Jeanfield Swifts are making history – and they’re in no mood to stop.
Robbie Holden led his East of Scotland Premier Division side to the most famous result his club has ever known at the weekend, breaking a 100-plus-year Scottish Cup record in doing so.
By beating Elgin City 6-0, Swifts posted the biggest scoreline for a non-league side against a League one that the competition has seen in 127 years.
The Perth team are now just one match away from an open draw with the likes of Rangers, Celtic and city neighbours, St Johnstone.
And a team a place below them in their own league (Musselburgh Athletic) or one a place above Elgin in League Two (Clyde) are the last obstacle to overcome to get there.
Those sides play on Monday night, live on the BBC.
“If you’re going to exit the competition you want to go out having played at the biggest stage,” Holden told Courier Sport, reflecting on Sunday’s third round draw.
🎥 🏆 @JeanfieldSFC v @ElginCityFC
A dominant Jeanfield Swifts performance saw them advance past Elgin City into the Third Round. #ScottishCup pic.twitter.com/mNxgu0XmNM
— Scottish Gas Scottish Cup (@ScottishCup) October 29, 2023
“That would be the likes of Dundee United or Dunfermline away.
“Or you want to get a draw that you think you’ve got a decent chance of winning.
“What you don’t want is a really good League One side that would probably knock you out but you don’t get a big away day.
“Musselburgh are in our league. We haven’t played them this season but we’ve done our homework for a game that got postponed. We’ve got a fair bit of info.
“I watched Clyde play Elgin and they’re at a fairly similar level – both changed managers quite recently.
“Either will give us a tough game but that’s what you expect at this stage of the competition and it’s probably a decent draw.”
‘Take it in’
Holden added: “You never know when – or if – an opportunity like this will come around again.
“We’ve told the players to take it in.
“To be in the draw with the Premiership teams would be beyond our dreams.
“I’ll be telling them to enjoy the plaudits over the next few days.
“But we’ll bring them back down to earth a bit in training because we’ve got a massive game in the league (against Sauchie) on Saturday.
“Then when the next round comes, it will be a case of ‘seize the moment’.”
That phrase undoubtedly applied to Saturday’s performance.
“When we start well we don’t often look back,” said Holden.
“We got the first goal in two minutes from a corner we worked on in training – I was delighted to see that because it’s nearly come off a couple of times!
“We were 3-0 up pretty quickly and you do find yourself in a bit of disbelief.
“I’ve made the mistake in the past when I’ve thought ‘let’s try and see this out’ and it’s invited pressure on.
“We just asked them to keep going.
“At half-time we could hear the hair drier treatment in the other dressing room and we wanted to make sure we came out ready for a reaction, even at 4-0.
“We didn’t sit off them.
“Everyone was outstanding, subs included. We had 16 players contributing.
“It was a complete performance.
“I don’t think Mitch (Mark Mitchell), our goalkeeper, had one save to make. But he was barking out orders, organising the back four.”
Post-match euphoria
Memories for life have been made.
“The dressing room was bouncing obviously,” said Holden. “Somebody appeared with a crate of beer straightaway.
“We went into the lounge afterwards. It was packed. Ex-players and ex-managers were coming over to congratulate us.
“Then it was off to the Mallard (a pub in North Muirton) and late into the night.
“I think I rolled in at the back of three so I don’t know if it was still going for some of them on Sunday!”
For Jeanfield, who are now assured of £9.5k prize money which would jump to £19.5k if they win their next tie, it’s uncharted territory from here on.
“To win like that in our first game at home to an SPFL club and take Jeanfield further in the Scottish Cup than we’ve ever been before makes it the biggest result, I think,” said Holden.
“I saw the stat about it being the biggest win for a non-league club in 127 years. That’s an impressive one!
“It’s these achievements that we’ll keep using to motivate us.
“I’ll be saying to them ‘what new stories do you want to write for yourself and the club?’”
Jeanfield’s victory highlighted the fact that the Lowland League and East of Scotland League are new-world equals to old-world SPFL clubs.
“Jeanfield hasn’t reached its ceiling yet,” said Holden.
“I genuinely believe that we’ve got a group of players, who if we keep them together, can go up.
“But the pyramid system makes it very difficult.
“The winners of our league would have to go into a play-off to get into the Lowland League. It’s tough.
“Anyone who wins a league should go up as far as I’m concerned.”
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