The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Pars skipper relishing challenge at Celtic Park
Skipper Paul Paton reckons Dunfermline will face one of the hardest away days in Europe when they take on Celtic in the Betfred Cup this weekend.
The Pars landed the lucrative trip to Parkhead after topping a League Cup group that included Premiership side St Mirren, who they defeated 3-2 in the season’s opener last month.
Since then, they have kicked off the Championship campaign with draws against Dundee and Queen of the South as they prepare for the huge challenge of squaring up to the Hoops in Glasgow.
Paton insists the Fifers can enjoy Saturday’s daunting-looking tie as they bid to pull off a major shock.
But the experienced former Partick Thistle, Dundee United and St Johnstone midfielder accepts they face a mountainous task against the champions.
He said: “It’s a big one for the boys, a great one for the fans and great financially for the club, so we’ll go there with absolutely no pressure.
“We’re looking forward to it but, let’s be honest, it’s probably one of the hardest places to go in Europe, statistically.
“I don’t think they lose many games there, so it’s going to be really hard and we’re going to be up against it.
“Some boys have never played there and some boys might never play there again, so we’ve got to go and enjoy the occasion.
“There’s going to be a big crowd – I understand we’ve sold a lot of tickets, which the boys appreciate because it’s a lot of money at this stage in the season. We’re thankful for that.”