Black & White interview

Jason Barber caught up for a chat with Media Relations Officer at Raith Rovers FC, Ally Gourlay.

This Q&A featured in the match programme for the Petrofac Training Cup.

Welcome to the first Q&A of the new season, this week we are taking a break from the usual interview with a Pars player to speak to Media Relations Officer at Raith Rovers FC, Ally Gourlay. Jason Barber caught up with him for a chat:

Afternoon Ally, for those who might not know you from this neck of the West Fife woods, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Afternoon Jason. Basically, like most Dunfermline fans who went to their first game with their Dads as a small child, that was the same for me way back in 1967 with Raith, although I wasn't really interested at the time. I'm 52 now so I make that 47 years following Rovers. I served an apprenticeship in Rosyth Dockyard in the late 70's and early 80's so I knew quite a number of Pars fans, some of who are still great mates of mine today.

I always wanted to be a footballer, and to play for Raith one day - I was even blessed with a cracking right foot, although everyone reading this who may have seen me play will agree that the cracking right foot is unfortunately on my left leg - so it was a lifetime of following Raith around the country and watching from the terraces for me. I'm lucky enough though to have been involved at the club on quite a few occasions over the last 30 years.

Your numerous roles include that of being Chairman of the Raith Rovers' Former Players Association, member of their Hall of Fame team as well as being a popular face on the local music and radio scene in Fife.

Indeed. In particular I'm very proud of the Former Players Association which celebrated it's 10th anniversary in May. I was involved in a backroom job under Frank Connor back in the 80's. Realistically I was a dogsbody who set up all the cones at training, but as any fan who's involved at a club will tell you, just being there in among your heroes was amazing.

It was then I cemented a lot of friendships with players and ex-players. Years later, in 2003 when Murray McDermott passed away, Andy Harrow suggested that we should all have a night out and asked me to organise it. I tracked down most of that squad and from there the Former Players Association was born. As of 2014 there are over 250 ex-Raith players on our database and I keep in touch with most of them as often as possible. I also helped out the guys at Dunfermline with a few contacts when they started their own FPA and I'm quite proud of the friendships with guys like Jim Leishman and Roy Barry, both of whom are fantastic people.

One of the happiest moments in recent years with the Former Players Association came a couple of years ago, and was borne out of a sad situation. My good mate Ian Lister passed away and he was an important figure for both of our clubs. We were due to play Pars at Stark's Park a couple of weeks later, so, with the backing of the Raith board, I invited Ian's family to the game, and also arranged for two of Ian's legendary team mates from both clubs to be there. But in the spirit of friendship I arranged for Raith legend Gordon Wallace to lead out the Pars, and Dunfermline legend Roy Barry to lead out Rovers. That was a special moment and together with the minute's applause I think both clubs did Ian proud.

I'm also fortunate to be involved as one of the four organisers of the Raith Hall of Fame. That idea actually came about after two of our guys - Alistair Cameron and Allan Crow - had been at the Alhambra to watch your night with Alex Ferguson, so they set the ball rolling and roped me and Willie MacGregor into getting involved. Right form the start we wanted it to be a theatre show too and fortunately it has been a resounding success, with this years's show in November having sold out by Boxing Day last year. This year sees us inducting the Coca Cola Cup Winning side inducted together as it;s the 20th anniversary (I just had to get that in) and special guests on the night will include Jeff Stelling and Charlie Nicholas. Gordon Strachan was a guest at the first one in 2012 and he has become a good friend to all of us.

It's also important to stress that there a great many players who have played for both clubs who I count as close friends. Guys like Paddy Wilson, Bert Paton, Jimmy Brown, Allan Forsyth, Craig Robertson, Paul Smith (who got so fed up of my phone calls that he took a job as Raith assistant manager to stop me phoning him), Stevie Crawford, Craig Brewster, Jason Dair and latterly Joe Cardle.

Jim Leishman attended your recent fund raising dinner, which he was very proud to have helped out with. It's not all bad between Pars and Rovers fans when it comes to the important things in life!

Jim is a good friend and a great guy. It was fantastic that he wanted to come on the night. When it all boils down I don't think there's anything really bad between the Pars and Rovers fans. Sure there's the rivalry, and of course I want to leave East End Park today with Raith in the next round of the Cup. Nobody wants their local rivals to have bragging rights, and boy have I suffered at the hands of Pars fans over the years. But the friendships and the associated banter have all lasted well. You're right though, when unfortunate events occur, rivalries are put aside and we all help each other out. That said, if your lot win today I won't go out for a week incase I see any of them! However, I'm confident in our boys and hope that I'll be the one with the big cheesy grin at 4:45pm.

What are your first memories of this fixture between the two sides?

The first Rovers - Dunfermline match I remember watching was the Scottish Cup tie at Stark's Park on 5th February 1972. I can remember it like it was yesterday, probably because we won 2 - 0. I was only 9 at the time so it wasn't the rivalry thing that meant all that much to me. It was the fact that we were an old Second Division side and Pars were a First Division side, and the Dunfermline players were guys I used to see in Shoot every week, or on those old 'Footballer' bubblegum cards that boys my age used to collect. There was a huge crowd that day and I seem to remember Pars wore an all white strip while we wore red. Over the years I have spoken about that game to many of the Rovers players who played in it, and they all, without exception, say that Raith manager George Farm wanted to win that game more than any other that season, for obvious reasons.

Any particular players, or incidents, stand out for you over the years?

In the above match I remember our winger Malcolm Robertson giving Willie Callaghan an absolute roasting. Poor Willie. Malky was on fire that day and I'm sure that when he took his shorts off at the end of the game, Willie fell out! Then there was the 6 - 0 pumping we gave the Pars on New Year's Day 1983. Everything we hit went in that day, and of course there's no better way to start the year than by hammering your local rivals. Then there was a 3 - 2 Rovers win near the end of 1984/85 in which Paul Smith's winner ended the Pars promotion hopes. The battle for promotion in 1994/95 when Ally Graham's goal gave us bragging rights in the New Year battle at East End, and we pipped Pars to promotion that year too. The Milennium derby at Stark's Park when Rovers won 3 - 0, another great occasion.

And then there have been Pars successes. My Dad assured me I was at East End when we got humped 6 - 0 on the very first day of the 70's but I can't remember it - honest! In the 1980's I hated John Watson for no other reason that he made life in Rosyth Dockyard miserable for me. He always gave us a torrid time and scored against us a-plenty. And don't mention that 'four in a row' that Pars put over on us in our only Premier League season together. And definitely don't mention the 'decider' in 2011, although I must admit, I found Sammy's tank routine hilarious.

Can you recall your first trip to East End Park, and what was the result on the day?

Unfortunately yes I do remember. It was Wednesday 25th April 1973 and Dunfermline won 1 - 0 with Joe Hughes getting the winner just before half time. We were both going for promotion from the old Second Division as far as I remember. That result killed it for us that night. It wasn't helped by the fact that the great Joe Baker was injured for the game. In the end Dunfermline went up as runners-up to Clyde while we finished third.

Raith lifting the Ramsden's Cup this year must have been a fantastic lift me up for yourself personally, as well as everyone connected with the club?

Without a doubt, yes. Love them or hate them, the fact that the final was against Rangers lifted the occasion to another level, and it was a fantastic achievement for the club. The players have written themselves a chapter in the club's history now. To be part of that on the day was very special for me indeed. It was a wee bit embarrassing that I seemed to be all over the telly at the end though. For clubs like Raith and Dunfermline, these occasions don't come around all that often and we have to treasure them when they do. I feel sorry for fans of big clubs who are expected to land trophies year in year out. I don't think their jubilation comes anywhere near how we feel when these 'once a generation' successes come around. I've been fortunate to see two Cup Final successes now. My old man was never as lucky!

You were diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus back in March this year, but have dealt with the condition with amazing public bravery and fight. Are there any fund raising activities that supporters can help with?

I think I've learned more about myself since the cancer diagnosis than I've ever done at any other point in my life. especially when I was diagnosed as terminal. The medical people don't expect me to be here at Christmas, but here I am three months down the line and, apart from swallowing difficulties, I don't really feel ill at all. Rather than dread the disease I've embraced it.

Everyone deals with it differently but my take has been that cancer doesn't respect anyone, so why should I show it any respect back? I know it will do it's worst, and I know the outcome, but until then I'll do as much as I can to make it difficult for the disease to take me, and I'll laugh in it's face. Meanwhile I'm getting involved in trying to raise some funds for Maggie's Fife, based at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, who do such sterling work supporting cancer sufferers and their families. It's important to stress the work they do with families, helping them come to terms with what their loved one is going through.

For anyone of a certain vintage or if you just want to dress up, I'm presenting a 70's Glam Rock night called 'Glitter and Twisted' at O'Connells in Kirkcaldy on Friday 22nd August..and yes there will be Gary Glitter records as well as Sweet, Slade, Wizzard, T. Rex etc.

I'm also speaking at a Maggies dinner at the Gilvenbank Hotel on 5th September, If anyone would like any information on either, contact Alistair Cameron at ACA Sports in Kirkcaldy.

Ally, from everybody involved at Dunfermline Athletic Football Club, we send you our very best wishes.

Thanks you Jason, it's been a pleasure and I'd like to wish everyone at Dunfermline Athletic a very successful season. Apart from today that is.