There will be many a Scottish Cup yarn shared on Saturday afternoon at the Vanloq Community Stadium as the 1984-85 squad reunite for the current Spartans side’s Round 4 clash against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Amongst those who will be enjoying retelling those tales of original moments and magic memories will be Mike Drabble. The midfielder, who was undertaking his PHD at Edinburgh University whilst turning out for the City Park side, takes a look back at some of the wonderful moments including his fifteen minutes of fame in the national press.
Drabble noted, “I played in the Scottish Cup for Spartans for the first time the previous year against Forfar (we lost 4-1) but the Thistle game in Inverness was a bigger game/occasion because we stayed overnight (Friday & Saturday) in a hotel on the Black Isle. A 4pm departure from Edinburgh to the capital of the Highlands with a bus full of some 50-60 people, it was quite the experience.
“Of the two games against Inverness Thistle, I recall that we were branded a team of giants by the Press & Journal in their report of the first game!
“I had a couple of chance in the game in Inverness, a shot cleared off the line and a back-post header I maybe could have scored with. We felt we were the better team on the day and were unlucky not to win, losing a goal with just ten minutes left to force the replay.
“Alan Kirkwood got our goal in the first game. He seemed to have a knack of saving his goals for big games. He scored the only goal at Tynecastle the season before when we won the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup against Eyemouth United.
That initial tie, in front of a crowd of 850, saw a young whippersnapper making his debut between the Thistle sticks in the shape of Les Fridge. The 16 year old, who was watched by a host of senior club scouts, had already made his International debut for the Scotland u16s team who beat Iceland earlier in the season.
Attempting to play football in the height of winter can be a challenge. And the replay was very much that, with the big freeze and blankets of snow forcing the return at City Park to be cancelled several times before finally being played on 2nd February.
“Before the replay, I remember getting a call from the Daily Record saying they wanted to come to the university to take a photo in the wind tunnel where I was doing my PhD studies and thinking it was probably a player wind-up. We had training that night and I didn’t mention it, neither did anyone else, so I only believed it after that!
“For the replay the pitch had been rolled, so it was flat mud, a bowling green by City Park standards. We played with the slope in the first half and again I had a chance which was cleared off the line. Neil Cook got our goal on the hour mark however, just like up in Inverness, they scored inside the final ten minutes, but they just about deserved the win.
“Our performance was put into some perspective by the fact they beat Kilmarnock 3-0 in the next round before a plumb away tie to Celtic. It was surreal watching them on TV at Parkhead on an icy pitch (losing 6-0) to the eventual winners.”
“I loved the Scottish Cup games; there was a build-up to them as we had friendlies against the likes of Meadowbank Thistle and Raith Rovers in preparation. They were very important to the club.
“Stewart McKinnon (a former Inverness Caledonian player) was our player/treasurer and he told me qualification for the Scottish Cup paid to run the club (3 teams) for the season. “
“We had to win several games to qualify. In my first season with Spartans (1983) I remember going down to Annan, which is my hometown, and beating them 4-2 in a Scottish Cup qualifying game. I really enjoyed that as I had played for Annan U18, reserves and 1st team, and I scored against them!”
We hope Mike and those from the 1984/85 team enjoy their afternoon and more importantly, celebrate another great Spartans Scottish Cup day out.
