The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Becoming shipwrecked in 1923 put Raith Rovers on world map
Graeme Strachan recounts the story of the team from Fife making front-page headlines
The coronavirus pandemic has left Scottish football all at sea.
But back in 1923 Raith Rovers ended up making world headlines when they became the only football team ever to become shipwrecked.
The team, which was managed by James Logan, had enjoyed a successful trip to Copenhagen in the summer of 1922.
They decided to return to Europe the following summer and took up the offer to play a handful of friendly matches on the Canary Islands.
A party of just 13 players, along with a handful of officials, sailed from Tilbury Docks on the vessel Highland Loch alongside a Buenos Aires-bound consignment of chilled meat.
The players played cards, enjoyed singsongs and talked a lot about the first-ever bullfight they were looking forward to seeing in Vigo, which was their first port-of-call.
Problems arose in the Bay of Biscay on the Sunday morning during a violent storm, when the passenger ship struck rocks off the Spanish coast.
Many passengers were still in bed when the command was made to don lifebelts and abandon ship.
There was no panic and the Stark’s Park players were the last to leave after shepherding women and children into the lifeboats.
Spanish fishermen came out to tow the lifeboats and two sections of the party were separated.
Some were towed to the port of Corrubedo and reached land after five hours in the open boats, dressed only in pyjamas and dressing gowns.
They looked for food but could not make themselves understood and the natives had no use for English money.
The party were again put to sea in a small motor boat.
They eventually reached the small village of Villagarcia, where they discovered the other members of the team.
The Raith Rovers party had a meal and got in touch with a shipping agent at Vigo and were given instructions to take a train to a neighbouring port.
They were met by an agent of the Nelson Line and the passengers walked for half-an-hour in the dark along a treacherous goat track.
Club captain Bill Inglis sent a telegram home where he told of the gallantry shown by the players during the rescue operation.
“What a commotion and what an experience,” he said. “Many of the passengers were still in bed when the command was made to don lifebelts.
“I don’t suppose any of the party, with the exception of the goalkeeper, who during the war was a gallant AB (able-bodied seaman), ever had a lifebelt on before, and several had difficulty in getting them adjusted.
“All were lined up while the boats were being lowered.
“Women and children went first, and it is to the credit of our party that they gave every assistance to the passengers and crew, and were last to leave the illfated ship.
“There was no panic.
“In all our trials and difficulties the first consideration of every representative from Kirkcaldy was the women and children.”
Inglis said the players gave assistance to passengers “coming down that awful goat track” and remarked that striker Tom Jennings was “particularly gallant to a most attractive young lady”.
They were put on board a motor launch and taken out to the Highland Loch which had been refloated on high tide and travelled 30 miles under her own steam.
The ship had been severely damaged but the Raith Rovers party recovered their luggage and the hamper containing all the team’s equipment.
The following day they left the ship and sailed 60 miles back to Villagarcia.
The following morning at 5am they were taken out on a modest tramp steamer and sailed practically all day to join the Darrow, of a South American line, which took them on the remainder of their journey to Las Palmas.
“What effect the experiences we have been through these last three days will have on the boys it is difficult to say but one and all seemed determined to give a good account of themselves,” said Inglis.