His grandfather watched Fraserburgh cause one of the biggest shocks in Scottish Cup history.
Now Willie West hopes to help the Broch take another major scalp when Championship Arbroath come to Bellslea for Saturday’s third round tie.
The Breedon Highland League champions will start as underdogs against the Red Lichties, who finished second in the second tier last season.
But Fraserburgh have upset the odds before – in January 1959, the Buchan side defeated top flight Dundee 1-0 in the first round of the Scottish Cup.
That result eventually led to change in the tournament format with Scotland’s highest-ranked clubs coming in at a later stage.
West’s grandfather Iain Tait was at Bellslea on that famous day and the Broch captain hopes Saturday can be another memorable occasion.
West said: “My granda was there and watched the game. I don’t think he remembers too much about it, but he was in the crowd.
“He’s not coming to Saturday’s game, but my dad will be along and if it’s not too bad a day my wife and kids will be there as well.
“Arbroath were five minutes from being a Premiership team last season, so if we could get a result it would probably be up there with the Dundee game.
“It wouldn’t be as big as that, but it’s a mammoth task for us. However, with a bit of wind at Bellslea and a bit of luck who knows what could happen.”
Skipper West looks for another cup highlight
Yesterday marked 19 years since West made his Fraserburgh debut.
Since then he’s racked up 620 appearances, netted 164 goals and helped the Broch win six Evening Express Aberdeenshire Cups, three Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shields, the Qualifying Cup, the GPH Builders Merchants Highland League Cup, and the Breedon Highland League title last season.
West rates last month’s Scottish Cup second round victory against League Two Stranraer as one of his highlights and he is determined to savour this weekend’s tie.
The 34-year-old added: “These sort of games are what it’s all about – you want to try to enjoy it.
“Before the Stranraer game we’d only beaten one league side, so going and beating Stranraer is up there as one of the highlights of my time playing for the Broch.
“I’d love to be speaking about beating Arbroath in the future – but it’s going to be a very big ask.
“Arbroath are part-time, like ourselves, but they probably train three or four times a week.
“They play at a level where they face full-time opposition every week, so they’ll be very fit.
“It will be a very tough test, but it’s always great to test yourselves against sides from a higher level and we’ll give everything we’ve got.”
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