Can you delve into your records Jamie and try to find out how Annan have done against League sides in any sort of Scottish cup tie that you have details for.

Also, do you know what sort of attendances they have been having during the past five years?

Thanks.

I'll see what I have later if Jamie doesn't provide something comprehensive first but I don't thinkthey've actually done that much against League sides over the years. I don't recall them making the Scottish Cup all that often. Lost heavily at home to Huntly last season. Lost to Morton the year before I think. I recall them running Brechin very close about a decade ago I think.

Thanks Skyline

I remember being at Galabank for a Scottish Cup tie against Queens Park where they lost 5-1 in front of around 1,ooo.

I think they also brought Berwick Rangers back to Annan in a replay in front of 1,500 or so and if they had won, they would have got Dundee United at home.

There were two figures floating about for the Scottish Cup tie v Huntly last year - 336 was one, the other was lower.

Annan's Scottish Cup Proper Ties:

27/10/07
Annan Athletic 2 - 5 Huntly
Crowd 243
Annan Scorers - Jack, Hill
Huntly Scorers - Gauld (2), Cormie, Morrison (2)

09/12/06
Annan Athletic 0 - 3 Morton
Crowd 1,200
Morton Scorers - Greacen, Weatherson, Stevenson

08/01/00
Brechin City 2 - 2 Annan Athletic
Crowd 396
Brechin Scorers - Bailey, Smith
Annan Scorers - McGuffie, Sloan

Replay 15/01/00
Annan Athletic 2 - 3 Brechin City
Crowd 1,039
Annan Scorers - Docherty, Thomson
Brechin Scorers - Christie, Nairn, Black

03/01/98
Annan Athletic 3 - 1 Vale of Leithen
Crowd 1,029
Annan Scorers - Montgomery (2), Gillie (OG)
Vale Scorer - Hood

24/01/98
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 8 - 1 Annan Athletic
Crowd 1,836
Inverness Scorers - Wilson (2), Stewart, Thomson (2), Robson, Shearer, Leslie (OG)
Annan Scorer - Montgomery

06/01/96
Berwick Rangers 3 - 3 Annan Athletic
Crowd 421
Berwick Scorers - Reid, Fraser, Irvine
Annan Scorers - Docherty (2), Muir

Replay 13/01/96
Annan Athletic 1 - 2 Berwick Rangers
Crowd 1,056
Annan Scorer - Sibbring
Berwick Scorer - Kane (2)

(Berwick did indeed lose 2-1 at home to Dundee United in the next round)


That's all I have. Info from SFL Review Books back to 1990. They may well have made the Scottish Cup before that but I wouldn't know.

Based on info from 1990 forward: They've never beaten a league side in the Scottish Cup, the only tie they've actually won in the competition proper was against Vale of Leithen. the 8-1 loss away to Inverness that followed that game remains their only trip as far as the 3rd round. They did achieve notable away draws at both Berwick Rangers and Brechin City in cup ties in 1996 and 2000 respectively but in both cases lost the home replay narrowly.

I know they did qualify once or twice before 1980 but I don't have that to hand this second.

But after that...

1986-87

Ayr United 3 Annan Athletic 1 (1st Round) att: 2400

1988-89

Annan Athletic 1 Queen's Park 5 (2nd Round) att: 1124

1995-96

Berwick Rangers 3 Annan Athletic 3 (2nd Round) att: 421
Annan Athletic 2 Berwick Rangers 3 (2nd Round replay) att: 1056

1997-98

Annan Athletic 3 Vale of Leithen 1 (2nd Round) att: 1029
Inverness Caley Thistle 8 Annan Athletic 1 (3rd Round) att: 1836

1999-00

Brechin City 2 Annan Athletic 2 (2nd Round) att: 396
Annan Athletic 2 Brechin City 3 (2nd Round replay) att: 1039

2006-07

Annan Athletic 0 Morton 3 (2nd Round) att: 1200

2007-08

Annan Athletic 2 Huntly 5 (2nd Round) att: 336

2007-08

Annan Athletic 2 Huntly 5 (2nd Round) att: 336
[/quote]


Does anyone know why the Annan gate against Huntly was so small? Something must have happened as I have never known Annan to get such a small attendance for a Scottish Cup-tie proper! I am sure there has to be a logical explanation like Carlisle, Queens and Gretna being at home on the same day.

Only 1 Cup appearance before 1987/87: a 3-1 first round defeat at home to Stranraer in 1979/80.

And Skyline has a figure of 243! I don't know which figure is correct, though both appeared at the time. I've a feeling my figure came from the SFA, but their figure for Lok v Montrose was inaccurate compared to the one Lok's treasurer provided me for the website.

I guess it just boils down to the 1st Round of the Scottish Cup this year would have felt like a Qualifying Round for most clubs, and Annan's 1st tie, albeit in the 2nd Round, was against non-league opposition. The 1st Round gates weren't brilliant, the Lok and Rose games excepted where big away supports went down.

Brora v Cove Rangers (60)
Civil Service v Selkirk (?)
Clach v Edinburgh City (153)
Coldstream v Dalbeattie (?)
Culter v Hawick (383)
Fort William v Spartans (113)
Fraserburgh v Huntly (383)
Girvan v Forres (?)
Glasgow Uni v Buckie (229)
Golspie v Preston (69)
Lossie v Whitehill (81)
Newton Stewart v Linlithgow (574)
Rothes v Nairn (108)
St Cuthbert v Lok (c500 - no official count taken)
Vale of Leithen v Gala (113)
Wick v Deveronvale (270)
Wigtown v Burntisland (?)

I agree, the media almost totally disregarded the Scottish Cup First Round, and for most of the clubs (and the fans maybe...) it was equivalent to a Quarter-Final of the old Qualifying Cup. Those playing the Juniors had a bit more interest, but apart from that not much had changed. The rise in crowds which occurred for non-leaguers in the Second Round indicates this was the Cup 'proper'.

Not that much of a rise though.

Annan v Huntly (336/243)
Buckie v Nairn (394)
Cove v Keith (188)
Culter v Vale of Leithen (365)
Edinburgh City v the Shire (188)
Edinburgh University v Deveronvale (348)
Girvan v Stranraer (482)
Locos v East Fife (770)
Linlithgow v Spartans (1683)
Selkirk v Dalbeattie (135)
Threave v Stenny (330)
Whitehill v Golspie (186)
Pollok v Montrose (1873)

My figure came from the BBC website.

Queens were away at Livingston that day incidentally. Gretna didn't play ANY "home" games last season, they played Inverness at Motherwell that day. Carlisle were away at Southend.

Threave's home game v Stenhousemuir would have been much more attractive to the non-partisan local cup watcher but even it only had a 330 crowd and I doubt mass numbers of Annan people went to it.

I think a tie against Huntly was just fundamentally not that attractive.

I was at the Annan v Huntly game and estimated the crowd to about 400 / 450. There were no actual turntiles at Galabank - you just paid at a table. Also, the Social Club inside the ground was open and busy from 12 Noon and I suspect many people never paid in to the game at all. People were also taking glasses from the social club into the ground.

These are issues they'll need to address before the start of the season. The locals will also have to get used to a tripling of admission prices compared to the East of Scotland League.

Of course there may need to be changes on certain fronts, including points you raised like secure admission, preventing individuals consuming alcohol viewing the game while in progress, etc. but this would have been the case with all 5 bidders. Galabank is better than quite a few SFL grounds.