THE long running Scottish Junior Cup, currently in its 135th year, still has a certain aura about it.

Attempts to belittle one of the game’s great footballing traditions have undoubtedly led to a dilution of its standing when one considers only 110 clubs made the Macron sponsored starting line this season compared to the 129 participants for the 2018 pre-pandemic competition which in itself is a far cry from the regular 160 plus entrants of the previous decade.

But talk to rank and file supporters up and down the country and they will  tell you how Magic of the Cup memories are so ingrained in their club’s folklore  that the Scottish transcends all other silverware prizes for them .

Indeed, many of their number actually hope for a good cup run over and above end of season promotion battles or play-offs and if proof were ever needed then just ask followers of those sides taking part in last 16 ties today what victory and securing a place in the Quarter Finals would mean for them.

Icing on the cake , or more likely  cause for a celebratory drink or two, can be supplied should a so-called underdog take the scalp of a higher league opponent and in this regard, nowhere are David v Goliath battle lines more clearly drawn up than at the James Y. Keanie Park (to give its full name) where Johnstone Burgh await the visit of Rob Roy.

It’s not a disparaging take on either club to say they have treaded water in recent seasons however there was a time in the not too distant past (1960’s) when both were counted among the game’s giants and particularly formidable adversaries if you happened to come up against them in a Scottish Junior Cup tie.

Running out 3-0 winners against Cambuslang Rangers saw the Burgh lift the Holy Grail aloft in 1964, a feat they repeated four years later with a 4-3 victory over Glenrothes which helped atone for the previous year’s 1-0 semi-final defeat by eventual trophy winners Rutherglen Glencairn.

The Rabs by way of comparison can lay claim to  a 1-0 triumph over Renfrew in 1962 but the same narrow scoreline proved their undoing in  1969  against Cambuslang while in between these Final appearances was a 1964  penultimate reverse at Ibrox, losing out 3-2 to …Johnstone Burgh.

Current day Burgh gaffer Jamie McKim can only dream of such heady glories as he has already progressed further in the Scottish this time around than in any of his previous four years at the helm (last 32 ).

But the 30 year old doesn’t lack for ambition or indeed faith in his playing charges and is welcoming a locking of horns with the Premier League side despite the handicap of two key players missing out.

He revealed: “Scraping  through in the last round away to Dundee East Craigie by  penalty kicks  disguises the fact we played for 35 second half minutes with only ten men after David Collins was sent off.

“But we are now paying a heavy price because David (brother of feted Kilwinning Rangers striker Thomas) is now suspended for the Rob Roy game as is our club captain Stuart Fyfe who received a red card for indulging in tit-for-tat verbals with the East Craigie supporters during the penalty shoot-out 

“And their absence comes at a bad time given we have a number of  players carrying knocks, inclusive of our midfield playmaker Malky McDonald,  whose chances of making the game were thought  touch and go at best early in the week so we gave them Thursday night off rather than risk any further aggravation of their injuries .

Jamie added, “Our hope is the extra few days rest will make all the difference because we’ve seen enough of Rob Roy in two friendly matches against them this season (0-0 and 0-2 ) to know they are a more than decent side .

“I cannot imagine many neutrals will fancy our chances but the occasion is sure to  bring out the best in our guys not least of  all our Partick Thistle loan signing JoJo  Gillespie  who will relish pitting himself against a higher league team as will our in-form winger Sam Esplin ,who has impressive stats of  9 goals and 9 assists to his name this season.

“Rob Roy might be favourites however the Scottish Junior Cup is a great leveler and if we hold our own in the selective individual battles then this tie could go right to the wire.”

Bettering his 2009 achievement of managing the Kirkintillock  outfit beaten 1-0 on aggregate in a two-legged semi-final by duly  crowned Cup winners Auchinleck Talbot is the target of Rabs boss Stewart Maxwell.

He owns up to a mixed selection bag ahead of today’s tie, latest signings Ben Daily and Roddy Patterson ineligible due to their cup-tied status though Maxi insists injury would have ruled out ex-Petershill front man Patterson   anyway along with full back Conor Bell .

He said , “ Roddy was on the wrong end of a meaty challenge  in a recent  game against Irvine Meadow and was always going to be a non-starter while  Conor took a sore one  against Bonnyton Thistle last Saturday and was forced to limp off .

“Both of them should be better for the couple of weeks rest but I do feel for Ben , who scored his first goal for the club last weekend along with  Chris O’Kane , our midfield powerhouse addition from Livingston United  and  will no doubt be frustrated over the Cup game coming at this juncture.

“On the upside, club skipper Scott Walker is free of suspension and Craig Truesdale is fit again  after 8 weeks on the injury sidelines while Gary Arbuckle is champing at the bit to replace Ben up front so  all three of them  will come into contention for starting  jerseys.

“Jamie’s team are nobody’s mugs and I’ve warned our guys to expect nothing less than a tough 90 minutes so   I’m making it my job to get that  message across by making sure we have our strongest  possible line-up  on the pitch .”

Maxi revealed his healthy respect for his club’s Cup opponents is derived from spending an enjoyable  season with them as a player during  the management of Colin “Ces” Lyndsay  who had taken over the reins from legendary team boss George Walker, under whose tutelage Johnstone Burgh had reached the 2000 Final only to lose on penalty kicks to Whitburn following a 2-2 regulation time draw..

He recalled , “Big Ces bought me to the Burgh from Cambuslang Rangers when they still had remnants of their Cup Final side such as John McLay and David Brolly as well as Jazz Juttla ,  Neil Murray and Mr Johnstone Burgh himself ,match secretary Rikky Cantwell who is still at the club to this day.

“They have fallen on leaner times like a lot of clubs and I wish them all the best but I certainly don’t want any return to former glories to come at Rob Roy’s expense.”

Yet another Conference v Premier encounter takes place at Hannah Park where Shotts Bon Accord play  host to Rossvale whose new team manager Jamie Sandilands is a mere ten days in the door.

In this one,  lower league side  Shotts , currently flying high atop the Division A standings are strongly tipped to prevail against the relegation battling Vale particularly after the massive boost given to the Lanarkshire outfit’s dressing room  by team boss John McKeown turning down a lucrative  approach to take up the reins at his former club Cumnock earlier this week.

The Ayrshire big guns have since appointed Brian McGinty  , assisted by ex-Pollok playing legend Stevie Aitchison, but the highly respected McKeown has not given a second though to the Townhead Park hotseat  as he has set about the task of putting the final touches to preparations for facing Rossvale , inclusive of selling striker Jordan Logan to them.

Big Ruggy scoffed , “ I’ve known Jamie Sandilands for some time and was only too willing to help his strengthening moves though it would have been a different matter had Jordan  not been  cup-tied.”

In other ties, Gartcairn, 6-0 conquerors of Beith in the last round will look to upset  the odds again  at home to  an unbeaten Arthurlie while last time out beaten 2019 finalists  Largs Thistle will rely on the firepower of Will Sewell, Scott Adam and Kier Milliken to get the better of Dundee North End down at Barrfields .

And even stronger Tayside opposition ,confronts Petershill in going up against a Lochee United side,  still  boasting the nucleus of their 2018 team that narrowly lost out on aggregate to Auchinleck in the semi-finals despite chalking up a 1-0 victory in the Beechwood Park first game.

It therefore follows that the trip down to Springburn may hold no fears for Lochee however the bang in form Peasy ,with front pairing Ronan Sweeney and Stephen Docherty seemingly scoring for fun , have the potential  to come out on top.

Meanwhile, the somewhat convoluted draw for the Macron Quarter Finals,  has set up the possibility of some intriguing ifs and buts last eight confrontations .

The draw is:

Gartcairn/Arthurlie v Johnstone Burgh/Rob Roy

Muirkirk/Dyce v Yoket Arthletic

Largs Thistle/Dundee North End v Petershill/Lochee Utd

Shotts Bon Accord/Rossvale v Craigmark/Auchinleck Talbot/ Irvine Meadow

PLAYING TODAY: (Kick Offs 1.30PM unless stated): William Hill Scottish Cup 3rd Round (3PM) Clydebank v Clyde, Auchinleck Talbot v Hamilton Accies.

Macron Scottish Junior Cup 3rd Round.(1.45PM) Petershill v Lochee Utd, Gartcairn v Arthurlie, Largs Thistle v Dundee North End, Muirkirk v Dyce, Shotts Bon Accord v Rossvale, Yoker Athletic v Ashfield,  Johnstone Burgh v Rob Roy.

PDM Buildbase Premier League. Bonnyton Thistle v Cumbernauld Utd, Kilbirnie Ladeside v Blantyre Vics, Glenafton v Beith, Hurlford Utd v Irvine Meadow,Troon v Kilwinning Rangers, Benburb v Cumnock.

PDM Buildbase Conference League A.Lugar Boswell v Girvan , Forth Wanderers v  Glasgow University,Whitletts Vics v Lesmahagow,Irvine Vics v Maryhill, Saltcoats Vics v Maybole.

PDM Buildbase Conference League B. Ardeer Thistle v Carluke Rovers, Port Glasgow v Newmains Utd, Thorniewood Utd v Kello Rovers, Renfrew v Glasgow Utd, Greenock v Royal Albert,Dalry Thistle v  Cambuslang Rangers.

PDM Buildbase Conference League C. St Rochs v St Anthonys, Vale of Clyde v Vale of Leven, Lanark Utd v Ardrossan Winton Rovers, Glasgow Perthshire v Kilsyth Rangers, Wishaw v Larkhall Thistle.

PDM Buildbase Division Four. Campbeltown Pupils v Finnart, Glenvale v  B.S.C. Glasgow, St Peters v Kilsyth Athletic.