1986/87 Retro Kit

Nowadays shirt sponsors on football shirts are ubiquitous – indeed jerseys now sport the names of multiple sponsors. It though was not always thus - the SFA resisted shirt sponsorship for many a long year. Those were maybe simpler times, but they could not hold back the tide forever. It was season 1984/85 when we first witnessed the innovation of a sponsor’s name on the Cowden jersey. That Cowden side sported jerseys bearing the logo of TC Oil Tools – Tom Currie, the man behind this company, would soon become the Cowdenbeath chairman. Our next shirt sponsor came in for season 1986/87 on a very natty and popular Matchwinner produced shirt which bore the logo Scotheat as well as the club’s then crest (first added to Cowden’s shirts in season 1978/79). Scotheat was a Dunfermline based central heating company owned by John Marshall who had just joined the Cowdenbeath board.

1986/87 was a hugely enjoyable season when ex-Celtic and Scotland striker Joe Craig was the Cowden manager and his assistant, dipping his toe into football management, was a ‘rookie’ named Dick Campbell. Cowden gave youth its fling and boasted an entertaining, dynamic and skilful side featuring such fine players as Colin McGlashan, Raymie Allan, Roddy Grant, Billy Blackie, Derek Grant, Drew Rutherford, Paul Cherry and Stewart Williamson. And the team certainly did not lack steel and commitment - no team ever would with such stalwarts as Dick Baillie, Billy Paxton and Keith McCulloch in the line-up. That Blue Brazil side is still warmly remembered with affection to this day.

We therefore decided to revisit those days and as we liked the jersey design so much we got together with Matchwinner to produce a retro version of the Blue Brazil jersey from that season. And who better to model the new version than one of the stars of Joe Craig’s side – Cowdenbeath’s own Dickie Baillie!

The shirt will be available from the Club Shop at Central Park from Saturday 2nd December and will be priced at £45.