ForzaWishy

Found this out to my cost when Wishy played there in a Junior Cup replay four years ago. A decidedly long walk without much scenic interest unless you're into green field housing estates (TBF in the town proper there was a nice wee cafe round the corner from the ground). Worse on the way back as the heavens opened but at least Wishy had won the penalty shootout so didn't overly mind being wringing wet through the return journey (and somehow managed to avoid a bout of pleurisy). Was curious to go there as Armadale brought one of the biggest away supports I ever saw at Wishaw's old Recreation Field to a Cup tie in the early 80s (needless to say Thistle won easily, something like 5-1), obviously what's happened in the intervening years has taken quite a toll on the town and its team.

This thread certainly brings home how ancient and out of touch I am. When I was growing up I was an avid collector and in them days the problem was getting (senior) clubs to start producing, took me years to get an Alloa and (ironic given the comments above) Clydebank programme (think promotions in the late 70s finally spurred both into action). Junior progs were scarcely sighted, though I seem to remember EK Thistle and one Ayrshire team (possibly Troon?) producing regular publications of some kind in the 80s (there were also odd one-off issues, like a Shettleston prog for a testimonial v Celtic around that era). I certainly never remember Wishy issuing anything other than half-time draw tickets until their re-birth in 2002 (mibbe there was something produced during the glory days in the 20s and 30s, have never come across any evidence myself). Now some senior clubs are packing it in or producing on-line with all these other social media outlets providing the info that in bygone days would have gone into the programme. Given how expensive and (in my old codger opinion) full of glossy rubbish they had become that's understandable but it's good, particularly at junior level, there are still enthusiasts willing to put the effort in and clubs that back them (I doubt many make much profit even if just team lines and a few notes squeezed between adverts and homages to sponsors). I would buy as a memory aid for a match I've been to so TBH don't care much about the quality (probably the cheaper and more handmade the better IMO, used to love the old typed/duplicated efforts) although fair play to the editors who toil away lovingly. I'm guessing there are a fair few other folk who like a souvenir of games attended (don't think tweets or whatever facebook offers quite cut the mustard there ) so I certainly hope programmes survive, however archaic they may seem to young yins today!

I wouldn't bank on it, especially from the home fans' perspective. It looks more likely to be a one sided contest, I notice the bookies have priced Lesmahagow at 4/9 on, given all form this season to date I doubt they will be far wrong. Do hope I'm pleasantly surprised - the first goal of season 19/20 would be nice (although won't complain if that's being saved for Moor Park on Saturday when I'm back in the country). All credit to the Gow for the way they have turned things around. - Wishy were just as hot favourites on their last visit in May last year and, if I remember rightly, romped home about 4-0 or 4-1. Things have (sadly from Wishy's POV) moved on a great deal since then. On the bright side, it is shaping up to be a highly competitive league, there seem to be a lot of strong sides (particularly from Lanarkshire) in the mix. Unfortunately it looks like Wishy may be battling away at the wrong end, having said this I do expect the usual improvement once the weather turns and the heavy pitches come in. Am also looking forward to visits to Lanark and Girvan (nice to have these fixtures in August rather than the middle of winter despite less chance of a result). Sadly I'm at that stage of life where any excitement surrounding a new season is a distant memory associated with getting up early during school holidays to head to the paper shop (Lannnigan's in the Wishy of yore) for the 'Shoot' league ladders!

Now the dust has well and truly settled after what was an epic tie (and I've finally recovered some sense of what time zone I'm in) I'd just like to extend congratulations to all at Hurlford and wish you well for the final, it will be a tall order against the mighty Talbot but as with the first ever Junior Cup run I followed Wishy in (1980 ending at Baillieston) I hope to have exited at the home of the eventual winners. Haven't quite brought myself to watch Saturday's highlights yet, but will look back fondly on a sterling effort, well done all at Wishy in getting much further than I ever thought possible and making the Ford fight all the way to the line, Wishy have a good record on penalties so who knows what would have happened if they had conjured a 2nd goal? Anyway, footballing life goes on fast and furious with so many league (and Central League Cup) ties to fit in, but thanks to all at the club for creating such fabulous memories. I remember one of the Hurlford fans (possibly ex-German exile?) posting that the year they won the Cup the Semi victory over Irvine Meadow was more enjoyable than the glory day of the final, similarly with Wishy's Cup run this year my favourite memory rather than the day in the sun at Hurlford was the win over Yoker on a freezing St Patrick's Day before a typically tiny junior crowd which meant that Wishy would be featuring in the finals stages of the cup (admittedly at that stage only the last eight) for the first time in my life, a small football dream come true. Finally, sad there won't be the range of souvenirs the club were planning if they got through but, a stack of fond memories to take away, will probably be harping on about them for as many of the next 83 years as I see out! Best wishes to all concerned, proud of you, Wishy.

Sounds like there will be great backing for Wishy at Hurlford this afternoon (just setting off myself shortly), while we may vary in our expectations everyone will be squarely behind the team as they try to achieve what would be the greatest success in the club's recent history if they manage to pull this tie around. Make no mistake, this is the toughest task Wishy have faced but the beauty of cup football is that the opportunity is there to be seized. I'm sure the players will give their all at Blair Park and win, lose or draw they will have our full support for what should be a match to remember for the rest of our days. C'MOAN WISHY, TRULY ONCE IN A LIFETIME!

I hope you're right, Tommy (although personally I doubt it) and with Wishy 3/1 for Saturday's match and out to 25/1 for the Cup itself, you could give the bookies a bit of a hammering in the process. If the teams play like they did in the first half at the Beltane, the Ford will coast it. If they play like the 2nd, Wishy have a great shout although they need to be able to finish off the chances the talented lads like Kindlan and Coffey create. I doubt Hurlford will concede two goals softly, let's hope Vinny or whoever leads the line on Saturday is sharp enough to take the opportunities when they present themselves. Whether Wishy can do that or not it has been a fantastic journey and all credit to the players and officials who've got the club within touching distance of the final (something I never ever thought I would see in my puff). Knowing what a fierce competitor Darren Henderson is (I remember seeing him play in the same Stranraer side as Tommy Sloan that romped to the 2nd Division title in 1994) he will have his players right up for it on Saturday so Wishy will have to surpass that wonderful show against Rob Roy (playing away and starting a goal behind) to get through. Might be a bit too much to ask but they've kept surprising me right throughout so please, please prove me wrong (again!) and let's hope by Sunday the Wishaw secretary is opening negotiations with Nicholas McDonald's agent for the souvenir Cup Final disc.

Yes, biggest game of their lives so not surprising they were jittery. At least they didn't crumble when the Ford got their goal and, as you say, really came into it in the first 15-20 minutes of the 2nd half. Hurlford certainly have the advantage in terms of strength and physique (as you would expect with a top junior side) but all credit to the nippy Wishy lads for giving their defenders a real run for their money after half time. Although he's now at the veteran stage, I thought Allan Jenkins (the Ford no 6) showed all his ex-senior experience and will be a big threat again next week (he has a record of scoring in big games, like the Irish Cup Final a few years back). Having said this, if Wishy play as they did in the 2nd half, should be a good contest. I'd certainly agree with ex-German exile about it not being a classic, but having just watched the highlights of Talbot v Lochee, I'm not sure it was all that much better. Interesting to read that you thought Wishy's disallowed goal should have stood, I was behind there so couldn't really tell, if there are any highlights posted of this game I must have another look. Overall I thought the referee was pretty good and Wishy have had a few rubs of the green during the cup run (you need them to get this far) so I guess you just have to take the rough with the smooth. Looking forward to visiting Blair Park next week, would have preferred to have been on level terms but not mission impossible either. Am staying in Killie so won't have far to go to drown my sorrows and if Wishy do win will likely be floating along the River Irvine! Glad you had a good time, it was nice to see people from further afield there, I was standing next to a chap from Los Angeles (although I don't think he jetted in specially for the game), hopefully the 2nd leg will also attract some folk along beyond the hard-core supporters of both teams. The weather is seemingly set fair for next weekend so should be a grand day out.

Very nice to read this, lovely that the match is going to get such coverage, let's just hope it does justice. My recurring nightmare at the moment, having watched too many of these European games, is the Ford scoring 3 or 4 within a short space of time on Saturday and killing the tie (I wake up sweating with my alarm sounding like yon bloody bell!), hopefully Wishy are well briefed on the dangers. Personally, I'd be very happy to get to Hurlford on level terms and play winner takes all in a one-off game there. It is a shame that it coincides with the Motherwell semi-final but I think the Sunday would have been as bad, bearing in mind how many in the area follow the Old Firm (and the game might have been a bit lost in all their hoo-ha). Hopefully some of their (sensible) local supporters turn up at the Beltane to witness a bit of history being made, they've had 3 semi-finals in a row, Wishy have waited 85 years for this one. BTW, fascinating to read on the club website the pen pictures of the men who got Wishy to the semis then. If I've been reading them correctly (I've just got back from Central Europe after 3 flights and my head is a bit of a mush), some of the players featured went on to sign for Newcastle, Chelsea and Hibs, quite an incentive for the boys to raise their game at the weekend! I hadn't known that Jimmy Gordon (famed as the sidekick of Clough and Taylor) played for Wishy in that match (or indeed at all). Hopefully Saturday's programme will give more details of the Tranent game in 1935, I'll wager the crowd (at Tynecastle!) was in five figures. My faither (who was a boy at the time) always talked about football special trains leaving Wishy packed for big games, I'm sure this must have been what he was referring to (although as a known haverer I had always been highly sceptical). Anyway, looking forward so much to being there, great to see the local shops and community getting behind the team, C'MOAN WISHY, HISTORY BECKONS!

Maybe the magic lantern from 1935 can be coaxed back into action? Seriously, I'd be pretty certain there will be something recorded, my fear is more that it may make for a bit of a scary movie if everyone is caught up in the occasion and a very strong Hurlford team who know this stage of the tournament like the back of their hand exploit that. I took my wee camera along to the Yoker game (40 quid from Wishy Tesco ten years ago) and it even started videoing stuff (when I pushed the wrong button) so with all the hi-tech stuff about nowadays I'd reckon someone will be recording proceedings for posterity. I take it the advert for the game shown on some of the postings was generated at Hurlford's end? It certainly doesn't look like the Beltane, hopefully not an omen of a Port Glasgow type switch coming up (not that I'm paranoid)!

If there's any whiff on Saturday of Wishy getting to the semis it will be just as well casualty's only doon the road because I don't think my heart could take it! For anyone interested here's a snap from the Yoker game as the goalies prepare to go head to head on the first penalty:

It feels like I'm only thawing out now. It was one very cold afternoon at Holm Park and for most of the first half there wasn't much happening to warm the fans up (probably understandable with both sides lack of match practice). The penalty at the end of that half changed everything, you could see Wishy growing in confidence once they went ahead and Yoker wilting a bit at the start of the second half. If they had scored their penalty at 2-0 it would have been a very hairy last half hour, but the third goal so soon after was the killer. Credit to Yoker though for plugging away. getting one back and putting on some late pressure, I would have been in panic mode had a 2nd gone in. Certainly not a classic but delighted to see Wishaw through to the quarters, once in a lifetime! Congratulations to all the players and officials. Good luck to Yoker for the rest of the season, I'm sure the league game will turn out very differently (maybe even with a warm summer's evening thrown in). I also thought the young referee on Saturday did well, both penalty decisions looked correct to me and he let the game flow and wasn't as card-happy as many I've seen. Anyway hope Wishy can put up a bit of a fight against Rob Roy and show League 1 in a decent light.

To be fair I think both sides will be equally rusty so I think it could go either way (maybe will end up with another replay to fit in!) Very nice also to hear the accounts and see the pictures from Yoker's quarter-final with Linlithgow. Judging by the Wishaw secretary's message, there may be no-one left alive who can tell the tale of Wishy's last quarter-final. One thing I noticed from the pictures was that it was real tee-shirt weather at Holm Park that day. Judging by weekend forecasts now mentioning a 'threat of snow' woolly vests and long johns may be the order of the day if the game does go ahead on Saturday. The fans might want to wrap up too.

Thanks for this. My granddad may well have been at the semi, probably got there in one of them new-fangled electric tram cars. Sounds as if it was an exciting match against Linlithgow, it would be nice if the team who get to the quarters can give as good a showing against Rob Roy (although maybe a bit optimistic given both sides lack of playing time recently). Anyway I hope the Yoker v Wishaw match when it is played does justice to the long wait!

Given the pattern of postponements for Wishaw in the cup since the 3rd Round has been 4 (Downfield away), 4 (Downfield home), 3 (Forth home) and now 2 (Yoker), it may be touch and go for next Saturday! Having said this in recent years St Patrick's Day has usually been very sunny and spring-like so here's hoping that continues. On the other hand it would be quite nice to see Wishy's name (along with Yoker of course) in the semi-final draw (assuming it's the week after the other quarters are played). Anyway, if it does go ahead next week, will look forward to seeing the match and hope whoever does win through enjoy their day in the sun against Rob Roy and give them a bit of a run for their money. I see from the club website that Wishy last reached the 5th round in 75/76 (before I took any interest in the juniors), and I dread to think when they were last in the quarter-finals. Have Yoker been regulars at these stages of the tournament or is it the first time in a while also? I see from my research (ie, reading 'The Wee Red Book') that Yoker won the cup not long before the war (and were in another final around then if my memory serves me right). I'm an old codger myself now but even my granddad (and possibly his faither also) wasn't born the last time the trophy was paraded around Wishaw although somehow I doubt this cup run will end the 130 years of hurt!