The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Raith condemn fans over Firhill damage
Raith Rovers could face a hefty financial outlay after it emerged Partick Thistle are seeking to recover costs for damage suffered to seats during last Friday’s Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup semi-final.
The Kirkcaldy club issued a stronglyworded statement criticising the supporters responsible following the 2-1 victory after significant damage was caused to the front of the Jackie Husband Stand at Firhill Stadium.
A smoke canister was also set off in the stand’s concourse which caused further damage.
However, while Raith branded the behaviour of those fans as “unacceptable” and pledged to ban the culprits, Partick Thistle have now written to the SPFL asking for Rovers to pay for the damage inflicted.
An application has been made under regulation H40 to the SPFL, which states that the visiting club should compensate their hosts if damage is caused “to the fabric of a home ground or neutral venue, including any fixtures and fittings and/or the pitch”.
A statement from Raith said the club is “awaiting further developments” and relayed the specific regulation on its website so that those who were responsible have a “clear understanding of the impact on their club and others”.
Details of the final were released last night with Raith facing Inverness CT at McDiarmid Park, Perth, on Saturday March 28, with a 4.10pm kick-off. The game will be shown live on BBC ALBA.
Midfielder Regan Hendry insists the meeting with Championship side Inverness is just one of 13 finals between now and the end of the season.
The Kirkcaldy outfit will attempt to get their hands on silverware at the end of March but the priority remains clinching the League One title.
John McGlynn’s side are currently one point clear of Falkirk at the summit ahead of today’s visit of Clyde, with a total of 12 league matches remaining.
Former Celtic youngster Hendry insists the stakes will be huge in every game as they prepare to hit the home straight.
He said: “There are 13 cup finals left, it was never a priority at the start of the season to win this cup but it has given us a lot of confidence going forward.
“We’ve 12 games left in and we’re still top of the league as it stands. Hopefully we can win all of those games.”
Hendry, who scored the decisive goal in the 2-1 victory at Firhill, insists taking the scalp of a Championship team has also give the players a boost.
He added: “Partick are not easy opponents, so it will give us confidence going into the league.
“It was a great performance from the boys, I think it shows how far we’ve come this season.
“We might have lost that game at the start of the season.
“It was really good, promising from us and I was happy to get on the score sheet.
“I knew what I was doing, I knew the defender was going to try and make the tackle and I took the extra touch to set myself up.
“I was happy to get that goal, it was long overdue.”
Hendry, meanwhile, insists Rovers will be determined to put on a better performance than they did when they managed to escape with a point from the 2-2 draw with Clyde at Broadwood on last October.
McGlynn’s side let a 2-0 goal half-time lead slip and Hendry admits they were fortunate to leave with anything from the clash.
It was a different story when Rovers ran out 5-2 winners in only the second game of the season at Stark’s Park and Hendry is hoping the league leader can make the most of home advantage this afternoon.
He added: “The last time we played them we were cruising at half-time and it was probably our fault, we kind of let them come towards us in the second half and they had the fans behind them.”