Celtic visit ‘bigger than The Who’ for Auchinleck

The village of Auchinleck will be rocked the most by playing against Celtic on Sunday since The Who.

In preparation for their historic performance at the Woodstock music festival, the English Mod groundbreakers played Auchinleck Community Centre in 1969.

When you consider that one section of one of Celtic Park’s stands could accommodate all 3, 000 people, it’s an amazing accomplishment.

Even if every man, woman, and child purchased a ticket for the Scottish Cup fourth-round tie at Rugby Park on Sunday, they would still be outnumbered by the away supporters.

Due to the “surrounding infrastructure” around the 4, 000-capacity Beechwood Park being deemed unsuitable for such a big occasion, the game had to be moved 15 miles away to Kilmarnock’s home.

It is the most recent “what if” in Auchinleck Talbot’s illustrious career.

Gordon Pope, a former Talbot left-back, recalls the day the part-timers faced fierce opposition 14 years ago in a moving situation.

With six minutes left, Hearts were held to a goal by goalkeeper Andy Leishman, who had earlier saved a penalty, collided with teammate Bryan Slaven and Gordon Smith.

Talbot won a free kick, and Pope was played through the Hearts defense before the linesman flagged offside as he slotted his equalizer five minutes into stoppage time.

As he watches a replay of the incident, Pope says, “It leaves a “what if” and continues to quote Pope from BBC Scotland. It’s a difficult choice, and it’s just one of those club’s historical moments.

Going back to Rugby Park for a replay would have been huge for the club because we had never played at that level [fourth round] before.

The first time James Latta led Talbot that day, he recalls, “We knew we would have a chance depending on how Hearts played,” he said. “Most of our team had played at senior level at some point.

The former defender is aware that they have a much more difficult task than Scottish champions, who have found new life since Wilfried Nancy’s dismissal.

It will be the best day for Talbot program director Jim McAuley to play against a renowned team like Celtic. It will rival The Who’s performance at the Auchinleck Community Centre. David and Goliath

Being a club historian, McAuley has documented more than 100 awards since their founding in 1909.

For a club that is second in the West of Scotland League Premier Division, two points behind Troon but still has two games in hand after entering the senior pyramid, 14 Scottish Junior Cups are awarded, eight of which were this century.

He claims that he is “absolutely devastated” that the tie has been moved, “I would say we are the biggest weeist club in Scotland.”

Down here, I believe we would have had that first chance, but I believe Rugby Park will be too much for us. Celtic travel to Bologna in the days following. In Glasgow’s west, we travel to Pollok.

If Argyll McCoist had been able to play, this would have generated bigger headlines.

Ally, the 27-year-old son of former Rangers striker Ally, who has scored many goals for Celtic, is a cup-tied loanee from Drumchapel United.

He claims that his father has been calling him each day to make sure a rule has changed.

Due to the freezing conditions of the pitch, Talbot’s chances have not improved, as Captain Neil McPherson pointed out.

He points out that Celtic and Rangers fans have taken Monday off from their full-time jobs in anticipation of having to recover from giving it their all in on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Tommy Sloan, a forklift driver for Auchinleck, is the company’s manager, and he never anticipated that he would experience the same fate as O’Neill when he would eventually sit in O’Neill’s opposite dugout.

He claims that “they have certainly brought in a man who can do the job.” It’s amazing to be facing him in the other dugout, and he has a lot of experience.

On the day “We turned over”Ayr United in 2019 and how close they came to Hearts in 2012, Sloan will be drawing.

He recalls that the linesman’s face is still visible when he raises the flag. Nighttime sportsscene demonstrated that it was onside.

“It will be a difficult ask,” he said. I’d be happy if we could score first and put them under some light pressure for a while.