Match Statistics: East Fife v Queens Park

Totals (for League, Scottish Cup and League Cup):

Total Number of Goals Scored (in all three competitions):

In the second round of the Scottish Cup in 1910, East Fife were drawn to play 'the world famous Queens Park' at Bayview. At the time East Fife were, of course, a non-league side and a home draw against a club of Queens Park's standing was an event which created much excitement in local football circles. The draw did not, however, generate the same enthusiasm in Glasgow. The Queens Park officials, not relishing the trip to Fife, offered East Fife £75 if the tie could be switched to Hampden. Eventually the amount on offer was increased to £150 and East Fife were about to accept the money when the third round draw was made, giving the winners of the match an attractive home tie against Clyde. Realising that the only chance East Fife had of beating Queens Park was at Bayview, the £150 was turned down and the game went ahead on 12 February 1910. Special trains were run through from Glasgow to Methil station and the Wemyss and District Tramway, which ran alongside Bayview Park, had to put on additional vehicles to accommodate the crowds travelling to Methil. Before the match, the huge crowd was entertained with band music before the players took the field shortly before the kick off time of 3:30.
East Fife took the lead after 15 minutes, when Dugan rounded Queens' defender Thomson and fired the ball past 'keeper Adams into the corner of the net. "The cheer might have been heard a mile away" according to the Leven Advertiser and Wemyss Gazette. Three minutes later the 'Spiders' equalised through R.S.McColl, the famous Queens Park player who scored a hat trick for Scotland against England in 1900 and who was later to start up the chain of sweetie shops which still bear his name today! Queens Park then missed a penalty before Dugan scored again to put the Fifers 2-1 ahead at the interval. The East Fife players were given 'a steaming mug of meat extract' during the half time break and the Directors increased their win bonus offer from £3 to £4. In the second half East Fife continued to attack the Queens Park goal, but the visitors turned the game around in a matter of minutes. Hamilton equalised with a 'breakaway goal' before 'Toffee Bob' McColl blasted home what proved to be the winner, making the final score 3-2 for Queens Park.
The two sides didn't meet again until 1922 after East Fife had gained admission to the Scottish League and it was to be April 1931 before East Fife recorded their first victory against the 'Spiders' - a 3-2 league victory at Bayview during the Fifers' disastrous first season in Division One.

R.S.McColl, the famous Queens Park player who scored two of his side's three goals at Bayview in February 1910 to put East Fife out of the Scottish Cup. When his playing days were over, 'Toffee Bob' started a chain of sweet shops which still bear his name to this day.

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