.

 

The following Saturday he got his first senior start at Station Park in a 2-1 against Forfar Athletic but was himself substituted by another future Par Grant Tierney.

 

Norrie played in 6 (+5 sub)  league games for us in season 1980/81 when we missed out on promotion from the Second Division on the last day of the season, with his final game coming against Arbroath on 18th April 1981 when he came off the bench to replace Gordon Wallace.

 

Midway through the season Pat Stanton had moved along the road to take over at the Pars and after finding his first team opportunities limited under Andy Rolland Norrie was signed once again by Stanton in August 1981 with Craig McFarlane coming to Central Park in exchange.

 

As a tribute Dunfermline will be wearing a retro red and blue quartered strip, the same as the one which Norrie last appeared in against St Mirren at Love Street two days before his death, and as both colours clash with our two shirts we will be wearing our new specially commissioned black third choice kit.

 

Ironically the only other side McCathie played for was Ayr United, when he had a short loan spell at Somerset Park in 1989 as he recovered from injury, and our 4-2 win over the Honest Men ensured that our neighbours go into the New Year six points ahead of Ayr.

 

The win was our fourth win in December and takes our unbeaten run in both the league and Scottish Cup to five matches and we have now moved up to sixth place in the table within touching distance of the play off spots as we enter the second half of the campaign.

 

Dunfermline got their season off to a blistering start and our two early visits there saw two heavy defeats - 5-1 in the League Cup and 7-1 a fortnight later in the league.

 

The League Cup tie, which saw keeper Jamie Sneddon get an unexpected debut after Michael Andrews was sent off in the second half, saw both Faissal El Bakhtaoui and Shaun Byrne hit braces with Ryan Wallace also on target from the penalty spot.

 

The league visit saw El Bakhtaoui hit a brace in the opening eight minutes and further goals from Joe Cardle (2), Michael Moffat, David Hopkirk and Wallace saw us go down to our heaviest ever league defeat from Dunfermline. Pat Scullion got our consolation with a long range strike in the closing minute. Once again we finished the game with ten men after Craig Johnston was red carded early in the second half.

 

The return game at Central Park was much more tame was the sides fought out a goal less draw in late October.

 

COWDEN AWAY FORM

 

But for our poor early form on the road we would probably have been sitting in a play off position. Things have however improved away from Central Park and we have won our last two away games at Arbroath in the Scottish Cup and at Forfar.

 

Our last away defeat came against Albion Rovers in late November.

 

COWDEN AWAY LEAGUE FORM

 

Pld 9 W 2 D 0 L 7 F 10 A 30 Pts 6

 

DUNFERMLINE HOME FORM

 

Only Ayr have left East End Park with full points following a 2-0 win back in September. As well as us the Pars have beaten Stranraer (3-1), Albion Rovers (3-0), Forfar (4-0) and Brechin (3-1).

 

The other  two games have seen draws with Airdrie (1-1) and Peterhead (0-0).

 

DUNFERMLINE HOME LEAGUE RECORD

 

Pld 9 W 6 D 2 L 1 F 22 A 6 Pts 20

 

 

ADMISSION

 

Cowden fans will be housed in the SQMC East Stand and tickets will be on sale at turnstiles number 10 & 11.

 

ADULTS - £15

 

CONCESSIONS - £10

 

UNDER 12 - £5

 

Please note ID may be asked for concession ticket sales.

 

PROGRAMME - £3

 

Previewer: Andrew Mullen.