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Cowdenbeath F.C.

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Cowdenbeath
Full nameCowdenbeath Football Club
Nickname(s)The Blue Brazil
Cowden
The Miners
Founded1881;143 years ago(1881)
GroundCentral Park
Capacity4,309[1]
ChairmanDonald Findlay[2]
ManagerDougie Hill
LeagueLowland League
2023–24Lowland League,10th of 18
WebsiteClub website

Cowdenbeath Football Club(/kaʊdənˈbiːθ/kow-dən-BEETH) is a Scottish semi-professionalfootballteam based inCowdenbeath,Fife.They are members of theLowland Football League,the fifth tier of theScottish football league systemafter their relegation fromScottish League Twoon 14 May 2022 following a 4–0 aggregate defeat to Bonnyrigg Rose. Formed in 1881, the club has played atCentral Parksince 1917. They first joined theScottish Football League(SFL) in 1905. The club has never won any of the major honours in Scottish football, but have won lower tier divisional titles on five occasions. They competed in the top division of the SFL from 1924 to 1934, but have only completed one further top flight season since, in1970–71.

History

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See also:List of Cowdenbeath F.C. seasons

Cowdenbeath traditionally date their origin to the merger of two local clubs, Cowdenbeath Rangers (formed 1880) and Cowdenbeath Thistle, which occurred in 1881.[3]However, research by the club's historian[4]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,[5]when another merger saw Rangers combine with a local club called Raith Rovers (formed 1881 and unrelated tothe 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 inauguralFife Cupfinal in 1883 but won the Cup for the first time in 1885.

In 1888 the club moved toNorth End Park,and in 1905 were admitted to Division Two of theScottish Football League.They won Division Two in1913–14and1914–15,but were not promoted to Division One on either occasion. The SFL was suspended due toWorld War Iin 1915, and the club moved toCentral Parkin 1917. They were placed in Division Two when it was reformed in 1921, and after finishing as runners-up in1923–24,the club were promoted to Division One for the first time.

The club remained in Division One until being relegated at the end of the1933–34 seasonbut claimed their third Division Two championship in1938–39.This feat was in no small part aided byRab Walls' 54 League goals – the second highest seasonal total in Scottish League history, behind only Jimmy Smith's 66 goals for Ayr United in 1927/28.[6]However, the outbreak ofWorld War IIcut short Cowden's return to Division One, and the club closed down for the duration of hostilities. When peacetime football resumed in 1946, the club were controversially placed in the new (second tier) B Division.

While a 1949League Cupsuccess overRangersatIbroxwas 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 managerAndy Matthewin the1969–70 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 theFirst Divisioninseason 1991–92,but they soon slumped back to the basement of the Scottish League amidst a run of 38 League games without a win atCentral Park.

A more professional approach was ushered in with the appointment of former Scotland defenderCraig Levein,who had begun his playing career with Cowdenbeath, as manager in 1997. Promotion from the Third Division was achieved in the2000–01 season,although they would be relegated again two years later. After a third-place finish in the2004–05 season.The2005–06 campaignsaw the team achieve their first divisional title win for 67 years with player-managerMixu Paatelainenwhen 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 two-legged match and extra time against Stenhousemuir. However, they were promoted to the second division for the 2009–10 season asLivingstonwere demoted to theScottish Third Divisionafter breaching the league's rules on insolvency. After a tough start to life in theScottish Second Division,Cowden soon found their feet and finished in third place. Amazingly they went on to defeat Alloa and Brechin in the play-offs to secure promotion.

Prior to the 2010–11 seasonJimmy Nichollwas appointed new manager.[7]They were relegated from theFirst Divisionto theSecond Divisionon Saturday 14 May 2011 after losing their relegation/promotion play-off semi-final tie 4–2 on aggregate toBrechin Citywith the first leg atGlebe Parkending 2–2 and the second leg atCentral Parkending 2–0 toBrechin City.It was a massive blow to the club especially after being 2–0 up at half time in the first leg in Brechin.

Under new managerColin Cameron,[8]Cowdenbeath immediately regained promotion the following season, winning the league with two games remaining. The season after, they ensured survival on the final matchday with a 3–1 away win overHamilton Academical.[9] The following season they avoided relegation again by defeating local rivals Dunfermline Athletic 4–1 on aggregate in the Championship Play Off final thanks to goals fromKane Hemmings,Greg StewartandThomas O'Brien.

The following season they finished bottom of the Championship after losing 3–0 on the final day to fellow strugglers Alloa Athletic. Before kick off Cowdenbeath had sat in eighth place but were overtaken by Alloa and Livingston who also won. Jimmy Nicholl handed in his resignation shortly after the match leavingColin Nishto rebuild the team for life in Ladbrokes League One. Nish was unable to stop the slide and Cowdenbeath suffered successive relegations, finishing 9th but being defeated 2–1 on aggregate byQueen's Parkin the semi-finals of the play-offs. Nish was sacked on 12 May 2016, being replaced byLiam Fox.Continuing Cowdenbeath's woeful run, they finished 10th in the2016–17 Scottish League Two.[10]They avoided a third consecutive relegation, and dropping out of the SPFL, by winning a play-off against Lowland League championsEast Kilbride.[11]The2017–18season was no improvement at all, with Cowdenbeath finishing last again and having to go through the play-off to avoid relegation. Their opponents were Highland League championsCove Rangersand Cowdenbeath survived once again thanks to a 3–2 home win following an away goalless draw.[12]Comparatively, season2018–19saw a successful campaign. The club finished in sixth place, comfortably avoiding the play-off spot by 24 points.[13]This improvement in form continued into the truncated season of2019–20,with the club finishing in fourth place after 27 games played.[14]

In June 2020, it was announced that fans had donated over £14,000 across three months via the 'Club 135' initiative, to assist the club financially during the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic.[15]

Club records

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Biggest win:12–0 vsJohnstoneinScottish Cupon 21 January1928[16]

Biggest loss:

Biggest homeattendance:25,586 vsRangerson 21 September1949[16]

Youngest Debut:Grant Manzie vsForfar Athleticon 11 November 2006 (15 years 357 days) 2006–07 in Scottish Division 2 (3–2 win)

Playing squad

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As of 20 July 2024[17]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK ScotlandSCO Josh Blair
— DF ScotlandSCO Ethan Kerr
— DF ScotlandSCO Greg MacPherson
— DF ScotlandSCO Jack Denham
— DF ScotlandSCO Gregor Jordan
— DF ScotlandSCO Paul McLean
— MF ScotlandSCO Aaron Dunsmore
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF ScotlandSCO Aiden McLaughlin
— MF ScotlandSCO Robbie McNab
— MF ScotlandSCO Sean Newman
— MF ScotlandSCO Matthew McDonald
— MF ScotlandSCO Olly Whyte(on loan fromMotherwell F.C.)
— FW ScotlandSCO Daryl Healy
— FW ScotlandSCO Ewan MacPherson
— FW ScotlandSCO Jake Sutherland(on loan fromDunfermline Athletic F.C.)
— FW ScotlandSCO Jamie Docherty

<===Out on loan=== Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules.Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player

Club officials

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Board of directors

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Position[18] Name
Chairman Donald Findlay
Club President Bob Brownlie
Honorary Presidents Alex Anderson & Sandy Ferguson
Finance Director David Allan
Operations Director John Cameron
Investment Director Neil Fentie
Club Director Craig Scott
Club Director Alan Smart
Governance & Compliance Director Margaret Steven
Youth & Community Development Director Thomas Ewing
Commercial Director Malcolm Slora

Coaching staff

[edit]
Position[19][20] Name
Manager Dougie Hill
Player/Assistant Manager Paul McLean
First Team Coach Gary Fusco
Goalkeeping Coach Jim Moffat
Football Operations Co-ordinator Colin Nelson
Community Coach Dean Ewing
Sports Therapist Thea Sinclair
Kit Manager Phil Conroy
Assistant Kit Manager Dale Smart
Groundsman Craig Surgeon

Noted players

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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).

Managers

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Dougie Hill (2024-)

Honours

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References

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  1. ^"Cowdenbeath Football Club".Scottish Professional Football League.Retrieved11 November2013.
  2. ^"Donald Findlay back in football at the helm of Cowdenbeath".The Scotsman.14 June 2010.Retrieved13 April2012.
  3. ^This continues to be the official date of foundation given by the club. SeeClub InfoArchived20 August 2007 at theWayback Machine,Cowdenbeath F.C.
  4. ^Letter to the Editor by David Allan,Scottish Football HistorianNo.47, May/June 1991
  5. ^David Allan's history of the club on their website supports the 1882 date, contradicting the official date given elsewhere on the site. SeeClub Info – HistoryArchived20 June 2006 at theWayback Machine,Cowdenbeath F.C.
  6. ^"Ayr United Football Club".Ayr United F.C. Archived fromthe originalon 26 September 2007.Retrieved28 March2009.
  7. ^Cowdenbeath FC."Jimmy Nicholl appointed as new Blue Brazil manager".Cowdenbeath website.
  8. ^ab"Colin Cameron named as manager by new-look board at Cowdenbeath".The Scotsman.5 June 2011.Retrieved13 April2012.
  9. ^"Hamilton 1–3 Cowdenbeath".Scottish Football League.4 May 2013. Archived fromthe originalon 26 June 2013.Retrieved9 May2013.
  10. ^"Play-Off Fixtures for the Coming Week".SPFL.8 May 2017. Archived fromthe originalon 11 May 2017.Retrieved8 May2017.
  11. ^McLauchlin, Brian (20 May 2017)."Cowdenbeath 1–1 East Kilbride".BBC Sport.BBC.Retrieved21 May2017.
  12. ^Crawford, Kenny (12 May 2017)."Cowdenbeath 3–2 Cove Rangers".BBC Sport.BBC. Archived fromthe originalon 17 May 2018.Retrieved13 May2017.
  13. ^"Scottish League Two Table – 2018-19".espn.co.uk.Retrieved29 April2020.
  14. ^"Scottish League 2 2019/2020 Season".skysports.com.Retrieved3 June2020.
  15. ^"Funds from fans and friends are a 'lifeline' for Cowdenbeath".centralfifetimes.com.Retrieved30 June2020.
  16. ^abcDavid Potter And Phil H. Jones (2011).The Encyclopaedia of Scottish Football.Pitch Publishing.pp. 57–58.ISBN9781908051103.
  17. ^"Squad".Cowdenbeath FC.Retrieved1 July2020.
  18. ^"Cowdenbeath FC – Blue Brazil Online – Cowden – The Beath – Meet the Board".Cowdenbeath FC.
  19. ^"First team coaching staff".Cowdenbeath F.C.Retrieved1 July2020.
  20. ^"Backroom staff".Cowdenbeath F.C.Retrieved15 October2020.
  21. ^"Cowdenbeath also have their troubles to bear".The Herald.16 October 1993.Retrieved13 April2012.
  22. ^"Sammy Conn".Cowdenbeath F.C. Archived fromthe originalon 22 July 2012.Retrieved13 April2012.
  23. ^ab"Managers".Soccerbase.Racing Post.Retrieved13 April2012.
  24. ^"Cormack arrives at Central Park".BBC Sport.BBC.5 December 2000.Retrieved13 April2012.
  25. ^"Cowdenbeath axe Cormack".The Scotsman.15 December 2000.Retrieved13 April2012.
  26. ^"Wright in after Kirk sacking".BBC Sport.BBC.13 March 2002.Retrieved13 April2012.
  27. ^"Cowdenbeath sack Wright".BBC Sport.BBC.2 October 2004.Retrieved13 April2012.
  28. ^"Cowdenbeath name Baikie as boss".BBC Sport.BBC.11 October 2004.Retrieved13 April2012.
  29. ^"Cowdenbeath part with boss Baikie".BBC Sport.BBC.3 August 2005.Retrieved13 April2012.
  30. ^"Paatelainen to boss Cowdenbeath".BBC Sport.BBC.10 August 2005.Retrieved13 April2012.
  31. ^"Paatelainen makes Finland return".BBC Sport.BBC.25 October 2006.Retrieved13 April2012.
  32. ^"Welsh named new Cowdenbeath boss".BBC Sport.BBC.30 October 2006.Retrieved13 April2012.
  33. ^"Football boss wins legal battle".BBC Sport.BBC.11 February 2009.Retrieved13 April2012.
  34. ^"Lennon in charge as Welsh is axed".BBC Sport.BBC.11 June 2008.Retrieved13 April2012.
  35. ^"St Mirren conclude deal to make Danny Lennon their new manager".Daily Record.7 June 2010.Retrieved13 April2012.
  36. ^"Jimmy Nicholl is confirmed as Cowdenbeath manager".BBC Sport.BBC.25 June 2010.Retrieved13 April2012.
  37. ^"Colin Cameron replaces Jimmy Nicholl at Cowdenbeath".BBC Sport.BBC.6 June 2011.Retrieved13 April2012.
  38. ^"Jimmy Nicholl Takes The Hotseat".30 November 2013.Retrieved31 December2013.
  39. ^"Cowdenbeath: Jimmy Nicholl resigns as boss after relegation".BBC Sport.BBC. 5 May 2015.Retrieved5 May2015.
  40. ^"Cowdenbeath on the hunt for new manager after parting company with Colin Nish".The Courier. 12 May 2016.Retrieved12 May2016.
  41. ^"Cowdenbeath name Colin Nish as new player/manager".The Courier. 2 June 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 4 March 2016.Retrieved2 June2015.
  42. ^"Welcome Liam Fox!".Cowdenbeath FC. 23 May 2016.Retrieved23 May2016.
  43. ^"Liam Fox".Cowdenbeath FC. 6 March 2017.Retrieved6 March2017.
  44. ^"New Managerial Appointment".Cowdenbeath FC. 10 March 2017.Retrieved10 March2017.
  45. ^ab"Cowdenbeath: Billy Brown replaces Gary Locke as Blue Brazil boss".BBC Sport.BBC. 2 July 2017.Retrieved3 July2017.
  46. ^"Billy Brown".Cowdenbeath FC. 31 October 2017.Retrieved31 October2017.
  47. ^"Bollan for Blue Brazil".Cowdenbeath FC. 14 November 2017.Retrieved14 November2017.
  48. ^Known as second division prior to 1975
  49. ^"SCOTTISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP TABLES – SEASON 1913/14".Scottish Football League.Archived fromthe originalon 11 September 2012.Retrieved26 April2012.
  50. ^"SCOTTISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP TABLES – SEASON 1914/15".Scottish Football League.Archived fromthe originalon 11 September 2012.Retrieved26 April2012.
  51. ^"SCOTTISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP TABLES – SEASON 1938/39".Scottish Football League.Archived fromthe originalon 29 November 2012.Retrieved26 April2012.
  52. ^"Cowdenbeath tie up league title in front of jubilant home crowd".The Scotsman.22 April 2012.Retrieved22 April2012.
  53. ^"SCOTTISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP – SEASON 2005/06".Scottish Football League.Archived fromthe originalon 16 December 2012.Retrieved26 April2012.

Further reading

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