Brechin City assistant manager Kevin McGowne has revealed he had to dig into his bin to ensure the Glebe Park club are fully prepared for the forthcoming Scottish Cup fifth round clash with Buckie Thistle.
The former St Mirren, St Johnstone, Dundee United and Kilmarnock defender attended Buckie’s 1-0 defeat to East Stirling with boss Jim Weir, and had been tasked with taking notes on the Highlanders they are due to meet on Saturday.
He tossed away his papers when the third division side won through, but after East Stirling were kicked out of the competition for fielding an ineligible player McGowne had to rummage through his blue-lidded bin to retrieve them.
He explained, “Jim and I went to the East Stirling versus Buckie game to watch both teams because we knew we were getting one of them in the next round.
“Jim did the notes on the East Stirling side of it and I worked on the Buckie end. I had notes of their set-pieces, free-kicks and other things I thought would be relevant about the way they play and their players, but when East Stirling went through I ripped them up and put them in the bin because, obviously, I didn’t think we would need them.
“Then we heard what happened and that Buckie might go through so I had to get into the bin to find them. Luckily I only ripped them in half, so I can still make them out.”
McGowne didn’t need his notes to tell him that East Stirling’s exit wasn’t necessarily Brechin’s gain, saying, “For me this is a harder game than East Stirling.
“We’re under no illusions that when you go up to teams like Buckie you are in for a game.
“It’s a home tie for them and they’ll fancy their chances so we know exactly how difficult it’s going to be, but this is what the cup is all about and everyone is looking forward to it.”Unknown”We had ourselves set up for going to East Stirling, we know what it’s like and it’s a flat pitch with their astroturf, but Buckie is a step into the unknown. Most of the lads won’t have been there before and with Buckie at home they will have a good crowd behind them.”
Non-league opposition is nothing new to McGowne, who said, “When we were at Montrose we played Pollok in front of about 3000, drawing at home before eventually winning 1-0 away, and when we were not long in the door at Arbroath we lost to Irvine Meadow.
“That was one goal going on five, they were like Brazil that day so nobody needs to tell us how difficult it is to play these teams. They will get nothing but respect from us.
“We would fancy our chances against a team in a higher league at home in a one-off game and Buckie will feel exactly the same.”
A Scottish Cup winner with Kilmarnock, McGowne will always hold the competition in high regard.
“I love the Scottish Cup. It has been great for me in my career and I’d love the players here to get on a run they will remember forever.
“It’s a great platform and there could be the chance for someone to make a name for themselves. Clubs like Gretna, Ross County and Queen of the South have all had great exposure from the cup in the last few years.
“It can be a wonderful thing for a club like us. I think when you are at a smaller club like Brechin it means a lot more because they don’t come round that often.
“For a club at our level a decent cup run can really make an impact on your finances.
“Everyone is feeling the pinch after the amount of games which have been called off, and Brechin are no different.
“Obviously the first thing is to do well for the players and fans on the park, but if we could get through and it won’t be easy then there is a chance to give the club a financial boost as well.”