William Hill Championship
Airdrieonians vs Raith Rovers
Saturday 3rd August 2024
3pm KO
Albert Bartlett Stadium, Airdrie
Match tickets for Saturday’s opening Championship fixture against Airdrieonians are now on sale.
Tickets for both home and away supporters can be bought through Airdrie’s online ticketing portal by clicking here or on the ‘BUY TICKETS’ button above – please ensure you select the correct ticket when purchasing.
Prices:
Adult – £22
Concession (Over-65) – £17
Concession (Student / Unemployed / Disabled / 16-17 y/o) – £14
Under-16 – £9
Parent and Under-16 – £27
Please note that proof of concession may be required.
Rovers fans will be situated in the South Stand.
RaithTV will be broadcasting live to our international subscribers.
Match Preview
After the disappointment of missing out on a place in the knock-out stages of the Premier Sports Cup last weekend, Rovers get their league campaign underway this Saturday, when we head to the Albert Bartlett Stadium to take on Airdrieonians.
Needing a big win to give ourselves any chance of reaching the Last 16, Rovers could only draw 1-1 with visitors Hamilton Accies, with a Lee Kilday own goal drawing Ian Murray’s men level after Sean McGinty had nodded Hamilton in front.
Rovers did take the bonus point after victory in the somewhat superfluous penalty shoot-out, and despite finishing second to Ross County in Group H, eight points was not enough to send them through as one of the best runners up, coming up one point and three goals short.
Coincidentally, one point is all Rovers were able to muster from five meetings against Airdrie last season, meaning Saturday’s league opener could barely be tougher.
Rhys McCabe’s men had an impressive season in their first campaign back in the second tier for the first time since 2010, finishing fourth in the table and winning the SPFL Trust Trophy, with a 1-0 win at Stark’s Park in the Semi-Final.
Despite losing the spine of the side which impressed so well last time around, manager McCabe seems to have recruited well in the summer, and despite the new look, have picked up exactly where they left off last time around.
A sensational 8-0 win over a hapless East Kilbride side was followed up by an equally eye catching 4-3 win over Dumbarton, with the Diamonds 3-1 down at one stage.
They looked good to win the group outright, after taking the lead against Aberdeen at Pittodrie, before eventually losing out by two goals to one.
However, they ended their League Cup campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win over Queen of the South, meaning they progressed to the Last 16 as one of the best runners up.
If Rovers are to get a win over Airdrie for the first time in six attempts, we’ll almost certainly have to keep new signing Ben Wilson quiet, with the former Cliftonville striker notching up six goals in just four appearances for the North Lanarkshire outfit.
Saturday’s match referee is Ross Hardie.
Head-to-Head Record:
Raith Rovers wins: 13
Airdrie wins: 5
Draws: 5