Craig Brewster’s name is etched in Dundee United folklore.
But the Tannadice hero is the first to admit that Raith Rovers were the club that truly changed his life.
Brewster was a raw, rangy midfielder in 1991 when his time at Forfar Athletic, playing under Tangerines icon Paul Hegarty, came to an end.
With the benefit of hindsight, it seems preposterous that Brewster – who would go onto represent a host of top-flight clubs in Scotland and star in Greece with Ionikos – would have a dearth of interest.
Yet, Rovers’ boss Jimmy Nicholl was the ONLY manager to table an offer.
“I don’t know what might have happened if Jimmy Nic hadn’t come in for me,” recalls Brewster, who ran a sports shop as well as working as a sales agent for a waste disposal company. “Jimmy saw something in me that no-one else did.
“He changed my life.”
Indeed, Nicholl saw the potential to deploy Brewster as a centre-forward.
A masterstroke.
His partnership with Gordon Dalziel was electrifying and in Brewster’s second season with Raith – the First Division title-winning campaign of 1992/93 – the duo combined to score 55 goals.
“I scored 22 goals and he scored 33; that much is true,” continued Brewster. “But I’ve told him: “Daz, they were 33 of my rebounds!”
“Daz was an absolute character, in there with Peter Heatherston, Jock McStay, Shaun Dennis, Sinky (David Sinclair). A young Mickey (Colin) Cameron. You want to be in the trenches with those boys.”
Brewster the Rovers travel agent
Brewster’s fondness for that group still shines through; a squad with the perfect balance of experience, young talent and irrepressible camaraderie.
“I remember organising two end of season trips – Tenerife and Mallorca – for 16 PLAYERS,” he continued.
“You might get that for a club-organised thing now, but this was just me organising it. When do you get that?
“That’s how much we enjoyed each other’s company and shows the spirit we had in that dressing room. It was an amazing time.”
His Rovers adventure was a good time rather than a long time.
Brewster, who only turned full-time 18 months into his stint with Raith – aged 26 – departed after two years at Stark’s Park, declining a crack at the top-flight with the Fifers.
“It was Hearts who came in first,” notes Brewster. “Sandy Clark wanted me in. But they were scared to go to a tribunal.
“Then, Jim McLean came in.
“I had been a young boy at Dundee United from 11 years of age and was freed at 17. When they came calling, my heart made the decision.”
“Oh no, what have we signed here?”
His return home would be far from plain sailing.
As Brewster recalls it, manager Ivan Golac had no real knowledge of him as a player and, as such, the new signing was forced to prove himself all over again.
He made his league debut against Aberdeen on August 7, 1993, with Golac fielding him on the left side of midfield. By Brewster’s own admission, “the game totally passed me by”.
Brewster’s next start would not come until October 16.
“At the start, I think a lot of fans were thinking, “oh no, what have we signed here?”” continued Brewster. “I was bombed for about a dozen games.
“I still remember playing in a reserve game at Tannadice against Celtic on the same day Raith were playing against Dundee in the Premier League at Dens Park.
“Honestly, I was wishing I was across the road.”
Presented with the choice between sulking and agitating, or fighting for his future, Brewster had some blunt conversations with his nearest and dearest.
Given his role in United’s Scottish Cup win of 1994, it is a sliding doors moment in the club’s history.
“I had some serious discussions with my mates and my father, and the message was: get the finger out, or else,” said Brewster.
“We can all blame other people or look for excuses. But ultimately, it’s always down to you. Sometimes, you need to take a serious look in the mirror and ask if you are doing enough.”
Scottish Cup final preparation: Golf and Hamilton Races
After regaining his place – he cites his brace in the Scottish Cup draw against Motherwell in February 1994 as the moment he “really became a United player” – Brewster never looked back.
And he lived the dream of every boyhood Arab by scoring the winning goal as the Tangerines defeated Rangers 1-0 to lift the Scottish Cup for the first time in their history.
“United had been in six Scottish Cup finals and never won – and I’d been to five of them,” he smiled ruefully. “But Ivan (Golac) brought and air of belief and calmness.
“There was a relaxed atmosphere. Some of the boys went to the races at Hamilton on the Friday. I was knocking golf balls on a driving range at East Kilbride.
“The boys were having a good time, and the feeling was: right, let’s just go out and do what we are good at. No pressure.”
And later that year, Brewster would have the perfect vantage point when his old pals at Rovers stunned the other half of the Old Firm to lift the League Cup in November.
Brewster adds: “I was doing commentary with (Ally) McCoist at Ibrox for that game and was so pleased and proud for the Rovers.”
Ian Murray was a fighter
Looking ahead to Saturday’s mouth-watering showdown between United and Rovers, Brewster finds it difficult to look beyond the Terrors for the title – but is full of admiration for the job his old Hibs teammate Ian Murray has done at Raith.
“I think everyone would probably go for United to win the league, just given the size of club and stature of them,” added Brewster.
“But what Ian Murray – another old teammate of mine at Hibernian – has managed to do at Raith Rovers is just tremendous.
“Nid (Murray) was a fighter and grafter as a player, and he is instilling that into his players. They are running through brick walls for him, showing unbelievable character.”
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