Stranraer face Livingston in the semi-finals of the Petrofac Training Cup at the Energy Assets Arena on Sunday, live on BBC ALBA with a 4.05pm kick-off.
The Blues stunned St Johnstone to lift the trophy at Broadwood back in November 1996 after knocking out Morton with a 3-0 success at Stair Park in the semi-finals. Stranraer boss Stephen Aitken was with the Greenock club at the time but was yet to make his debut.
He said: “I was at Morton at the start of my playing career but I cannot remember that game. I certainly did not play in it as my first-team debut was a few months away - I must have wiped away all talk of Stranraer’s win totally from my mind!
“However, a number of committee members at the club like Iain Dougan, Robert Rice and Shaun Niven remember the win and have often told me about it.
“They also told me they won the final without having a shot at goal! When they played St Johnstone they were on the back foot for most of the game even with a huge wind at their back in the first half.
“However, Jimmy Hughes hit a free kick into the box and the ball broke away from Alan Main in the St Johnstone goal and Danny Griffin put it into his own net. That was Stranraer’s only effort on target all day but it won them the cup.”
Aitken’s men now stand 90 minutes away from the chance of winning the competition for a second time. After helping the club avoid relegation in his first season and leading the Blues into the promotion play-offs last term, the 38-year-old knows what winning against Livi would mean.
He said: “It would be the highlight of my managerial career to date if I could take Stranraer to a second final. We beat Falkirk in the last round and we have to use the confidence we took from that result to our advantage. We also defeated Dumbarton in the first round, so we have something about us, but this game is different.
“Those games were at home, as was the second round against Albion Rovers, but we do not have that advantage against Livingston. However, it is football and anything can happen.”
Livingston stunned a young Hearts side earlier in the competition, and beat Peterhead 1-0 in extra time in the quarter-finals at Balmoor, so Aitken knows the quality they have despite witnessing a recent defeat.
He added: “I went and watched Livingston against Hearts in the Championship and they were beaten 5-0 that day but I am not getting fooled by that. They have a good manager in John McGlynn and really good players.
“I remember playing against Burton O’Brien and he has always been a decent player. The two Jacobs brothers are good and have a lot of games under their belt now. Mark Burchill is learning from John in his assistant manager role but he is also a threat on the pitch. Jordan White can score goals, so we are definitely underdogs.
“Our preparations will be different to a normal game because it is being played on a Sunday. The boys will come in and have a light training session in Paisley on the Saturday and a discussion over what is involved.
“We will get them together on the Sunday lunchtime and head off to Livingston. Who knows - we may yet end being the first Stranraer side to have a shot on goal in a cup final if we get through!”
Craig Stewart
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