He is the man whose save sent supporters into dream land – but Scott Thomson insists ‘relaxed’ Raith Rovers were always confident their Coca-Cola Cup hopes were more than make-believe.
Thomson was reunited with some of his former team-mates on Sunday as the 30th anniversary of Raith’s famous triumph over Celtic approaches on Wednesday.
Heroes and legends were made from what seemed like an unlikely bunch of youngsters and journeymen playing second-tier football.
But, perhaps with nerves settled by a look round Ibrox the day before – and an unconventional pint at night, Thomson has revealed Rovers were always confident they could pull off a massive shock.
“We had played really well down at Clydebank the week before,” Thomson told Courier Sport. “It meant we went into the cup final having just won a game of football, which is always good.
“And I think just the fact that we had beaten a Premier League team [Kilmarnock] on the way was also good for us.
“On the Sunday morning, everybody was quite relaxed. You look at the papers, as you always do, and a couple of the pundits actually fancied us for the game.
“You’re thinking, ‘is that the case?’. We were obviously big underdogs but it gives you that little bit of hope and belief that some people are rooting for you.
‘Totally relaxed’
“I think the key thing going into the game was we were totally relaxed.
“We had a great preparation, really low-key. The Friday and Saturday before the game, we went away through to Glasgow and we trained at Dumbarton on the Friday.
“And then we were actually trying to find somewhere to train on on the Saturday to look at a few set-plays and get a little touch of the ball.
“We went to Ibrox on the Saturday afternoon and had a wee look around the stadium.
“So, everybody knew what was coming, but we were quite relaxed going into it.
“Then, the night before, we were in a wee games room in the hotel and there was a chap on the door and a tray of drinks arrived. But I still don’t know who it came from!”
Thomson feared he might have blown Raith’s chances of even reaching the final when he was sent-off at the penultimate stage against Airdrie.
‘Part of the drama’
Accused of catching the ball outside his area, a decision he insists would be overturned with VAR, Thomson’s red card meant 17-year-old Brian Potter being thrust into the action.
The teenager then became the semi-final hero, and was mobbed by fans in a jubilant pitch invasion, following his save from Alan Lawrence in the spot-kicks decider.
When Thomson then repeated the feat by repelling Paul McStay’s pivotal penalty to earn Rovers the first major cup in their history, it was a stunning climax to an incredible fairytale.
“What happened in the semi-final was just part of the story and part of the drama of that whole cup final story,” added Thomson, who is now Ross County‘s goalkeeping coach.
“It was brilliant for Brian, I was delighted for him.
“Fortunately, the red card didn’t rule me out, which was great. So, I managed to play – and obviously I played my part.
“But I always say to everybody, to get to that stage in the final, it was a terrific team performance.
“I’ve ultimately had the last touch of the ball, which a lot of people remember and a lot of people will look back on.
“But, ultimately, over the piece and over the day, the team was actually first-class.
“To get to that point, it was a total team effort.”
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