Raith Rovers Enter New Era Under Manager Dougie Imrie

Managerial Change at Stark’s Park

Dougie Imrie has become the new manager of Raith Rovers, joining the Kirkcaldy club following almost four years in charge of fellow William Hill Championship side Greenock Morton. The appointment comes at a critical juncture for the Fife club, which currently finds itself in seventh position in the Championship table with 20 points.

The Road to Change

Barry Robson was sacked as manager of Raith Rovers after nearly 11 months in charge, with his departure following a 2-1 defeat to Queen’s Park on Saturday which left the Kirkcaldy club sixth in the Scottish Championship table. Raith supporters called for Robson to go after a fourth defeat in six matches left their side bottom of the Championship form table with just four points from the last 18 available.

Former Hibs captain Paul Hanlon was appointed interim player-manager before Imrie’s permanent appointment. The 42-year-old new manager arrives on a two-and-a-half-year contract, with Rovers having won only five of 16 league games.

Imrie’s Vision for Raith Rovers

The new manager has wasted no time outlining his ambitions for the club. Imrie stated he is ‘all in’ and ‘invested’, aiming to connect the club and fans after acknowledging there’s been ‘a little bit of disconnect over the last few months’. His objective is clear: to take Raith Rovers forward to the top quartet of the championship and stay there, building from that position.

Imrie brings considerable experience to Stark’s Park. In his first season at Cappielow, he secured the club’s second tier status before challenging for promotion play-off places in 2022/23 and 2023/24 with back-to-back fifth place finishes.

What This Means for Supporters

For Raith Rovers fans, the appointment represents hope for renewed momentum in their Championship campaign. The club sits just outside the promotion play-off positions, and Imrie’s track record of building competitive teams offers optimism. His commitment to reconnecting the club with its supporter base addresses one of the key concerns that emerged during the final weeks of Robson’s tenure. As the Championship season progresses, all eyes will be on whether Imrie can translate his Morton success to Kirkcaldy and guide Rovers towards their promotion ambitions.