Ramsdens Cup Quotes

STEVEN PRESSLEY

“It would be a massive achievement for our young players to lift The Ramsdens Cup and it will be a great experience for them to play in a Cup Final so early in their career.

“Mind you, it is not all about the young players as I look at Darren Dods who is looking for the first winners' medal in his long career and it would mean a lot to him as well.”

BILLY REID

“We go into the Cup Final on a good run of form just now, probably our best of the season. That has been achieved by being able to have a consistency of selection as we have had key players available every week.

“We have won our last three games, scored ten goals and conceded one and I cannot ask for much more than that.”

DARREN DODS

“It’s been a good tournament for us and I scored up at Brechin in the First Round.

“Although Brechin City, East Fife and Annan Athletic are clubs from lower divisions, they all put up a good fight against us.

“The good results we have achieved in this tournament also helped our League form.

“I think the occasion will be a great experience for the young lads in our team.

ALEX NEIL

“I played against St. Mirren in the Cup Final back in Novemver, 2005 when we lost 2-1. I have waited another seven years to be in a Cup Final and that tells you that these games are very important as they do not come along that often.

“I missed the earlier rounds through injury but I am delighted to be involved now.”

MICHAEL MCGOVERN

“You have to be the best of 32 teams nationwide which is quite difficult especially given the quality of some of the teams in the First Division.

“Having a good run in any cup competition can do wonders for the confidence of the team.

“I’m really pleased for the young lads that they have a chance to win a medal in The Ramsdens Cup Final.  Some of these youngsters are only 16 and 17-years-olds and it would be an amazing start to their careers if they could get a winners’ medal at that age.”

DAVID HUTTON

“Falkirk have really good strikers in Farid El Alagui and David Weatherston but hopefully, we can keep them out.

“I have played in two Challenge Cup Finals before and have yet to pick up a winners’ medal so I am hoping that it will be third time lucky.”

MURRAY WALLACE

“Although we lost to Celtic in The Scottish Communities League Cup Semi-Final, I really enjoyed the occasion.

“I will be savouring The Ramsdens Cup Final especially as it will be my first proper Cup Final and it would be fantastic if the team could get winners’ medals.”

MARK McLAUGHLIN

“It was my goal that took us through to the Cup Final when I scored against Livingston and I love to remind our strikers about that.  I am also our top goalscorer this season and I remind them of that as well.

“Getting to a Cup Final is a great achievement and I will easily settle for someone else scoring the winner as this is a big day for everyone associated with Hamilton.”

CRAIG SIBBALD

“I’m really focusing all my energies on playing with Falkirk at the moment and it would be nice to be rewarded with a winners’ medal”

DANNY REDMOND

“I did not know too much about this competition when I came up on loan from Wigan but I certainly know about it now.

“It would be great to play and pick up a winners’ medal.”

JAY FULTON

“We have a good team spirit.

“The Ramsdens Cup Final will be a great occasion and the players are looking forward to it.”

JIM McALISTER

“Falkirk and Hamilton have very similar mixes of youth and experience.

“We have not beaten them in the League despite playing really well so this could be our turn and we go into the game with confidence.”

FARID EL ALAGUI

"I am looking forward to The Ramsdens Cup Final and it would be great if I could get a winners’ medal.”

MARK STEWART

“I had lost touch with The Ramsdens Cup when I was playing down south for Bradford but I was quickly told Hamilton were in the Final after I joined on loan.

“I played for Falkirk in a Scottish Cup Final and have good memories of my time there but it is about Hamilton winning this weekend for me.”

ALEX SMITH

Falkirk’s Technical Director, Alex Smith, is a huge fan of The Ramsdens Cup as he believes that it can play a vital role in the development of future international players. Smith is rooting for a Falkirk victory and that is a very different position to the last occasion when Falkirk were in the Cup Final back in November, 2004 at McDiarmid Park against a Ross County side that was managed by Smith.

The Dingwall side contained future Scotland players Don Cowie and Charlie Adam and led through a David Winters goal before Neil Scally and Darryl Duffy turned things around in a 2-1 success for Falkirk.

Smith said: “Don was a cracking young player who lived locally at Strathpeffer and was steeped in Ross County due to his dad’s involvement as Assistant Manager at the that club.  Charlie was on loan to us from Rangers and he was capable of anything as he showed one day when he scored from the half-way line at Love Street.  He then repeated it five minutes later and hit the bar.

“Playing in a Challenge Cup Final so early in their careers definitely aided their development as it taught them how to deal with a different kind of attention and pressure.  John Rankin also played in that game and it is not just Ross County that have advanced players in this competition.”

The 72-year-old added: “Craig Bryson, who is doing really well at Derby now, played for Clyde in a Challenge Cup Final.  Leigh Griffiths played for Dundee against Inverness and he has progressed his career to England and the SPL as well.  It just shows you the quality of players that we have in Scotland.”

Smith can see similarities in the current Falkirk line-up to the players who have stepped up as he said: “We have players in our squad now who will go on and play for Scotland like these guys did and Hamilton probably have as well.”