90 Up For Jimmy

Best wishes go out from Cowdenbeath FC and everyone at Central Park as well as on behalf of all our fans to ex-Cowden player Jimmy Ross who reaches a significant milestone today - he is celebrating his 90th birthday.

Jimmy was born in Kirkcaldy in 1931 and went to Dunnikier and Kirkcaldy High Schools. He first made his mark in football in local Boys Brigade football. Then he was called up for National Service and served at RAF Halton in England. Once demobbed he played in the juniors for with St Andrews United and then signed for Dunfermline in 1954. Jimmy recalls, ‘I got £500 for signing which was great as I was just getting married. It paid for the wedding and honeymoon’.

Jimmy had a couple of seasons at East End Park but then was freed – primarily it seems because he didn’t want to go full time. John Dougary then promptly signed Jim for Cowdenbeath. Jimmy really enjoyed it at Central Park. He particularly recalls that one of his teammates was that great character Frankie Quinn – he had been with Celtic and still did his training at Parkhead. ‘He was small and as thin as a rake – there was nothing of him - but he was a good player. He told me, ‘Big man, if I shout for it, put it to my feet. I’m not going to run for it’. I then hit a pass he didn’t like and he pointed down and said ‘Doon there no ower there’.

On his career at Central Park, Jim recollects, ‘There was a great camaraderie at Cowdenbeath – at Christmas they gave you a food hamper which included a steak pie in it. It was though challenging to fit in the football as I was very busy working as a plasterer in Dundee. Getting back home in a van and then going right out to Central Park to train was a tough schedule – it took its toll on me. I scored a fair few goals but was freed by Cowdenbeath in 1956. Dundee United were interested in me then but I decided to give up the football.

Later Jimmy had a haulage business in Kirkcaldy before he took on Caira’s Café in the Gallatown which he had for 42 years. Bert Caira was his brother in law. They ended up doing the catering at East Fife, Raith Rovers and Cowdenbeath – football as well as the stock cars when Roy and Nigel Cecil were there. Selling hot food mainly in the winter months was a good fit with their ice cream business.

We were delighted to welcome Jimmy back at Central Park with his son Gordon not so long ago. Hopefully we will see him back again in the not too distant future but for now our message is ‘Have a great day Jimmy’!