Jocky’s goals helped fire Rovers up to the top flight
Raith Rovers were victorious in the Scottish Cup against Dunfermline on Friday night.
They are currently second in the Championship, only four points behind Dundee United with a game in hand.
Having players in goal-scoring form always helps to bring success.
Jocky Richardson was a scoring sensation for the Kirkcaldy club in the 1960s.
He credits two of his team-mates for his spell when the goals were raining in.
And he might have got even more if an injury hadn’t taken 20 years to diagnose.
Jocky got off to the best possible start when he hit the net on his first-team debut.
He said: “I joined Raith from Lochore Welfare and my debut came in January 1965. I got the only goal of the game against Arbroath.
“I got 60 goals in 109 matches for the club. “The fans loved me but the manager, George Farm, would always seem to pick on me if things went badly.
“You need good players around you to score goals and I played with two great front men.
“Pat Gardner and Gordon Wallace hit the net a lot themselves. They were intelligent players. “I was a bustler up front.”
Jocky scored against Celtic at the start of his second season but the Parkhead men showed why they would soon be Champions of Europe.
He went on: “The ball fell between Billy McNeil and John Clark and I nipped in to make the score 2-1 to them. They then went on and scored another six to make it 8-1.
“I remember Jimmy Johnstone beating three or four men and then going back to beat them again.
“Some of the football they played that night was incredible.
“George Farm was rarely happy and normally would be shouting at us. On that occasion he told us to forget it and go for promotion.
“We made it up in season ’66-67 and I was second-top scorer.
“It went all the way to the last game of the season and we pipped Arbroath by one point for second place. Morton had run away with the title.”
Unfortunately, Jocky was missing during the nail-biting run-in.
He said: “I hurt my ankle in a clash with Eddie Hunter of Queen’s Park and I couldn’t put my weight on it.
“It meant I missed the last few games.
“There was no swelling and the hospital said X-rays didn’t show a break.
“But I couldn’t kick a ball during the closed season and it definitely held me back when we started in the First Division.
“I was working in a double-glazing factory 20 years later and my left foot went from under me.
“This time they looked at the X-rays and said it was obvious I’d had a bad injury in the past. The bone on my ankle was flaking.”
Raith didn’t find it so easy in the First Division, but they survived for two seasons.
“A few of the players went full-time and John Fraser, our trainer, said I should ask for that,” added Jocky.
“I didn’t do it, I think I had a lack of confidence, I wish I’d had a go.
Tommy Walker had taken over from George Farm as manager and was then replaced by Jimmy Millar when they dropped back to the Second Division.
Jocky was freed and moved to Berwick Rangers under new boss Harry Melrose.
He produced a decent return of goals – hitting the net 19 times in 41 league starts.
“We were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Elgin City, who were managed by former Aberdeen defender Ally Shewan, and I seemed to get the blame,” said Jocky, now 77.
“After a couple of seasons I went back to the Juniors and joined Sauchie.
“I teamed up with Joe Craig, who later played for Partick Thistle, Celtic and Scotland.
“We scored over 100 goals between us. He was only 17 but a great talent.
“After three seasons I took over some of the coaching and worked with Alan Hansen.”