Previous Cup Jousts with the men from South of the Border

On Saturday first the ‘Loons’ will welcome Berwick Rangers to Station Park in the second round of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup.

It will in fact be only the fourth clash in the history of the competition between the sides, the last some forty-one years back between the men from Station Park and the ‘Wee Rangers’ renowned for many years now as the only club based in England to play within the Scottish senior football set up.

The tally at the moment is 2-1 in favour of the Black and Golds as they also like to be known, the first of those victories being recorded at Shielfield Park on the 7th of January 1967. Kenny Dowds a prolific scorer at the time down Berwick way netted both goals that afternoon to seal a 2-0 win over a visiting side which included local lad John Fyfe still a visitor to Station Park on occasions these days from his adopted home city of Aberdeen and three Arbroath based players, skipper Ally Carrie, George Potter and Ian Matthews. When the referee blew the final whistle that afternoon on what had not been a contest that would have lived long in the memory of those present, few realised the significance of the win for the home side.

However at the SFA headquarters at the time, Park Gardens in the heart of Glasgow, Berwick managed by Jock Wallace who was to become a legend in the Scottish game as time evolved drew the mighty Glasgow Rangers at home in the third round. The rest as they say is history. A Sammy Reid goal clinched a 1-0 win for Berwick over John Greig and his illustrious team mates, a result still reckoned to be one of the greatest Scottish Cup upsets of all time.

It was to be twelve years until the paths of Forfar Athletic and Berwick Rangers would cross again in the cup. On a foggy Monday evening in January 1979, a ‘Loons’ side going well amidst great enthusiasm in the town under the guidance of Archie Knox welcomed the Borders outfit to Station Park, before a crowd of 1,417. How we wish similar numbers were around in these changed times!

The Athies were the firm favourites to win a tie that was actually being played due to the wintry weather at the fourth attempt, but it was the visitors who moved through to the next round courtesy of goals from Gordon Smith and John Jobson, Henry Hall the scorer of the home side’s counter. The frustration in the home ranks at FIFA referee of the time Andrew Waddell’s decision making, not the least that he allowed the game to continue in farcical second half conditions was epitomised in the closing moments when Archie himself, such a mild mannered, placid guy as we all know was ordered off following a ‘wee chat’ with the match official!

Much brighter late January sunshine greeted the crowd of 1,105 who made their way to Station Park four years later for a third round tie, the home side finally getting the better of Berwick in a hard fought ninety minutes, 2-1 the final score line. That victory saw the ‘Loons’ qualify for the last sixteen of the competition for a second season running, the first time they had achieved that feat in their near 100 years in existence at the time.

The Forfar programme editor of the day who shall remain nameless classed the win as a ‘victory for football over brawn.’ Skipper Ian McPhee gave the home side a twentieth minute lead, Stuart Romaines equalising for the visitors with four minutes of the first period remaining. It was Raymond Lorimer with a speculative cross come shot who netted the vital third goal of the contest in the 70th minute of the tie.

This time round it was Forfar’s turn to draw Rangers out of the hat over the ensuing weekend. Doug Houston’s side went on to give a superb account of themselves at Ibrox in the fourth round in mid February, Kenny Macdonald giving them a deserved first half lead before two goals from John Macdonald in the second period clinched an undeserved success for the home side.

Back however to the present day and all ‘Loons’ fans will certainly be hoping that the current squad who have found goal scoring difficult this season to date have their shooting boots with them this Saturday and by 5pm. they will have squared up the Scottish Cup record between the clubs and with it secured a spot in Sunday’s third round draw.