East Fife 4 Forfar 5 - the comedy result that finally came true (on penalties)

It was the scoreline that the late, great Eric Morecambe always used to joke about but had never come true - until now.

East Fife 4 Forfar 5 was the much-loved comedian's idea of the ultimate tongue-twister for anyone trying to read out the football results.

On Sunday, that result finally happened for the first time in the fixture's history - sort of.

The Scottish League Cup Group B tie between the sides went to penalties after a 1-1 draw. And the score in the shootout? East Fife 4 Forfar 5.

Had he lived to see that, it would surely have raised a smile from Morecambe, who came up with the score as a jokey greeting whenever he met his friend James Alexander Gordon, the popular announcer who read the classified results on the BBC for 40 years.

"Eric never called me James," Gordon, who died in 2014, once recalled. "Whenever I saw him over a 20-year period, he would say 'East Fife 4 Forfar 5'. I've got a tape of that."

Before Sunday, there had been two occasions when the scoreline almost occurred. In April 1964, it happened with the wrong team at home - finishing Forfar 5 East Fife 4. And in October 2011, a meeting between the sides ended East Fife 4 Forfar 3.

Anton Dowds claimed the opener on Sunday for East Fife, who had Chris Kane sent off before John Baird equalised.

Group games go to penalties under the League Cup format. With the shootout score at 4-4, Forfar keeper Marc McCallum saved Daryl Meggatt's kick before Thomas Reilly converted to seal a bonus point for the visitors - and make a little piece of sporting history.

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Social reaction - 'tongue twister result'

Social media reaction to East Fife v Forfar

Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text

Line-ups

East Fife

Formation 4-4-2

1Long
4KaneBooked at 28mins
5Dunlop
6Watson
17Meggatt
16Davidson
20BellSubstituted forDunsmoreat 30'minutesBooked at 57mins
11AgnewSubstituted forThomsonat 66'minutes
12McBrideSubstituted forSlatteryat 66'minutes
15Dowds
10Smith

Substitutes

2Dunsmore
7Thomson
8Slattery
9Court
14Watt
21Couser

Forfar

Formation 4-3-3

1McCallum
3Bain
5TravisBooked at 49minsSubstituted forKellyat 77'minutes
4MunroBooked at 37mins
2Meechan
7FraserSubstituted forWhyteat 69'minutes
6Reilly
8MacKintosh
11Baird
10Easton
9Hilson

Substitutes

12Malone
14Whyte
15Kelly
16Coupe
17Starkey
18Clark
21Muir

Referee:: Lloyd Wilson
Attendance:: 420

Match Stats

Home TeamEast FifeAway TeamForfar

Possession: Home47%; Away53%

Shots: Home11; Away9

Shots on Target: Home5; Away6

Corners: Home3; Away2

Fouls: Home7; Away10

Live Text

Post update
Match ends, East Fife 1(4), Forfar Athletic 1(5).
99'
Penalties over
Penalty Shootout ends, East Fife 1(4), Forfar Athletic 1(5).

98'
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(4), Forfar Athletic 1(5). Thomas Reilly (Forfar Athletic) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the centre of the goal.
97'
Post update
Penalty saved! Daryll Meggatt (East Fife) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
96'
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(4), Forfar Athletic 1(4). Dylan Easton (Forfar Athletic) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
96'
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(4), Forfar Athletic 1(3). Anton Dowds (East Fife) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
95'
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(3), Forfar Athletic 1(3). Ross Meechan (Forfar Athletic) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top left corner.
95'
Post update
Penalty saved! Ross Davidson (East Fife) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom left corner.
94'
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(3), Forfar Athletic 1(2). Dale Hilson (Forfar Athletic) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.
94'
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(3), Forfar Athletic 1(1). Brett Long (East Fife) converts the penalty with a left footed shot to the bottom left corner.
93'
Post update
Penalty saved! John Baird (Forfar Athletic) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the centre of the goal.
92'
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(2), Forfar Athletic 1(1). Aaron Dunsmore (East Fife) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the top right corner.
92'
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(1), Forfar Athletic 1(1). Andy Munro (Forfar Athletic) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
91'
Goal!
Goal! East Fife 1(1), Forfar Athletic 1. Craig Watson (East Fife) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.
Penalties in progress
Penalty Shootout begins East Fife 1, Forfar Athletic 1.
90'+3'
Full Time
Second Half ends, East Fife 1, Forfar Athletic 1.
90'+2'
Post update
Anton Dowds (East Fife) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
90'+2'
Post update
Foul by Darren Whyte (Forfar Athletic).
89'
Post update
Attempt missed. Patrick Slattery (East Fife) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
84'
Post update
Corner, East Fife. Conceded by Andy Munro.

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Ross County	2	2	0	0	3	0	3	6
2	Alloa	2	1	1	0	5	3	2	5
3	Arbroath	3	1	1	1	5	5	0	5
4	Dundee Utd	3	0	2	1	2	3	-1	2
5	Elgin	2	0	0	2	0	4	-4	0

Team

Pts

-1

-4

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Montrose	3	2	0	1	2	1	1	6
2	St Johnstone	2	1	1	0	1	0	1	5
3	Falkirk	2	1	0	1	2	1	1	3
4	East Fife	3	0	2	1	1	2	-1	2
5	Forfar	2	0	1	1	1	3	-2	2

Team

Pts

-1

-2

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Inverness CT	2	2	0	0	7	2	5	6
2	Cowdenbeath	3	2	0	1	5	5	0	6
3	Hearts	2	1	1	0	3	2	1	5
4	Raith Rovers	2	0	1	1	1	3	-2	1
5	Cove Rangers	3	0	0	3	1	5	-4	0

Team

Pts

-2

-4

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Dunfermline	2	2	0	0	4	0	4	6
2	Brechin	2	1	1	0	2	1	1	4
3	Dundee	2	1	0	1	4	1	3	3
4	Stirling	3	1	0	2	3	6	-3	3
5	Peterhead	3	0	1	2	0	5	-5	2

Team

Pts

-3

-5

	Team	P	W	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Ayr	2	2	0	5	1	4	6
2	Partick Thistle	2	2	0	4	1	3	6
3	Stenhousemuir	3	1	2	4	4	0	3
4	Morton	3	1	2	4	5	-1	3
5	Albion	2	0	2	0	6	-6	0

Team

Pts

-1

-6

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Livingston	3	2	1	0	3	1	2	8
2	Annan Athletic	3	2	0	1	5	1	4	6
3	Airdrieonians	2	1	0	1	4	2	2	3
4	Hamilton	2	0	1	1	0	1	-1	1
5	Berwick	2	0	0	2	0	7	-7	0

Team

Pts

-1

Berwick

-7

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Queen of Sth	3	3	0	0	12	3	9	9
2	Motherwell	2	1	1	0	6	1	5	4
3	Stranraer	2	0	1	1	4	6	-2	2
4	Edinburgh City	3	0	1	2	1	10	-9	2
5	Clyde	2	0	1	1	1	4	-3	1

Team

Pts

-2

-9

-3

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Dumbarton	3	1	1	1	3	4	-1	5
2	Kilmarnock	2	1	1	0	4	2	2	4
3	St Mirren	2	0	2	0	2	2	0	4
4	Queen's Park	2	1	0	1	2	2	0	3
5	The Spartans	3	0	2	1	3	4	-1	2

Team

Pts

-1

-1

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Comments

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169 comments

Comment posted by D1692969620778, at 22:14 22 Jul 2018
This is the most exciting development in Scottish football for a decade.
Comment posted by Geronimo Jones, at 22:03 22 Jul 2018
Wonderful
Comment posted by Ruud Bullit, at 22:16 22 Jul 2018
Was going to sleep early for work tomorrow.
But instead gonna binge watch Morecambe and Wise all night now.
Comment posted by BUSHY, at 22:23 22 Jul 2018
Met Eric Morecambe 45 years ago. He’ll be laughing at this result up there. Magic
Comment posted by bortiuk, at 22:21 22 Jul 2018
A good news story.... at last! Unless you support East Fife, of course. Though it must be one of the few times a losing side smiles and laughs too. Eric n Ern :-)
Comment posted by User0994913920, at 22:40 22 Jul 2018
You couldn't make it up!

Well, you could.

And for many years they did.

But now you don't have to

Result!
Comment posted by Robena, at 22:31 22 Jul 2018
A moment of pure magic.

(I hope we can keep politics out of this.)
Comment posted by Grommy, at 22:35 22 Jul 2018
Brilliant. Loved Morecambe and Wise. I'm explaining now to my 10yr old Son and he's laughing whilst trying to say it.
Comment posted by User0439485695, at 23:33 22 Jul 2018
Super Caley ... was used 20 years earlier when Ian Callaghan scored a hatrrick against QPR ‘Super Cally goes ballistic, QPR atrocious’.

My favourite headline, following the sending off of Gerry Queen: ‘Queen in Brawl at Palace.’
Comment posted by Templar, at 22:54 22 Jul 2018
29. Posted by Phil on
3 minutes ago
For all you millennials out there. They had comedy before 2000....

---

And the comedy was intended to make you smile not bombard you with some moronic patronising politically driven drivel
Comment posted by User0719578452, at 23:56 22 Jul 2018
49. Posted by Beat Takeshi on
3 minutes ago
After Brexit we'll be boiling footballs to make soup
--

A rare laugh on a Sunday night ruined by drab boring nothingness.

Bet they all hide under the tables when you arrive at the party
Comment posted by MCFCTHEONLYCLUBINMANCHESTER, at 22:20 22 Jul 2018
Me dad use to say this us when we were kids in the early 60s
Comment posted by Roly-Poly, at 22:54 22 Jul 2018
The match ended just in time for Forfar fans to catch the four-forty-four from Fife, arriving at Forfar at five-fifty-five.

Eric and Ernie!
Comment posted by bigtigger, at 23:00 22 Jul 2018
@13 no - it's probably one of those jokes where you 'need to have a sense of humour'.....!
Comment posted by DaveP1982, at 22:13 22 Jul 2018
2. Why compare, who gives a damn
Comment posted by Wee Brian, at 08:32 23 Jul 2018
Had the car radio on Classic FM yesterday and Grieg’s Piano Concerto came on. I immediately thought of Andre Previn on Morecambe on Wise and Eric grabbing him by the neck and saying “I am playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order” as the orchestra laughed their heads off.
Comment posted by Phil, at 22:48 22 Jul 2018
For all you millennials out there. They had comedy before 2000. And colour tv and everything!! Genius, I hope he’s smiling down looking for Gods toupee (you can’t see the join you know!)
Comment posted by Cicatrix, at 02:15 23 Jul 2018
Eric & Ern - Truly brilliant, my favourite [to the sound of a ambulance or police siren]

"He'll not sell much ice-cream going at that speed !! "

How many dads have since cracked that joke to their kids?
Comment posted by BlueStig, at 07:59 23 Jul 2018
@81 Trickstat

East Fife 5 Forfar 4 wouldn't be a tongue-twister. A tongue-twister is a phrase where it is easy to get it wrong
-------------------------------------

You sum up everything that is wrong with the modern generation. No sense of humour. You need to lighten up or get a girlfriend.
Comment posted by User0917960263, at 02:06 23 Jul 2018
@64....comedy genius? Peter Kay? You must laugh at anything if you think Peter Kay is remotely close to being a comedy genius.

Social reaction - 'tongue twister result'

Line-ups

East Fife

Substitutes

Forfar

Substitutes

Match Stats

Live Text

Comments

Join the conversation

Comment posted by D1692969620778, at 22:14 22 Jul 2018D1692969620778

Comment posted by Geronimo Jones, at 22:03 22 Jul 2018Geronimo Jones

Comment posted by Ruud Bullit, at 22:16 22 Jul 2018Ruud Bullit

Comment posted by BUSHY, at 22:23 22 Jul 2018BUSHY

Comment posted by bortiuk, at 22:21 22 Jul 2018bortiuk

Comment posted by User0994913920, at 22:40 22 Jul 2018User0994913920

Comment posted by Robena, at 22:31 22 Jul 2018Robena

Comment posted by Grommy, at 22:35 22 Jul 2018Grommy

Comment posted by User0439485695, at 23:33 22 Jul 2018User0439485695

Comment posted by Templar, at 22:54 22 Jul 2018Templar

Comment posted by User0719578452, at 23:56 22 Jul 2018User0719578452

Comment posted by MCFCTHEONLYCLUBINMANCHESTER, at 22:20 22 Jul 2018MCFCTHEONLYCLUBINMANCHESTER

Comment posted by Roly-Poly, at 22:54 22 Jul 2018Roly-Poly

Comment posted by bigtigger, at 23:00 22 Jul 2018bigtigger

Comment posted by DaveP1982, at 22:13 22 Jul 2018DaveP1982

Comment posted by Wee Brian, at 08:32 23 Jul 2018Wee Brian

Comment posted by Phil, at 22:48 22 Jul 2018Phil

Comment posted by Cicatrix, at 02:15 23 Jul 2018Cicatrix

Comment posted by BlueStig, at 07:59 23 Jul 2018BlueStig

Comment posted by User0917960263, at 02:06 23 Jul 2018User0917960263

Scores, Results & Fixtures

Sunday 22nd July 2018

As It Stood

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Comment posted by D1692969620778, at 22:14 22 Jul 2018

Comment posted by Geronimo Jones, at 22:03 22 Jul 2018

Comment posted by Ruud Bullit, at 22:16 22 Jul 2018

Comment posted by BUSHY, at 22:23 22 Jul 2018

Comment posted by bortiuk, at 22:21 22 Jul 2018

Comment posted by User0994913920, at 22:40 22 Jul 2018

Comment posted by Robena, at 22:31 22 Jul 2018

Comment posted by Grommy, at 22:35 22 Jul 2018

Comment posted by User0439485695, at 23:33 22 Jul 2018

Comment posted by Templar, at 22:54 22 Jul 2018

Comment posted by User0719578452, at 23:56 22 Jul 2018

Comment posted by MCFCTHEONLYCLUBINMANCHESTER, at 22:20 22 Jul 2018

Comment posted by Roly-Poly, at 22:54 22 Jul 2018

Comment posted by bigtigger, at 23:00 22 Jul 2018

Comment posted by DaveP1982, at 22:13 22 Jul 2018

Comment posted by Wee Brian, at 08:32 23 Jul 2018

Comment posted by Phil, at 22:48 22 Jul 2018

Comment posted by Cicatrix, at 02:15 23 Jul 2018

Comment posted by BlueStig, at 07:59 23 Jul 2018

Comment posted by User0917960263, at 02:06 23 Jul 2018