Barrie Moffat will forever have a place in Bayview folklore as he was he first ever player to score at the new stadium when it opened its doors on Saturday 15th November 1998. On that day, East fife hosted their first match in their home against Forfar Athletic. The Fifers won the second division match 1-0 and Moffat scored the winning goal in front of 1,422 fans.
In total, Barrie Moffat scored 43 times in 141 appearances for the club. The Bayview recently caught up with Barrie to reflect on his time with East Fife.
What are your memories of signing for East Fife?
The club were in the First Division at that time (what is the “Championship” now) and were getting beat most weeks. Jimmy Bone signed me and I have to admit I found the step wip from playing with Alloa tough as I was now playing full-time teams like Dundee and St. Johnstone. East Fife really struggled that year, although one highlight for the club was the team drawing Rangers in the Scottish Cup at Ibrox. Sadly, I was cup-tied for that match and I had to miss out which I was gutted about.
How did you find playing for Jimmy Bone?
Jimmy Bone was very strict – it was either his way or no way.
After Jimmy Bone, the club appointed East Fife legend Stevie Kirk. How would you rate him as a manager?
Quite simply he was the best manager that I ever played under – the best by a mile! He was first class in every way. The training was brilliant and he was a joy to work with. Perhaps in hindsight, I should have left when he left to be honest. I don’t think he was treated very well by the club in the end. I was scunnered when he went. After that, new manager Rab Shannon tried to move me on a few times and then I had a few run-ins with Davie Clarke when he was the gaffer.
How did you leaving the club come about?
Basically, I had previously had an injury problem, although it was cleared up by the time it came to talk about renewing contracts. Davie Clarke offered me a “pay as you play” deal which I didn’t feel was fair as I was back to full fitness. I then moved to Forfar although I never really enjoyed my time up there. The gaffer there was Neal Cooper. I won’t say anymore other than I did not enjoy playing for him in the slightest.
The major highlight during your time at East Fife must have been when you made history scoring the first goal in the new stadium?
Definitely. That was a special moment.
Any other highlights?
Well the best ever goal I scored for East Fife was a volley against Cowdenbeath. We got beat 3-2 that day but the goal I scored was a beauty. By the way, the worst ground I ever played at was Central Park. I hated going there – same with Cliftonhill. They were awful places to visit.
How did you feel when the club moved to the new stadium?
It was positive because the facilities were excellent. The pitch was first class, better than Old Bayview where there was a bit of a slope. However, in terms of atmosphere, you can’t compare them. It would have been great to play at the old ground when there were big crowds. It would have been a really special place.
Who was the best East Fife player you played alongside?
That would have to be Dave Beaton. He was such a strong, hard defender. Away from East Fife, the best player I played alongside was Willie Irvine.
What about the great Arnold Dwarika?!
No, I’m afraid not. Don’t get me wrong – he had fantastic ability and loads of skills; however, he was a very lazy player who didn’t like to put a shift in.
Who was the best player you ever played against?
I was lucky to play against Celtic and Rangers when I was with Alloa. The Celtic team had the likes of Di Canio, Cadette, Van Hoojodonk etc. Being a Rangers fan it was great to play against Ally McCoist, However, in terms of ability, Di Canio was the nest player I ever played against.
Are you still involved in football?
No, not at all. Maybe at some time in the future but having a young family keeps me very busy. I still look out for East Fife and Alloa results. To be honest I have fallen out of love a bit with football – particularly at the highest level where you see the huge amounts of money involved, especially for pretty average footballers. It would be good to come back over to Bayview again soon though and see how the team are doing these days.
To finish with, pick your best East Fife team – based on players you’ve played alongside
Goalkeeper – Willie McCulloch
Defenders – John Cusick, Dave Beaton, Innes Ritchie and Dickie Gibb
Midfielders – Gilbert Allan, Robert Prytz, Stevie ‘Spider’ Ramsay
Forwards – Matt Dyer, Stevie Kirk and Barrie Moffat (of course!)
Questions asked by Liam Thomson