Logan Watt wants to do Fraserburgh and his late grandfather proud when the Broch face Rangers in the Scottish Cup.
The Breedon Highland League outfit take on the Gers at Ibrox on Sunday (2.15pm kick-off) in the fourth round of the national tournament, with the fixture being shown live on BBC One.
Midfielder Watt revealed his granda Kenny, who passed away in December 2023, was a Rangers supporter – but says he would have been rooting for Fraserburgh this weekend.
Watt, 21, said: “It’s a big game – my granda was a Rangers fan. I’m really looking forward to the game and hopefully I can do my granda proud.
“He didn’t have too many opportunities to come and watch me play, but I know he’d have been buzzing to watch the game on the TV and see us play against Rangers.
“Although he was a Rangers fan, he would have wanted Fraserburgh to win because of me.
“He’d have been chuffed just to see me involved, so hopefully I can get a run-out and we’ll see how it goes.
“It’s a special moment for the everyone involved with the club and it will be great day. Personally, all my family are coming down to the game, so it will be a really special day.”
Watt inspired by watching 2018 Fraserburgh v Rangers clash
It’s not the first time Fraserburgh have met Rangers in the Scottish Cup.
The Gers visited Bellslea at this stage of the competition seven years ago – and the tie had an inspirational effect on Watt.
He added: “I was at the last game against Rangers with my dad.
“I was 14 at the time and you could feel the excitement around the place, and it made me think: ‘I wish I was here playing.’
“Ryan Sargent was around the squad at the time. He’s a few years older than me, but I knew him well even at that time and I was jealous of him and the lads who were on the pitch playing against Rangers.
“The ground was full, it was a massive thing for the town and it did inspire me.
“Now it’s great for the club and the town for us to be going and playing at a big stadium like Ibrox.
“Mark Cowie has always said to us: ‘Get yourselves into the fourth round and you never know what can happen.’
“Annan in the last round (2-0 win) was a big game and we played really well for 90 minutes, and I think we deserved to get into the fourth round.
“Then you see what happens with getting a draw against the second-best team in Scotland, so we’re all buzzing.”
Watt hopes to face former Aberdeen team-mate
Growing up, Watt spent time in Aberdeen’s youth academy and could be battling against a familiar face in midfield on Sunday in Connor Barron.
Although Watt is a year younger than Barron – who left the Dons to join Rangers last summer – the pair did play together in the Reds’ youth ranks.
Watt is hoping to face as strong a Gers side as possible, and said: “I was at Aberdeen when I was younger and Connor was a year above me.
“But I did play a year up a few times and played a few games with Connor.
“If I’m playing against Connor, that will be good – it’s great to see what Connor has gone on to do in his career.
“A few of my mates are Aberdeen fans and they’ve said to me about leaving one on Connor – but that’s not what I’m there to do.
“If I’m involved, I’m there to play as best I can to try to help the team put in a good performance.
“Hopefully Rangers put out a strong team against us. They have a lot of players to pick from and we want to test ourselves against some of the best players in the country.”
Gaffer Cowie driven to have more memorable Fraserburgh moments
He’s proud to be the Breedon Highland League’s longest-serving manager, but as prepares to take his team to Ibrox, Fraserburgh boss Mark Cowie admits there have been times when he’s questioned whether he was still up to the job.
Cowie was appointed Broch gaffer on April 1, 2015, and has delivered plenty of success for his club.
The Highland League title was claimed in 2022, and he has also guided the Buchan side to four Evening Express Aberdeenshire Cups and three Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shields, as well as securing memorable cup ties against the likes of Falkirk, Kilmarnock, Arbroath and Rangers – at both Bellslea and now Ibrox.
Although there have been points along the way where he has questioned himself, as he gets ready to tackle the Gers in the Scottish Cup on Sunday, Cowie remains determined to deliver more days to remember for Fraserburgh.
Boss’ fire still burns bright
He said: “There have been times I’ve gone home after certain results, and thought: ‘Is it time?’ I’m a believer in change being needed at some points.
“There will come a point where my drive and enthusiasm takes a hit and the players have listened to the same message for long enough.
“Change will be needed at some point – there have been occasions over the 10 years where I’ve been disappointed and thought I maybe wasn’t quite at the levels.
“There have been times where I’ve questioned if I’ve gone on too long.
“But I’ve got the backing of the club to do the job, and there’s still fire within me to do the job.
“I do take pride in my tenure – I think it’s been a relatively successful 10 years.
“Maybe because we aren’t competing as much in the league this season, you maybe forget the trophies that have been won.
“To win the league with the budget we had was remarkable and shows what any club can do.
“A lot of credit has to go to former chairman Finlay Noble and current chairman Michael Murray and all the directors.
“They’ve had a lot of faith in me and have allowed me to manage the club without interference.
“I’ve managed to have success, but it’s because the club as a whole has allowed me to do it.
“I’ve got pride in what we’ve done as a management team and as a playing squad.
“But I have to credit the directors above us who have allowed us to do what we’ve done – and hopefully that will continue for a while yet!”
When Fraserburgh were Scottish Cup shock troops
Fraserburgh’s Scottish Cup clash with Rangers this weekend will be their 93rd match in the competition stretching back to January 1922.
Although it may be hard to find an occasion among the Broch’s previous 92 fixtures in the tournament when they have been bigger underdogs than they will be on Sunday, history shows the Buchan side are capable of causing sensational Scottish Cup shocks.
On January 31, 1959, Fraserburgh became the first Breedon Highland League side to defeat top-flight opposition in the Scottish Cup as Dundee were beaten 1-0 at Bellslea thanks to Johnny Strachan’s goal.
It was a momentous victory for the Broch against a Dee outfit who went on to finish fourth in the top-flight the same season, before going on to become Scottish champions in 1962.
The Dundee team also contained five full Scotland internationals in Bill Brown, Alex Hamilton, Jimmy Gabriel, Doug Cowie and Hugh Robertson.
The result remains one of the biggest upsets in Scottish football history and was the catalyst for a change to the format of the Scottish Cup a couple of years later to allow top-flight clubs to enter in the later rounds of the competition, rather than round one.
Happiest moment for late Broch goalie Mowatt
The late Danny Mowatt was Fraserburgh’s goalkeeper against Dundee and was the last member of that Broch side to pass away, in November 2020.
Speaking to the Press and Journal in January 2018 ahead of Fraserburgh’s previous Scottish Cup meeting with Rangers, Mowatt recalled with pride the seismic shock he was involved in.
He said: “It was the proudest and happiest moment of my life and of my football career.
“We were every bit as good as Dundee and we managed to hold out for the win.
“The Fraserburgh crowd went crazy when the final whistle went and to a man we were carried off the pitch on the shoulders of the spectators.”
When it comes to this weekend’s game, Fraserburgh have been rated 80/1 outsiders with some bookmakers for what is their first match at Ibrox in their history as they try to cause an upset which would perhaps even eclipse 1959.
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