Cowdenbeath will open their 2008/09 Irn Bru Scottish Football League 3rd Division campaign against the league newcomers - Club X - at Central Park on Saturday 2nd August. Annan Athletic, Edinburgh City, Preston Athletic, Spartans and Cove Rangers are bidding to replace Gretna in the SFL and the successful club - voted in by the 29 member clubs on 3rd July - will be Cowden's opening day opponents.

Danny Lennon's team return to competitive action the week before when they travel north to face Elgin City in the 1st round of the Challenge Cup on Saturday 26th July. Cowden's history against League newcomers in recent times includes giving Livingston their first ever defeat at Almondvale in Division 2 in the 1990's while Livi's previous incarnation of Meadowbank Thistle suffered their highest home defeat in the league against Cowden who won 6-1 in the 1970's at the Commonwealth Stadium. The game was played on a Friday night as an Athletic's event was being held at Meadowbank 24 hours later.

Inverness Caley Thistle and Ross County have both clinched League Championships in the SFL against the Blue Brazil while Gretna's biggest League win away from Fir Park or Raydale Park in their short Scottish League history came at Central Park, Cowdenbeath (0-8). Should the Commonwealth Stadium's new tenants, Edinburgh City, find themselves elected to Div 3 on July 3rd they will have knowledge of their first opponents in the SFL as City and 'Beath play a friendly in the capital just 48 hours after the new team replaces Gretna.

Spartans once played alongside Cowdenbeath Reserves in the East of Scotland League. Cowden's second string were EOSL members for two seasons at the start of the 1970's while Cove Rangers knocked Cowden out of the SFA Cup at Allan Park in Aberdeen in the early 1990's (2-1). Cowdenbeath themselves were voted into the Scottish League in 1905 after being formed in 1881. Central Park's first league crowd of the season is likely to be much bigger than usual and programmes from the game are sure to be collector's items.