Gordon Dalziel insists Raith Rovers’ shock 1994 cup win shows the current team of hopefuls just what can be achieved against the odds.
Dalziel has issued a rallying cry ahead of his old club’s Premiership play-off final against Ross County.
The ex-Raith player and manager was back at Stark’s Park to take in Friday night’s penalty-kicks triumph over Partick Thistle.
And he was suitably impressed with what he saw both on and off the pitch.
The former fans’ favourite even watched the first-half in beside the supporters from a seat in the Penman Stand to get a feeling for what is happening at the reborn Kirkcaldy outfit.
He sees some similarities between Ian Murray’s side and the one he spearheaded in the top-flight in the 1990s – and that famously beat Celtic on spot-kicks in the Coca-Cola Cup final 30 years ago.
“I think it’ll be difficult for Raith,” he told Courier Sport ahead of Thursday’s first-leg against County. “But they look like they’ve got a good bond there. Everybody seems to be pulling together.
“They’ll certainly get the backing because I thought the Raith support on Friday night was absolutely terrific. They’re going to turn out in their big numbers again.
“Raith have had a good season, but they rode their luck against Partick.
“But when it goes to penalties it’s all about being brave and having encouragement.
Dalziel: ‘I see that in the Raith boys now’
“I’ve been there, I won a cup that way.
“Look, they’ll go in as the underdogs. Ross County will be a difficult hurdle to overcome.
“Can they do it? One hundred per cent, of course they can.”
Dalziel added: “I think Raith’s a wee bit like we had in our day. We were very much a team.
“It was everybody together. We had good players but we worked as a team and as a unit. I see that in the Raith boys now.
“I got the vibe on Friday night that people would rather have got St Johnstone.
“But it doesn’t matter. We went into a cup final in ’94 and we would rather have played any team other than Celtic or Rangers.
“We got Celtic and we won!”
“It will be very difficult against County. But they’re there, they’ve got an opportunity and they’ve got to believe they can do it.
“That’s what we all did.
Belief
“I remember looking around the dressing room before the cup final and couldn’t believe the belief in the younger players, never mind the experienced ones.
“That rubbed off on everybody. It’s not about arrogance, it’s belief.”
As well as enjoying some exciting times as a player at Raith, Dalziel also saw a different side to the club when he returned as manager in 2004.
Attempting to sort out the on-field mess left by the ill-fated flirtation with Claude Anelka, the brother of France striker Nicolas, Dalziel was faced with off-field shenanigans and financial issues during his two years at the helm.
However, after being thrilled by the advances made over the past 12 months by the club’s new owners, he is convinced Rovers have what it takes to make it to the top-flight.
“It’s a terrific club, it really is, with terrific people,” Dalziel went on.
“The supporters have missed the kind of times they had when I was there as a player – the cup win and the Premier League under Jimmy Nicholl.
“We won the Championship twice to get there and we made some great memories.
“It’s about getting to the top of the tree and putting yourself up against the big boys.
“They’re now one step away from really putting themselves on the map and going into a Premiership where everybody wants to play.
Progress
“The thing I did notice about the club was the changes and the progression its made.
“I made it my business to go and have a look and see how they’ve developed as a club. And they’ve definitely not stood still.
“I wanted to see if it was progressing, was it trying to be a Premiership club? And it ticked every box, for me. I was very impressed with it
“The new owners have gone in there and changed it. They’ve got some good things going on.
“I went into the dressing rooms and the lounges, the manager’s office – there’s small things that mean a lot at a football club.
“I think Raith have progressed brilliantly in that way. They just need the next step, but that one is always going to be the hardest.”
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