One for the romantics as minnows fight for right to join up with the giants
Forty teams, 20 ties and a hint of romance in the air can only mean one thing. Scottish Cup weekend.
Always an eagerly-anticipated date in the calendar, the third round is a big occasion for clubs beneath the senior leagues who have made it this far, and dreaming of making it further still, with the prospect of Premiership opposition in the fourth round.
While Championship and League One sides enter for the first time, for one club, the journey started as far back as August.
Banks O’ Dee, from the SJFA North Superleague, are the only surviving side from the preliminary round having overcome Linlithgow Rose, Turiff United and Nairn County. Their reward is a home tie at Spain Park, Aberdeen, against East Fife.
Another special occasion takes place at Holm Park where a sell-out crowd of 1,200 will watch Clydebank host Clyde. The Bankies shocked Elgin City in the previous round, winning a replay at Borough Briggs after drawing at home.
BBC Scotland cameras head to Glebe Park on Monday where Brechin City host West of Scotland Premier Division outfit Darvel, who are enjoying a first Scottish Cup run to remember.
The third round kicked off last night when Partick Thistle beat Dunfermline 1-0 an all-championship affair.
Last night’s match was moved from today due to the clash between Queen’s Park and Kilmarnock, which is also being played at Firhill due to The Spiders renting the ground while work continues on their new home at Lesser Hampden.
One club always worth keeping an eye on during Scottish Cup weekend is Bonnyrigg Rose. Robbie Horn’s side came within a whisker of causing one of the competition’s biggest shocks last season against Dundee. The Lowland League side face a trip to Alloa Athletic today in the third round and few would bet against them giving Barry Ferguson’s men a run for their money.
Auchinleck Talbot have previous for knocking out Championship opposition having beaten Ayr United en route to the fifth round in 2018-19, so Hamilton Accies will be wary of their trip Beechwood Park. Other NON-SPFL clubs hoping to cause an upset include Civil Service Strollers, who host Peterhead, Sauchie Juniors, who travel to Dumbarton, Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale, who welcome Edinburgh City, Gala Fairydean Rovers, who entertain Annan Athletic, and Tranent, who face a trip to Stirling Albion.
There is guaranteed to be at least one club from the pyramid system in the fourthround draw as Lowland League duo Dalbeattie Star and East Kilbride go headto-head at Islecroft Stadium.
A potential grudge tie awaits at Falkirk Stadium where Raith Rovers face the side they pipped to the League One title in the Covid-curtailed 2019-20 season.
Other ties include Arbroath v Forfar, Ayr v Albion Rovers, Cove Rangers v Queen of the South, Inverness CT v Morton, Kelty Hearts v Montrose and Stenhousemuir v Airdrieonians.