Westdyke Community Club are proud to have made history after three of their youth teams reached the Scottish Cup semi-finals.
The Westhill club became the first Aberdeen and District Juvenile Football Association side to have three teams reach the last four of the national competition.
The U17s and U15s won their semi-finals with wins over Bonnyton Thistle and north rivals Fraserburgh Linkup YFC respectively.
They will battle for the prestigious trophy in May when their finals – with the U17s playing Drumsagard Football Academy and the U15s facing Lochend – take place at the Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie.
Meanwhile, the U14s, who won Westdyke’s first-ever Scottish Cup last season as U13s, lost their semi-final against Lochend Football Academy.
Club president Brian Bridgwater, who was one of the founders of the youth club in 1996, said: “We are very, very proud to have had three teams in the semi-finals.
“We are very proud of all of the players, the coaches and for everybody at the club itself.
“There is a lot of which goes on behind-the-scenes and without the help of our sponsors we would not have the visible professionalism that we have here at the club.
“It is three years running now that we have had a team in the final of the Scottish Cup.
“In 2022, we had our first-ever final with our under-18s squad and then had our under-13s win it last year.
“It is not just about reaching the Scottish Cup finals, but getting there reflects the quality of coaches we have and the players who have come through the club from the ages of five or six.”
Double Scottish Cup win would be major achievement for Westdyke
After a historic Scottish Cup win last season, when the U13s beat Airdrie Pumas 2-1 after extra time, Bridgwater is relishing the chance to add two more Scottish Cups to Westdyke‘s trophy cabinet.
He added: “It would be quite something for a club to take home two Scottish Cup trophies in one year.
“I’m not sure if it has been done before. It is possible, but I can’t recall a time it has happened, certainly not for an Aberdeenshire club.
“To win the Scottish Cup has been one of our proudest moments at the club and to reach two more finals is very, very pleasing.
“The achievement is right at the top of what the club have done on the pitch. To come out as one of the top-two teams in two different age groups is fantastic – and to be in the top-four teams in three age groups is a great achievement.”
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