North Edinburgh’s two representatives both received home ties in yesterday’s Scottish Cup First Round Draw at Edinburgh Castle, with Spartans drawn at home to Wick Academy and Civil Service Strollers hosting Newton Stewart.
Wick, who finished eighth in the Press & Journal Highland League last term, will travel to Spartans’ Ainslie Park at the end of next month and clock up some 600 miles on the day. The Strollers’ opponents Newton Stewart finished a respectable sixth in the South of Scotland League last season, and The Creesiders make the journey to Silverknowes from Dumfries and Galloway.
Both East of Scotland League clubs have home advantage and will be relatively pleased with the draws they were given.
Douglas Samuel’s Spartans will want to finish the job at Ainslie as a draw would mean a replay at Wick’s Harmsworth Park, with the extremely long journey to get there. The ground is the most northerly professional football stadium in the United Kingdom. The embarrassment of being thrown out last year after fielding an ineligible player in their 2-0 second round win at Culter (and thus missing out on hosting Partick Thistle) will more than likely inspire the side this year to go on another famous run.
Civil Service will hope the travelling affects Newton Stewart too as they welcome the South of Scotland club to Edinburgh. Strollers will be hoping to do better in the national cup than they did last year – Fraserburgh defeating them 4-3 in the first round. That defeat denied the Strollers’ a home tie against Third Division Elgin City, so recently appointed manager Chick McAleavey will hope his side can progress into the next phase of the tournament.
Last season’s victorious Heart of Midlothian captain, Marius Zaliuskas, joined Scottish FA Commercial Director Kenny MacLeod, and David Russell, William Hill Group HR Director, to conduct the draw. Here is the full draw:
1. Threave Rovers v Vale of Leithen
2. Bonnyrigg Rose v Girvan
3. Huntly v Wigtown & Bladnoch
4. Shotts Bon Accord v Edinburgh City
5. Irvine Meadow v Gala Fairydean
6. Edinburgh University v Keith or St Cuthbert Wanderers
7. Formartine United v Brora Rangers
8. Civil Service Strollers v Newton Stewart
9. Spartans v Wick Academy
10. Glasgow University v Selkirk
11. Clachnacuddin v Lossiemouth
12. Hawick Royal Albert v Golspie Sutherland
13. Fraserburgh v Coldstream
14. Whitehill Welfare v Inverurie Loco Works
15. Buckie Thistle v Rothes
16. Hermes v Deveronvale
17. Fort William or Preston Athletic v Nairn County
18. Turriff United v Burntisland Shipyard
Ties are due to be played on Saturday, 25th August 2012.
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