Relichtie
Memorable
matches
Promotion 1998
Instead of one match, I thought that I would dedicate this to this promotion winning squad, the first to achieve this feat for Arbroath Football Club for 26 years.
After finishing bottom of the league the previous season, and seeing Tommy Campbell abandon the club for Montrose, many lichties fans, me included, couldn't foresee what 1997/98 would bring.
A new manager had been appointed.
Dave Baikie, who had enjoyed great success in junior football with Tayport, but he had no experience of senior football. Many doubted the wisdom of the committee in appointing Mr Baikie in light of the very experienced names who were being bandied around at the time.
The season started badly when the lichties were crushed 4-0 in the Coca-Cola League Cup 1st round at Palmerston. Ten days later, the Challenge Cup went the same way with defeat to Stranraer at Stair Park.
After the early exits from the cups, it was a different story in the league where Arbroath started with three victories, before falling to Queens Park at Hampden. League form was steady, if not spectacular for the next few matches, until the lichties went on a four game winning run, which boosted them up the table, but culminated in a derby defeat at Montrose. The Scottish Cup followed the pattern of the other two cups, when Q.O.S. defeated Arbroath again by 4-0 at Dumfries, after a 1-1 draw at Gayfield.
With the cups out of the way, only the league was left, and Arbroath had their leanest spell, picking up only 6 points up to the beginning of March. After a 1-1 home draw with Ross Co., they embarked this time on a five game winning run, starting with a fine 3-0 win over Alloa, the only points Arbroath would take off the runaway leaders. Away wins at Dumbarton and Albion Rvs., and home wins to Cowdenbeath and Berwick followed, before the return match at Dingwall saw the home side win with a late goal. This meant that, with Alloa out in front, the second promotion spot would be fought out between Arbroath and Ross Co. Montrose visited Gayfield seven days later, and raced into a two goal lead courtesy of a double from Colin "Dibble" McGlashan, and it looked as if Arbroath would miss out. However a spirited fightback saw the lichties score four goals through Gallagher, Peters, Crawford, and Tindal to triumph 4-2.
A midweek visit to Coatbridge followed and a 2-0 victory saw Arbroath in second with two matches to play.
On a brilliant hot sunny day in May, a visit to Firs Park to play the Shire was fraught with danger, and when the home side went ahead, we fans feared the worst. As the match was nearing the end, Arbroath were awarded a free kick 20 yards out, and Kevin Tindall hit it low in to the net to grab a precious point. One more game to play and another one point would see us promoted.
So on May 9, 1998, a crowd of almost 2000 welcomed Queens Park to Gayfield. A Craig Cooper penalty set Arbroath on their way,
and despite an equaliser for the Spiders, and some scares promotion was won.
Arbroath - Wight, Peters, Gallagher, Thomson, Mitchell, Crawford, Cooper, Tindal, Grant, McWalter, D. Scott. subs Spence, S. Scott, Sellars.
Queens Park - Bruce, Orr, McGoldrick, Elder, McNamee, Maxwell, Finlayson, Arbuckle, Mercer, Graham, Conroy. subs Edgar, Cowan, Agostini.
After 26 years in the doldrums, and high profile managers of the calibre of Danny McGrain, Jimmy Bone, Ian Stewart, and John Brogan, it took an untried manager with a great record in the junior game to succeed where the more auspicious manager had failed.
Two Queens players obviously impressed the manager that day, as Jim Mercer, and David Arbuckle joined Arbroath for the next season, and both were to feature prominently in the future campaigns.