The AFTN Blog:  East Fife a club of many firsts

The AFTN Blog: East Fife a club of many firsts

East Fife live on TV. Never thought I’d see the day, but here we are.

It’s hard to believe that this is the first time that the club has ever featured in a live televised match. It’s great for the club and hopefully we don’t have to wait another umpteen years for it to ever happen again.

The main people controlling that of course is the club and players themselves. Get into the higher divisions and we’ll see it again.

Nowadays broadcasts are more global than what they used to be of course, so the wait means that whereas before a televised East Fife game would have been on Scottish TV and very little else, now this match is going to be streamed around the world.

From Canada to Australia and beyond, fans can see Bayview in all it’s glory. You have to be really grateful that the eyesore of a power station is now demolished! Let’s just hope for a sunny day as well to showcase the beautiful Fife coast. And an East Fife win wouldn’t go amiss either.

Bayview, the original version, has been featured live on TV before, as the handful of us that were at the Scottish U17 international live on Sky will fondly remember. I still have the game on VHS kicking around somewhere.

The long wait for a televised game may not provide the Fife with a coveted first, and although the team may have lagged behind others in Scotland in this regard, it should always be remembered that East Fife have a long list of other firsts to be very proud of.

The Fife were featured in the first ever Scottish Cup final to receive a radio broadcast, against Celtic in 1927.

They may have lost 3-1 but as we all know we achieved another Scottish Cup first eleven years later when East Fife became the first, and so far only, club from outside the top division to win the Cup in 1938.

Let’s not even start go look down the road of that record possibly being finally equalled this season!

The Fife also became the first Second Division side to win the League Cup in 1947/48 and the first club to win that competition three times. Not sure how we didn’t just get to keep it there and then. Worked for Brazil.

East Fife played the first ever Scottish Cup game under floodlights when they lost 3-1 at Bayview to Stenhousemuir in the Fifth Round on February 8th 1956. And let’s not forget that in the floodlight boom of the 1950’s, East Fife were pioneers of the challenge game travelling to England to play many friendlies under the lights.

So a lot of firsts but hopefully not a lot of lasts at the same time.

We don’t know when we’ll see the cameras back at Bayview for another live game, so in all seriousness let’s make the most of today. It’s nice to have the publicity for the club, so let’s make sure it’s for all the right reasons.

To the fans, stay sensible and make yourselves and the club proud of the atmosphere you create.

To the players, make a real name for yourself and write you own little bit of East Fife history by coming away with the crucial three points.

‘Mon The Fife.

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Authored by: GoF

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