Mark delays his trip to America so he can help Rose plot a passage into third round

BY ALAN ROBERTSON up. Weir, who rejoined the Lowland League leaders in the summer having spent seven years playing football in the USA, said: “I’ve managed to change my flights to stay and play the game.

“I’m meant to be going over to Minnesota with my brother, he is getting married next year and wants to go over there as part of his stag do with me, him and my dad.

“We were supposed to fly out the Thursday. They are leaving then and I’ve changed my flight so I am going to play the game and fly out on the Saturday.

“They were kind of tempted but at the same time it would be quite expensive to change three sets of flights.

“They sorted it out, it was a fair few hundred probably between me and my dad.

“But when I saw the draw coming through and when I heard it was on TV there was no chance I was missing it.

“It was booked even before I came back home, it has been six to nine months at least.

“This could be a once-ina-lifetime thing.”

Asked if his brother was happy about the switch-up, he said: “At first no but he came round to it! He’s more than happy, he is proud to be able to say I’m on the TV playing in the Scottish Cup. They will find a way to watch it. The rest of my family will be there.”

It will be a noisy night in the town regardless of the result although a place in the third round would prolong the party into the early hours.

But Weir said: “My flight is at six in the morning on Saturday. I can’t even go out on Friday night. I need to stick to it.

“Although I know if we get the win the boys will try to force me to go out so it’s a hard one. I’m flying out from Edinburgh so it’s not too bad.

“I’ve got to be there for about four. I will make my flight – if I don’t, I’ll be disowned!”

Weir was still Stateside

Scoring with a punt from inside his own box in 2016 clocked up thousands of online hits and he insists Rose are also determined to put on a show when the cameras start rolling at New Dundas Park.

Weir, from Corstorphine, said: “Growing up, you want to be playing later on in the Scottish Cup. Seeing what the gaffer and some of the boys did when they played against Hibs, we want to try to get to that stage and bring out the whole of Bonnyrigg. We want to be going as far as we can.”