Josh Peters is keen to savour what will be a memorable family occasion when Buckie Thistle face Celtic in the Scottish Cup.
The Jags’ striker is gearing up for Sunday’s fourth round tie at Parkhead, where he could line up against a familiar face.
His cousin is Celtic defender Stephen Welsh, who could be involved for the Hoops if he recovers from a shoulder injury sustained last month.
Peters and Welsh speak regularly and had discussed the possibility of facing each other in the national competition prior to the last round in November.
The 27-year-old said: “Stephen’s my auntie’s son. I grew up playing football with him quite a lot.
“He’s been at Celtic since he was eight or nine.
“I saw him a week before the third round. The likelihood of it happening and us drawing Celtic was almost zero, but we spoke about it.
“Once the draw was made, Stephen was one of the first people to message me because we’d been speaking about it.
“It’s something our family has said before: ‘imagine you play against each other.’
What a weekend 😮💨 https://t.co/dX4q41TQTq
— Joshua Peters (@jmpeters96) November 26, 2023
“It’s never happened before, but it could happen now if we both play and it’s a big day for the family.
“We don’t speak every day, but we do speak quite regularly.
“The family has been pestering me for tickets.
“It’s a big day, because everyone will be there on my side and his side.
“His mum and dad go to every game, and for his side of the family, it’s maybe just another game.
“But for my side of the family, it’s a dream come true.
“Stephen’s side of the family will want him to do well and my side of the family will want me to do well – it’s a huge day for the family.”
Family divided
Although his cousin has played more than 50 games for Celtic, Peters isn’t a Hoops supporter.
He added: “I’m a Rangers fan – I take after my dad. His side of the family is all Rangers and my mum’s side is all Celtic.
“My mum tried her best to convert me to being a Celtic fan, but I’ve stuck with Rangers since I was young and been to a few games over the years.
“It is half-and-half in the family really.”
Although Buckie are braced for a difficult encounter against Celtic, Peters feels they can approach it with a degree of confidence.
The former Elgin City, Forfar Athletic, Stirling Albion, Queen’s Park, Livingston, Hibs and Strathspey Thistle marksman believes the things the Jags do well in the Breedon Highland League can also work against the Premiership champions and cup holders.
He said: “We’ve got to play to our strengths. It’s easy to say it, but it’s just about doing what we’ve been doing for the last couple of seasons.
“We’ve got talented players in our team and a style of play that works for us.
“It might not work as often, but it doesn’t mean it won’t work against them.
“We’ll get the odd chance, I’m sure. It might not be often, but we need to be confident in our ability and what we’ve got in our team.
“We’re coming up against players that are levels and levels above us, but that doesn’t detract from the fact we’ve got good players in our team.
“But if we stick to what we’re good at, hopefully we can put in a positive performance.”
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