Stenhousemuir to kick off next football season a division up away to Raith Rovers

New manager Marvin Bartley’s Warriors begin next term against opposite number Dougie Imrie’s Fifers at Kirkcaldy’s Stark’s Park on Saturday, August 1, with kick-off at 3pm.

That will be their first competitive game versus Raith for seven years, their last being a 1-1 draw at home at Ochilview Park in Scottish League One back in April 2019, with Mark McGuigan scoring for the hosts and Liam Buchanan equalising for their visitors right at the death.

That was the only point they picked up against Rovers that season as they lost all three of their other league meetings, by 5-1 and 2-0 on the road in January 2019 and August 2018 respectively and 3-1 at home in November 2018.

Their scorers were Seb Ross in that January, with Iain Davidson, Grant Gillespie, Euan Murray, Lewis Vaughan and Chris Duggan netting the other way, and McGuigan two months prior, with Danny Armstrong at the double and Callum Crane on target for Raith.

Stenhousemuir have crossed paths with Raith since, though, losing a friendly 5-2 away to them in September 2020.

Stenny’s scorers were ex-Rovers striker Greig Spence and Botti Biabi, with Reghan Tumilty, Manny Duku, Grant Anderson at the double and Dan Armstrong on target for their hosts.

Newly-promoted Stenny’s opening-day trip to Fife is one of four fixtures lined up for August, the others, all on Saturdays with 3pm kick-offs too, at home to Greenock Morton on the 8th, away to Queen’s Park on the 22nd and back at home to Inverness Caledonian Thistle on the 29th.

September also brings four games with it – away to Livingston on Friday the 5th and Ayr United on Friday the 25th and at home to Partick Thistle on the 12th and Arbroath on the 19th, both Saturdays.

Four further fixtures follow in October, again all on Saturdays – at home to Dunfermline Athletic on the 3rd and Raith on the 17th and away to Inverness on the 10th and Partick on the 24th.

Their festive season fixtures are at home to Caley on Saturday, December 19, and away to Livi on Boxing Day, also a Saturday, and they begin 2027 at home to Partick on Saturday, January 2.

Their busiest month in the league is next April, with five games scheduled. They’re at home to Queen’s Park on the 3rd, Raith on the 17th and Ayr on the 24th, all Saturdays, and away to Arbroath on Saturday the 10th, and – ending next season as they’ll begin it, on the road in Fife – Dunfermline on Friday the 30th.

Next season will be Stenny’s first as a second-tier team since 1975. They finished 11th in the old 20-team Scottish Second Division that time round, on 39 points from 38 fixtures, ahead of the creation of a new premier division.

Falkirk and Raith were among their rivals that season, with the former going up to division one as champions and the latter finishing 13th.