ROSYTH hold the distinction of being West Fife’s last-standing junior team after they decided not to follow their rivals into the East of Scotland League.

Whilst Crossgates Primrose and Oakley United made the move in the summer, the Garden City side will remain in the East Region Scottish Junior Football Association’s new structure.

Having played in the South Division last season, Rosyth this season have taken their place in the new Premier League South, where they will go up against the likes of Lochgelly Albert, Lochore Welfare and Kirkcaldy YM.

Off the field, it has been all change for the club.

They have moved out of Recreation Park – their home since 1992 – and are now playing on the astroturf pitch at the Fleet Grounds, where a new ground with a grass surface will be created for them.

There has been change in the dugout too as Barry Cockburn, who started the season in charge, left the Rosyth in January.

The club’s committee moved to appoint Brian Muirhead, who had previously managed Aberdour Amateurs and coached at Glenrothes, and they went on to finish 10th.

After opening with 2-2 and 3-3 draws with Bathgate Thistle and West Calder United respectively, they fell to a 5-3 loss to Stoneyburn with the manager calling for his team to tighten up defensively.

Scoring goals, however, doesn’t appear to be a problem, with hitman Tam Hampson netting six in their opening three matches, and they will hope he can lead them to a successful campaign.

A junior football club was first established in Rosyth in 1916, while an affiliated senior team called Rosyth Dockyard Recreation was created three years later.

After just 10 years, the junior club folded before they were reformed in 1946.

During that year, a record crowd of 4,000 attended a cup tie with Bo’ness United and, in 1949/50, they won the treble of the Fife League, Fife Cup and Cowdenbeath Cup during their most successful period.

In 1957, it was game over once more for Rosyth and the town had no junior side until 1992 when Dunfermline Jubilee relocated to the Garden City and renamed themselves Rosyth Recreation.

One of Rosyth’s most notable former stars is Stevie Crawford, who started his career at Recreation Park before joining Raith Rovers.

He went to enjoy a successful career with a number of clubs and won 25 caps for Scotland, scoring four goals.