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The Bayview | Black and Gold and Blue - Jimmy Bonthrone
Jimmy Bonthrone signed for East Fife on 17th June 1947 from Kinglassie Colliery Juniors, just a day after his eighteenth birthday. Jimmy’s association with the senior game had actually started two years earlier, however, when he signed as an amateur for Partick Thistle from Bowhill West End. When, for a variety of reasons, things didn’t work out at Firhill, he opted to return to Fife to sign for Kinglassie, from where he subsequently made the short journey further east to Bayview. He remained an East Fife player for eleven seasons but, due to being called up for National Service, didn’t pull on an East Fife first-team jersey until fully two-and-a-half years after first putting pen to paper. He eventually made his East Fife debut on 19th November 1949 against Hibs at Easter Road, after having been asked to step in to replace Henry Morris, who was in dispute with the club. Unfortunately, it was not to be a happy baptism for the player, with the Fife losing the ‘A’ Division league clash by four-goals-to-one.
It was to be a further seven weeks before Jimmy made his home debut, in a league fixture with Rangers at Bayview on 7th January 1950, in which the Methil men went down by two goals without reply. Finally, on 8th April 1950, Jimmy Bonthrone scored the first of many goals for East Fife when he netted a late equaliser against Rangers at gale-swept Ibrox to secure a 2-2 draw and deny the eventual champions full league points. Incidentally, history was made that afternoon as Jimmy’s goal secured East Fife’s first-ever league point against the Glasgow giants! Before the season was out, Jimmy had added a further two goals to his credit when he bagged a brace in a 4-3 victory at Motherwell. Despite his form, however, Jimmy was replaced at inside-left on the Saturday following the Motherwell match by the more experienced Allan Brown for the Scottish Cup Final against Rangers on 22nd April 1950.
His first season as a fringe first-team player had been a largely satisfying one, however, having scored three goals in eight appearances. During the following season, 1950/51, Jimmy Bonthrone established himself in the East Fife first team, and won the hearts of the Fife faithful early in the campaign when he scored a hat-trick during the 4-1 demolition of Raith Rovers at Stark’s Park in a League Cup tie on 30th August 1950. The player continued to improve over the following seasons, and continued to be a thorn in the side of Rangers, scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Glasgow side at Bayview on 5th January 1952; East Fife’s first-ever league win over the light-blues. Later that same year, Jimmy Bonthrone was the goal-hero against Rangers yet again when he scored twice in East Fife’s 3-2 league victory against the Ibrox side on 18th October 1952.
Such goal-scoring feats, especially against one of the big west of Scotland clubs, was bound to come to the attention of the international selectors, and Jimmy Bonthrone was finally called up to the Scotland squad for the “unofficial international” against the British Army at Hampden on Monday 2nd March 1953. Jimmy gave a good account of himself that evening, and played a huge part in the opening goal, as described in the following morning’s edition of the Dundee Courier: “Scotland’s opener in six minutes was a good one. A beautiful square pass from Jimmy Bonthrone gave Johnstone an opening. He swerved past Bond, and neatly side-footed the ball past the helpless Fraser”. Scotland went on to win the match by two-goals-to one, but with the game attracting a paltry crowd of only 15,000 to the national stadium, the event was hailed as a huge flop by the media.
Just over a week later, Jimmy Bonthrone picked up his second international honour when he was selected to play in the Scotland v England ‘B’ international at Easter Road on 11th March 1953, the first such international to be played north of the border. Jimmy almost put Scotland ahead during the early exchanges, but as the match progressed he found the going tough against the English centre-half, Burnley’s Tommy Cummings. The Scotland team played well overall, however, and despite going in a goal down at half-time, the dark blues scored twice during the second half to secure a 2-2 draw. Although Jimmy Bonthrone hadn’t been at his best in the ‘B’ international, he was selected to represent his country for a third time later that same month for the League international against English League at Ibrox on 25th March 1953. There was a problem, however. The arrangements had already been made for Jimmy’s wedding on Monday 23rd March, two days before the match, and under the circumstances the player would be unable to join up with his team-mates at the team hotel in Largs as required on the morning of his wedding day. Despite appeals to the Scottish League officials, Jimmy Bonthrone was dropped from the Scotland team for refusing to cancel his wedding and, consequently, the player was never asked to represent Scotland again!
Jimmy Bonthrone remained at Bayview for a further five seasons, during which time he was part of the East Fife League Cup winning team during season 1953/54. His days as an East Fife player, during which he was never once booked or sent off, ended when he signed for Dundee in March 1958. Just under two years later he was transferred to Stirling Albion, and eventually ended his playing career with Queen of the South. Jimmy Bonthrone’s involvement with the game did not end for several years after he hung up his boots, however. He returned to Bayview as East Fife manager in 1963 and stayed in charge until 1969, when he joined the management team at Aberdeen, where he remained until 1975.
During his time at Pittodrie, Jimmy was also involved with the Scottish international set-up, and managed the Scotland under-23 team for a spell. He returned to Bayview as General Manager in 1980 and, in August 1995, East Fife did Jimmy Bonthrone proud when they arranged a testimonial against Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United; a side that contained several household names including David Beckham and Brian McClair to name but a few! Jimmy passed away on 6th June 2008 aged 78.
Jim Corstorphine
Suppporters Club January Meeting
The first Supporters’ Club meeting of 2018 takes place this Thursday (11th January), 7.30 pm at Bayview Stadium. New members are welcome to attend.
Stalemate At The Excelsior Stadium
Ladbrokes League 1
Saturday 6th January 2018
Excelsior Stadium
Airdrieonians 0
East Fife 0
Airdrieonians XI: Ferguson, Brownlie, MacDonald, McGregor (Leighton 88’), Watt, Edwards (Russell 77’), Stewart, McIntosh, Hastie (Brown 68’), Furtado, Fry
Subs: Higgins, Kerr, Truesdale, Cowie
East Fife XI: Goodfellow, Dunsmore, Docherty, Kane, Page, Lamont (Slattery 71’), Millar, Linton, Duggan, Wilkie (Mutch 83’), Flanagan
Subs: Reilly, Willis, M Hurst
Booked: Dunsmore
Referee: David Lowe
Attendance: 734
East Fife travelled to the Excelsior Stadium to face Airdrieonians and left with a share of the points following un uneventful 0-0 draw. With Manager Darren Young absent, assistant Tony McMinn made one change to the side that narrowly lost to Raith Rovers last time out with Nathan Flanagan, playing his last game for East Fife, replacing the injured Greg Hurst in the starting line-up.
The home sidestarted the brightest and had their first sight of goal in the first minute when Former Fifer Luke Watt curled in a free kick that East Fife ‘keeper Ryan Goodfellow was forced to tip over the bar. Airdrieonians were on the attack again moments later when Jake Hastie was sent clear down the left but dragged his shot wide from 20-yards. The visitor’s first attack of the game came following a nice interchange between Chris Duggan and Mark Lamont but Lamont was unable to find the target with his right-footed strike. Watt sent a long-range effort over the bar on 9 minutes before David Brownlie’s close range header was held by Goodfellow on 16 minutes.
Lamont stole the ball in midfield and raced in on goal on 18 minutes but his drive was deflected into the arms of Diamond’s ‘keeper Rohan Ferguson. Willis Furtado got on the end of a cross from the right but headed straight at Goodfellow and Hastie blasted well over as the home side failed to capitalise on their superior possession
East Fife grew into the half and Mark Docherty just cleared the crossbar with a volley from 20-yards just before the half hour mark after good play by Flanagan down the right before Watt, comfortably the host’s best player, dragged another shot wide in the last meaningful action of the half.
An improved East Fife side appeared after the interval and were unlucky not to take the lead shortly after the re-start when Docherty’s header was cleared off the line by Kieran MacDonald. Josh Edwards spurned a good opportunity for the home side on 52 minutes when he pulled Furtado’s cut-back wide of the near-post.
Wilkie was denied by a great save from Ferguson on 66 minutes in what proved to be the best chance either side had of getting on the score sheet on 66 minutes. Furtado should have done better on 72 minutes when he found himself in space but blasted high and wide from close range before Flanagan’s strike on the turn narrowly cleared the crossbar. There was little to write home about in the last 20 minutes however, substitute Ross Mutch almost grabbed the winner for the visitors in injury time when he latched on to a long ball by the Airdrieonians deference just did enough to put him off.
Not a game that will live long in the memory but a welcome clean sheet for East Fife who picked up points on the road for only the 4th time this season.
East Fife Fall Just Short In New Year Derby
Ladbrokes League 1
Tuesday 2nd January 2018
Bayview Stadium
East Fife 2 (Wilkie 20’, Linton 56’)
Raith Rovers 3 (Robertson 8’, Linton O.G. 25’, Zanatta 78’))
East Fife XI: Goodfellow, Dunsmore, Kane, Page, Linton, Docherty (Mutch 85’), Lamont (Flanagan 87’), Wilkie, G Hurst (Smith 45’), Millar, Duggan
Subs: Slattery, Reilly, M Hurst
Booked: Kane, Linton
Raith Rovers XI: Smith, Thomson, Murray, Davidson, McKay, Roberston, Vaughan, Matthews, Zanatta, Spence, Buchanan (Court 72’)
Subs: Watson, Bell, Hendry, Osei, Lennox
Booked: Vaughan, Zanatta
Referee: Gavin Ross
Attendance: 1795
East Fife kicked off 2018 by welcoming local rivals Raith Rovers to Bayview but it was the visitors who claimed all three points after a highly competitive encounter. Manager Darren Young made two changes to the side that drew with Arbroath last time out with Aaron Dunsmore and Kyle Wilkie returning to the side replacing Kevin Smith and Jordan Piggott.
The visitors had overrun East Fife during their previous encounter at Bayview earlier in the season but there was to be no such repeat this time around and indeed it was the home side that threatened first when Dunsmore’s cross from the right was met by Greg Hurst at the back post but the ball wouldn’t sit up for him and the Raith defence were able to clear inside the first minute. An East Fife corner on the far side was scrambled clear by the visitor’s defence on 6 minutes before they opened the scoring in the 8th minute when David McKay picked out Greig Spence with a cross-field pass that was headed down into the path of Scott Robertson. Robertson’s shot was blocked by Ryan Goodfellow in the East Fife goal but the ball spun up and into the back of the net.
Unlike the previous encounter, the home side didn’t crumble and were close to levelling with quarter of an hour played when Chris Duggan’s cross looked as though it had landed perfectly for Hurst by Raith ‘keeper Graeme Smith was out quickly to gather. East Fife’s perseverance paid off on 21 minutes when they grabbed a deserved equaliser. Mark Lamont crossed from the right but when Duggan failed to connect at the back post the Raith defence switched off allowing Scott Linton to float the ball back into the danger area and Kyle Wilkie sent a header, unmarked, past Smith for his 4th of the season.
East Fife weren’t level for long, however, as they failed to deal with a corner from Lewis Vaughan and the ball deflected into the net. Former Fifer Liam Buchanan claimed the goal but replays show the striker made no contact and the ball deflected off an east Fife defender. The home side responded well again and had a couple of opportunities to draw level again when first Chris Kane headed wide from Linton’s corner before Lamont’s cut back along the 6-yard box was blocked on the line by a combination of ‘keeper and defence.
The visitors had the first chance of the second half when Dario Zanatta cut in from the left but his right-footed drive was well held by Goodfellow. East Fife were level once again on 55 minutes when Duggan was brought down, rather clumsily, on the edge of the area by Euan Murray. Up stepped Scott Linton to curl an unstoppable free kick over the wall and into the top corner for his second of the season – an even better strike than the one he scored against Albion Rovers. Robertson was perhaps a tad fortunate to remain of the park when he pulled back Lamont when he looked like he was about to go clean through on 62 minutes – although rather bizarrely it was Vaughan who picked up the booking!
Goodfellow pulled off a fantastic point-blank save to deny Buchanan on 65 minutes at one end before Raith defender Iain Davidson breathed a sigh of relief as his clearance header just cleared his own cross bar at the other. The home side were beginning to grab control of the game and Smith had to be alter to keep out a 20-yard strike from Mark Docherty on 67 minutes before substitute Kevin Smith tried a long-range effort which deflected into the arms of ‘keeper Smith.
Lapses in concentration have been East Fife’s downfall of late and they were to be punished again with 12 minutes left to play when Vaughan robbed Linton on the far-side touchline and raced in on goal. His cut back fell to Zanatta who found the back of the net, albeit with the aid of two deflections. East Fife were a post-width away from drawing level for a third time with 2 minutes left on the clock when Nathan Flanagan’s left-footed shot came back off the upright, hit Graeme Smith and rolling along the goal line before the ball was eventually cleared.
A great effort from East Fife and worth a share of the points but lapses in concentration again proving costly.
New Addition To East Fife Family
Congratulations to manager Darren Young & his partner Louise on the birth of their son. Everyone at East Fife is thrilled for them!
Flanagan Returns To St. Mirren
Yesterday’s game v Airdrieonians marked the last East Fife appearance for Nathan Flanagan before he returns to St. Mirren following the completion of his loan spell.
Nathan joined the club in July 2017 from the Championship side and made his debut against Peterhead in the Betfred Cup before going on to make 21 appearances for the club, scoring 1 goal – the 2nd in a 3-2 win v Arbroath at Gayfield in August. However, it was his man-of-the-match performance in a 3-0 victory over Forfar Athletic in September that stands out as a particular highlight of his time at Bayview – the Angus side finding him virtually unplayable that day!
Nathan leaves with our best wishes for the remainder of the season and beyond.