I know most fans will prefer watching Ronaldo to watching me, but this game is our cup final
Somerset Park and the Lusail Stadium are worlds part, but for FRASER MULLEN, it’s his Theatre of Dreams tomorrow night
First impressions are that it’s a bit of a mismatch.
Fraser Mullen, right-back with junior outfit, Pollok, up against the world’s mostinfamous free agent, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Dig a bit deeper, however, and it’s not quite so far-fetched.
At the same time as Ronaldo’s Portugal are taking on Uruguay in the Lusail Stadium to try to tie up a place in the World Cup’s last 16, Mullen’s Pollok will be aiming to pull off a Scottish Cup shock against Ayr United at Somerset Park.
With both games live on TV – the Qatar conflict on STV and the action on the Ayrshire coast on BBC Scotland – the battle is on to see who can grab the lion’s share of the football-loving armchair audience.
And if either game can match the drama of The Lok’s last TV outing against Annan Athletic, it will be well worth watching.
A former Hearts and Hibs defender, Mullen was one of the scorers in the 4-3 win that booked Pollok their place in the Third Round.
I think these kind of cup ties hold appeal, whether you are watching it inside the ground or on the telly
The 29-year-old admitted: “It is going to be a huge night for us. We have already won three ties to get to this stage, so to get a live television game against the Championship leaders is both a reward for the players, and decent exposure for the club.
“You are talking about a Junior team attempting to pull off a shock, and I think those sort of cup ties always hold appeal, whether you are watching it inside the ground, or on the telly.
“I have loads of people who will be travelling down to Somerset to watch me. My Dad and wee brothers will be there, my mum and my girlfriend, too.
“On top of that, Pollok always take a good crowd everywhere we go, so we will be well backed.
“We have plenty of incentive to go out and try to do ourselves proud. I believe it is kind of a free hit for us.
“We know Ayr United are a top team. They have lots of quality players and are in good form, but that means we can just go and see how we get on.
“If we set up well, apply ourselves and put our game plan into practice, then you never know.
“Of course, I know most fans will prefer watching Ronaldo to watching me! He’s some player, and one of the best the world has ever seen.
“How do I think I would fare if I came up against him? I’d prefer not to think about it!”
Mullen’s optimism for tomorrow night’s visit to Somerset Park is founded on personal experience.
“My debut for Hearts was in the 2012 Scottish Cup against Auchinleck Talbot when I was still a teenager. So I know what it is like being on the other end of it,” he said.
“All the pressure is on the players from the big club, while the wee team just comes out and has a go.
“I missed a penalty that day, but luckily the boys bailed me out and we won 1-0.
“After the game the manager, Paulo Sergio, was kind enough to say I had been Man of the Match.”
While he missed out on the Jambos’ 5-1 Final win over Hibs, that was to be only the start of what has been a lively run in Scotland’s knock-out competitions for Mullen.
“My next game for Hearts was another big day out in a cup the following season,” he recalled.
“We played Inverness Caley Thistle in the League Cup semi-final.
“Easter Road was the neutral venue, which was a funny one because Hearts took over the place that day.
“They had three stands full, which was a bit of a surreal sight to get at Hibs’ home.
“It was some atmosphere and we won on penalties, so it was one to remember.
“Sadly when I went back to Leith in the league the week before the Final, I broke my foot and so ended up missing the chance to play at Hampden.
“I went along to watch, but it was a real wrench not to be out there on the pitch playing, especially as we lost 3-2 to St Mirren.
“I wouldn’t say you take things for granted at the time. It is more just that everything happens so fast, and you are in the moment.
“It is only when you look back on it that you realise what great occasions they were.
“When I look back now, I definitely appreciate the memories all the more.”
Memories that include a Cup Final win at Easter Road by way of a stint playing for the ground’s owners.
“That was a bit strange, going straight from Hearts to Hibs,” Mullen continued.
“It wasn’t my choice to leave Tynecastle at the time, but of the options that came my way afterwards, Hibs was the best one.
“Football was a job for me, so if that was the best option, it was the one I was going to take.
“I was only there a short time – six months or so – before going to Raith Rovers. So moving across Edinburgh never really worked out for me, but you don’t know that until you try it.
“At Rovers, I actually got to win some silverware – the Challenge Cup in 2014.
“That was a bit of a weird one because we beat Rangers in the Final, and I have been a supporter of Rangers all my days.
“Again it was at Easter Road – all my big days seem to have come there – with my pals in the stands, hoping and expecting that I would end up on the losing side.
“Rangers probably should have won, but we managed to pull it off.
“It is the sort of result we have to keep in mind tomorrow night, as it shows what is possible when you all stick together.”
Having been part-time since leaving Rovers for East Fife, the Glaswegian is delighted with his current arrangement.
“Before coming to Pollok, everywhere I have played has been on the East Coast, so it has been a trek for me,” said Mullen.
“Now, though, I am back home and loving it. I am just 10 minutes from a home game at Newlandsfield.
“I work as an engineer putting fibre into new houses. It is something I have been doing since I went part-time with East Fife.
“This is my first season in the Juniors, and I think the standard is brilliant.
“I could 100% see Pollok in the senior leagues. With the pyramid system in place, there are a few Junior teams I could see doing that.
“It is not easy because you have to go up through the Lowland League, but there is a pathway there.
“You have already seen it happen with a few clubs, and we are another who would have the potential to progress the same way.
“I was on the wrong end of it myself when Cowdenbeath got beaten by Bonnyrigg Rose to go up into League Two.
“It is definitely good for the Scottish game, much better than the days when it was a closed shop.
“Now you are seeing clubs with the incentive to kick on – and they are doing just that.”