Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown attended an exorcism in a bid to sign a new player for his beloved Raith Rovers, according to former Hearts and Scotland manager Craig Levein.
When Levein took over at Stark’s Park in September 2006, the club was keen on signing deeply religious centre-back Marvin Andrews – newly available after being released by Rangers.
So keen in fact, that the club’s most famous supporter was willing to take some time off his day job as the Chancellor of the Exchequer to meet the player during a service to “cast out demons”.
On the Under The Cosh podcast, Levein, 61 recalled how Brown summoned him to a Kirkcaldy car park: “when I got there three Range Rovers came tearing into the car park.
“The window came down in one of them and it’s Gordon. He says, ‘Hi Craig, how you getting on? Jump in my car, we are going down to see Marvin’ – who was working that evening in the church.
The pair made their way, along with their entourage, to the almost unknown headquarters of a tiny Pentecostal church, nestled in a row of shopfronts alongside an office supply firm and a joiner’s.
The hoped to gain assistance from the faith’s head and founder, Joe TA Nwokoye, in luring Trinidadian international Andrews to Rovers – then in the third tier of Scottish football.
“We go inside and we’re in this area in the upstairs of the church,” Levein explained.
“You’re not going to believe this, but we had chosen an evening to go along when they were casting out demons.
“The guys go up on the stage and Pastor Joe is putting his hand on their heads. There’s a whole lot of wailing noises going on and he shoves them and they fall backwards.”
Former Hearts and Scotland manager Levein seemed in disbelief just recalling the story: “I’m sitting there thinking ‘what the f**k is going on?’.
“I’m there to meet Marvin and there’s people falling about all over – there’s about six people lying on the ground.”
Absurd it may have been, the outing appears to have been ultimately productive, and Andrews eventually signed for Rovers – where he scored eight goals in 52 league games.
This was the centre-back’s second spell at the Fife club, after departing in 2000 for Livingston and, later, Rangers.
He was awarded players’ player of the year and picked up a league winner’s medal in 2005, after Rangers claimed their 51st Scottish top division title.
Andrews was a favourite almost everywhere he played, and is a now a preacher in his own right, officiating at weddings for football fans and carrying out exorcisms of his own.
Gordon Brown is, without a doubt, Raith Rovers’ most famous fan, and has never made a secret of his love for the club – appearing frequently at games.
He was instrumental in bringing Levein, also a boyhood Raith fan, to the club after he left Leicester City.
The manager did not stay for long, however, leaving for Dundee United after just six weeks in the job.
A spokesperson for Gordon Brown said: “Gordon is always happy to do what he can to support Raith Rovers, but he’s never attended an exorcism.”
