157 clubs across all of Scotland started the journey and final two are 11 miles apart, no wonder villages are at fever pitch
“ONE village: two trophies,” reads the strapline along the foot of the road sign hanging above the bar inside The Thistle.
Next to it, the shelf upon which the Junior Cup joined the Amateur Cup four years ago after a magical summer for Hurlford is lying empty.
“That’s for when the boys bring it back,” said barmaid Helen Ross, who has worked in the boozer for 13 years, including the day Ford last walked through the front door with silverware.
She said: “It sat up there until it was time for it to go back. You had people come in for a pint and a picture, it was quite exciting.
“Everybody who was in the pub that afternoon went outside and the boys arrived back on an open-top bus. The full street was just lined with people. The pub was rocking.”
Shuttle buses will ferry fans to Rugby Park and back free of charge from the pub.
Helen said: “We’ve been selling T-shirts, flags, scarves, hats, banners, hooters, strips for the kids, strips for the adults – everybody will be turning out in red and white.”
Although now 42, former Kilmarnock and Ayr favourite Mark Roberts is among those Ford players for whom being handed a cup final suit at Monday’s training was novel.
He said: “If it fitted it would be great. I have the tightest bit at the top then bell-bottoms at the bottom. I’ll need to get my mammy to fix it, she’s a genius with the sewing machine so she’ll sort it out.”
Roberts is one of several subplots given in his time as Ayr boss he dropped players who’ll turn out on either side in tomorrow’s final.
Or the fact the uncle of Hurlford defender Ross Fisher’s partner is Talbot boss Tommy Sloan. Such was always going to be the case given a competition that started with 157 clubs across the country has come down to two villages 11 miles apart.
Talbot striker Graham Wilson has spent the build-up surrounded by opposition flags, travelling from his home in Hurlford to rival territory for training this week.
Asked if he’d planted a Bot flag in his garden, a tongue-in-cheek Wilson said: “I want to keep my windows and my car – I don’t want that getting panned in!”
Secretary of 11-time winners Talbot, Henry Dumigan, is 100 yards down the road from a club he’s seen lift plenty of cups since joining the committee in 1977.
He said: “Except 1948-49 – I missed that one! The highlight was the first in 1986.
“You’re 2-0 down to Pollok within 16 minutes and I remember sitting beside the minute secretary, Jim Purdie. I said to him, ‘I hope the referee blows the whistle for time up because we’re in for a doing here.’ Then it just turned, everything turned.”