Scotland goalkeeping legend, Alan Rough, carried out the Draw for the Quarter Finals of The Ramsdens Cup at one of the sponsor’s branches at Parkhead in Glasgow and opened up the possibility of four First Division sides being in the Semi-Finals.
Livingston, who have scored 10 goals without reply in the competition so far, will face Berwick Rangers over the Border at Shielfield Park, Falkirk will travel to East Fife, Hamilton Academical host a Morton side that have outscored Livingston by three with the final tie seeing Ayr United meet Annan Athletic for the first ever time in competitive action.
Rough said: “I really like cup competitions and this one gives clubs that may not otherwise get the chance to gain some great exposure. I played in the Anglo-Scottish and the Texaco Cups when I was at Partick Thistle and loved them. The Ramsdens Cup is similar in that players can reach Cup Finals that may not otherwise.”
The League Cup of forty years ago saw Rough, as a 19-year-old, pick up his only winners’ medal of his career and he remains delighted with the exploits of a Partick Thistle side that defeated Celtic 4-1 in October 1971.
He reckons that players who win The Ramsdens Cup will be heroes just like the Firhill team that he was part of and said: “The guys that played for Thistle that day are legends and the players that go on and lift this cup will be the same to their fans. It is an exciting Draw with the chance of four big teams going through or the so-called underdogs having their day.”
There were plenty of representatives from the clubs at the Draw with Annan Manager Harry Cairney advising: “This will be our first ever meeting with Ayr although they have been down at our tournament a couple of times, so there is a good relationship between the clubs.
“They have started the season well so this will be a tough tie for us, as hard as anyone else left in the competition. In saying that, we are looking forward to it especially as they are a well supported side, so there should be a great atmosphere.”
Cairney added: “We have made a good start ourselves so we can go to Somerset Park with confidence. We are scoring goals and I was delighted that Ian Harty got a hat-trick in the last round which helped see off Peterhead as Ian showed that his knack of being in the right place at the right time was alive this season.”
Opposite number Brian Reid said: “It will be all the more interesting as it is the first time we have faced Annan competitively. We are at home this time and that means Somerset Park and not Morton’s Cappielow where we had to play in the last round against Raith Rovers as our floodlights were getting installed.
“Our fans will be getting more excited about a cup run as we are at the Quarter Final stage and I will stick to the formula I have used in this cup so far this season of youth and experience. A number of our young players did really well against Raith Rovers, indeed three of them scored the goals, and at one stage, we had five players under the age of 20 playing.”
Reid added: “These guys need more experience of playing first team football and The Ramsdens Cup gives them a bit of an opportunity to do that.”
Berwick Rangers goalkeeper, Jamie Barclay, reckons that his move from the First Division to the Third Division over the summer has been justified already, due to the cup runs The Borderers have had since he joined from Falkirk.
Barclay said: “We have done well in the cup competitions although the Hibs game in The Scottish Communities League Cup was a hard shift. As soon as I heard that Berwick were interested in me during the summer, I signed up as I knew I had a chance of regular first team football. I am delighted to have been involved in our League games and our cup runs, so I know I have made the right move.”
Excitement is growing at Shielfield with Barclay adding: “Everyone is delighted to have reached the Quarter Final stage of the competition and whilst Livingston will be really tough opponents, you never know what can happen as Dumbarton were expected to beat us in the last round but we won that cup tie.”
Livingston Chairman, Gordon McDougall, is looking forward to his side’s trip over the Border to face Berwick Rangers as he explained: “We are going to England for the day and at the Quarter Final stage, any tie will be difficult. Berwick will have increased hopes of winning because they are playing at home.
“The League is the most important thing to clubs but Livingston have done very little in cups recently so this is a very welcome opportunity for us to progress but we will not be getting carried away. We are well aware that Berwick beat Partick Thistle a few weeks ago in The Scottish Communities League Cup.”
McDougall added: “It is always a good playing surface at Berwick so it should be a good game of football.”
East Fife defender, David Muir, is looking for his side to use the experience they gained against Dunfermline Athletic in The Scottish Communities League Cup to help them against First Division Falkirk.
Muir said: “This is a decent Draw for us especially as we can look back at the Dunfermline game for inspiration. There should be another big crowd at New Bayview and that is great for the club. Our Manager John Robertson wants us to go out and win every match possible and this one will be no different.
“Hopefully, we can cause another upset and put our poor start in the League behind us.”
Martin Canning, who plays in the centre of Hamilton Academical’s defence, is looking for some good fortune in a cup run after suffering Cup Final disappointments earlier in his career.
He said: “I have been in the Final of this competition before with Ross County back in 2004 however, we were beaten by Falkirk. I was with Gretna when they reached the Scottish Cup Final in 2006 against Hearts but I was cup tied and could not play so it would be nice to get a good cup run under my belt.”
Winning against Morton will not be easy as Canning said: “It is a good Draw as we are at home but Morton are looking good this season and are scoring a few goals especially in cup ties. We have to look at it as a tie we can win.”
Canning is enjoying a new lease of life as an Accies’ player after summer surgery as he explained: “I had a hernia operation at the end of May and then I suffered a collapsed lung after that, so I did not have a great summer. I had tried to make a comeback in the latter half of last season but I was not right and despite all the traumas, I have to say the hernia operation has been a success.
“I feel like I am 19 again and it is great to be playing injury free as I had forgotten what that felt like.”
Morton striker, Paul Di Giacomo, started the season with a four goal haul against Stranraer in The Ramsdens Cup, a feat matched by team-mate Andy Jackson although Jackson is not yet in a position to match another of Di Giacomo’s feats.
Di Giacomo said: “I am in the fortunate position of having played in a few Cup Finals. I won this tournament with Airdrie United and Ross County and of course, County were also in the Scottish Cup Final of 2010. I was in The CIS Insurance Cup Final with Kilmarnock and they were all great occasions to be involved in. Featuring in the Cup Finals of all three cup competitions in Scotland is an achievement I am proud of.”
Di Giacomo added: “Our game with Hamilton is probably the tie of the round and probably the most difficult tie we could get. In saying that, it is a game we are capable of winning and it is a game we are looking forward to. It is the type of game that you need to be ready for from the very first whistle.”
The 29-year-old may have only joined the Greenock side in the summer however, he knows how much even a glimpse of success can mean to the Cappielow fans as he explained: “We know that if we go on a good run, then the fans will turn out to back us in big numbers. The Chairman and the Manager have both told us about the potential here and as a footballer, you want to play in front of as big a crowd as possible.
“We have started the season well but that is all it is, a start. I have played football long enough to know that we should enjoy the start we have made as a negative will never be far away. You are in the game to win medals and The Ramsdens Cup is a great competition to win. Everyone is taking it extra seriously by this stage and no-one wants to get knocked out.”
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