OLD BUTTER FINGERS GOT RAITH CALL
RAITH ROVERS were so desperate for a keeper to play against Ayr on Tuesday they turned to 50-year-old former St Johnstone goalie Jim Butter.
The SPFL denied Raith’s request to have their Championship match postponed despite suffering a goalkeeping injury crisis with Kevin Cuthbert, Conor Brennan and Aaron Lennox all out injured.
The Kirkcaldy side were forced to play attacking midfielder Ryan Stevenson in goal as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Ayr.
But Raith approached numerous clubs and free agents before offering Montrose goalkeeping coach Butter the chance to play for them as a trialist.
However, the rusty veteran could not accept because Montrose had a game at Clyde.
Montrose boss Stewart Petrie said: “There was contact made when Raith were looking for a keeper.
“They were going through a lot of names but their request for Jim could not go very far because of our game at Clyde.”
Raith chief Eric Drysdale has vowed to snap up a stopper in time for their clash with relegation rivals St Mirren on Wednesday.
The SPFL insist John Hughes’s men had “a number of options open to them” to prevent Stevenson, 32, going in between the sticks at Somerset Park.
But Drysdale says he was unaware Raith could have made an “exceptional circumstances” request to the league.
He said: “Had I been advised of this rule it would have been different.
“Now that we have all the information we will find a keeper for next Wednesday.”