Elgin City chairman Alan Murray has paid tribute to the relentless efforts of the club’s staff and volunteers to prepare for Saturday’s Scottish Cup visit of Aberdeen.
The fourth round draw presented the Black and Whites with a mouthwatering home tie against Jimmy Thelin’s Reds.
It will be only the third competitive meeting between the sides – and the first since Elgin stepped up from the Highland League in 2000.
Tickets for the tie sold out within days of going on sale, which will amount to a crowd of 4,520 on Saturday.
With Elgin’s home gate averaging out at 775 across their 14 home matches in all competitions this season, the build up to the game has brought about a number of additional requirements.
Areas such as pitch preparation, safety, policing, stewarding and first aid will be ramped up for the visit of the Dons.
All efforts geared towards getting ready for visit of Dons
Murray says it has been made possible by a small handful of club staff, along with a number of volunteers across the festive period.
He said: “The timing of it came when everybody is normally enjoying a bit of a break for Christmas and New Year.
“But our staff and volunteers have been having regular meetings at Borough Briggs right through the festive period, to be ready to get everything on sale at the start of the new year.
“As a small club we don’t have advanced ticketing software to automate it, so it has taken a huge effort from everybody. But I think it has gone quite well.
“We have three or four full-time staff in the office, working on the planning of it.
“In terms of additional volunteers, we are well into 20 or 30 people or more.
“I was down at the ground on Wednesday and everybody is quite calm. Most of the tickets have been collected now, so I pay a lot of credit to everybody who has been involved in the process – and that will extend into matchday too.”
Television snub a bittersweet outcome for Black and Whites
Despite capturing much attention both locally and nationwide, the fixture was overlooked for television coverage by broadcasters BBC and Premier Sports who hold the Scottish Cup screening rights.
Elgin are third in League Two at present, with 31 league places separating the sides in the SPFL system.
Murray is nevertheless content the game remains on a traditional Saturday afternoon slot – with efforts made to ensure Elgin’s regular following were given priority in the rush for tickets.
He added: “We were slightly disappointed not to be on TV, but equally there’s a positivity about being 3pm on a Saturday.
“We made a point of trying to protect all of our regulars.
“Our average crowd is around 750 – for a cup-tie it could just be first in queue but we guaranteed all our season ticket holders and gold card members, and club academy players tickets.
“We also did a festive package before Christmas. On top of 300 or so season tickets, there are another 300 or 400 supporters who come every week.
“By doing the package it guaranteed those people a ticket. We are comfortable with our planning, in making sure our hardcore support all had access to a ticket if they wanted one.
“The demand for hospitality was huge as well. We can maybe squeeze in 170 upstairs, but we were close to 750 applicants.
“We have got 250 at the town hall as well, with a pre-match package.
“All of that at 3pm on a Saturday creates a huge buzz. If it was the Monday night game, or Sunday lunchtime, that whole experience is slightly altered.
“As much as there was a wee bit of disappointment we weren’t selected, equally we look at how it is teed up.
“Not losing any sleep about the weather is a real boost as well – it probably wouldn’t have gone ahead last weekend.”
Elgin dreaming of upset in first competitive meeting in 54 years
The two sides have not met competitively since a Scottish Cup tie at Pittodrie in 1971, when the Dons triumphed 5-0.
The only previous meeting between the teams came at Borough Briggs in 1938, with the Reds running out 6-1 winners on that occasion.
While Elgin would have stood to gain more commercial benefit from an away tie against the Dons, Murray says home advantage will only serve to fuel belief Allan Hale’s men can pull off a cup shock against a Reds side without a win in their last 11 games.
Murray added: “Competitive games against the top sides in the Premiership are always landmark games in your history.
“I guess, if we were to pull off a result it might be the landmark game in our history.
“We have to believe. Our players and staff are going into it with a positive approach.
“It’s the Scottish Cup, and shocks have happened – they have happened to our esteemed opponents a couple of times.
“With a full house at Borough Briggs, the pitch will be quite tight and it might be quite heavy after the recent snow.
“If we score first then you never know. Aberdeen are hot favourites as they should be.
“Commercially for the club it might have been better at Pittodrie, but from a footballing perspective you would give us a much better chance at home.”
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