Freuchie have persuaded the former Rangers and Scotland goalkeeper Andy Goram to come out of retirement.

The 44-year-old played for the club for the first time in two years yesterday when he turned out for the Fifers' centenary celebrations. The all-rounder, who earned caps for football and cricket, played for his new club in a special challenge match against a Cricket Scotland President's XI.

Goram, recently appointed goalkeeping coach with first division Clyde, has promised to stay on and help Freuchie in a double relegation battle until the football season kicks off.

Alan Duncan, the club president, said: "Andy has stayed in touch with one of our lads, David Cowan, since they played for Scotland together. He's still a big cricket fan and has agreed to come and help us out.

"He will play for the second XI on Saturday to see how he gets on but there's every chance he could end up in the first team."

Freuchie's firsts are near the foot of division one of the SNCL while their reserves have yet to win a game in the top flight of the East League. Duncan added: "Having Andy around will give the whole place a lift."

Goram earned the last of his five cricket caps against Sussex in 1991 and also played against Allan Border's touring Australians two years earlier.

Duncan's son, Alan Jr, will line up against his long-term girlfriend, Rosalie Birch, as Freuchie continue their celebrations with a battle of the sexes today. Duncan, a top-order batsman, earned two Scotland caps in 2000 and is now an MCC employee at Lord's, while Birch was a member of the England side that retained the women's version of the Ashes in Australia last winter.

Duncan senior, a member of the Freuchie side which famously won the Village Cup at Lord's in 1985, said: "Sussex are one of the strongest ladies teams around, with six England stars in their ranks, so we may be cannon fodder for them."

In addition to yesterday's rain-affected encounter, they will also entertain Fife rivals Falkland for the Archie Cowan Trophy tomorrow.