Buddie Moves

Back in the close season of 2010, Cowdenbeath had just clinched promotion to the 2nd tier of Scottish football following a memorable 3-0 play-off win up at Brechin. A new supporter based Board was also being put in place headed up by Donald Findlay. Just before that there had been a possibility of the club going to play its home matches in Edinburgh and indeed even a rumour of a merger with Spartans. The new Board ended such conjecture but they were soon to get the feeling there had been some sort of silent merger with a club from further west!

It seemed St Mirren had decided to relocate much of the Cowden team and backroom staff to Paisley! The departure of promotion winning manager Danny Lennon to Saints started the ball rolling. He promptly persuaded Darren McGregor and Paul McQuade, who had both already agreed to resign for Cowden, to join him at Saints. Next it emerged that Gareth Wardlaw’s registration with Cowden hadn’t been properly completed albeit his contract had been. Saints decided to sign him as well! That upped the ante and Cowden dug their heels in. Cowden did not wish to stand in Gareth’s way when he had the opportunity to play full time football late in his career but some lively negotiation ensured they received a five figure fee in return. A compensation payment was also received in respect of the outstanding period of Danny Lennon’s contract plus a small fee re Paul McQuade who would soon be subject to freedom of contract.

That wasn’t the end of it though! As well as Lennon, McGregor, Wardlaw, and McQuade the Saints came marching in to sign Cowden youngster Peter Bradley and also took Cowden’s assistant manager Iain Jenkins as well as the club kitman! Indeed, they were interested in other Cowden players at that time and 2 years later they also signed Cowden’s 2nd Division championship winning skipper Jon Robertson on a freedom of contract basis.

St Mirren of course had often prospected for Central Park gold. 15 years or so earlier Alan Combe and Mark Yardley had been sold to St Mirren by Cowden. They both enjoyed long and successful careers in Paisley. Then, back in the Seventies, John Dickson and Jim Taylor had also both been purchased by Saints from Cowden. They joined another ex-Cowden star Henry Mowbray at Love Street. At that time St Mirren’s manager was Willie Cunningham, who a few years later was running a sports shop in Cowdenbeath High Street.