Kilmarnock offer to host Auchinleck Talbot’s game with Celtic following ‘fairytale’ Scottish Cup fourth round draw
Celtic face Auchinleck Talbot in a fairytale cup clash
Scottish Premiership outfit Kilmarnock have emerged as possible contenders to host Auchinleck Talbot’s upcoming cup encounter with Glasgow heavyweights Celtic.
Last season’s runners-up are set to travel to East Ayrshire to face Auchinleck Talbot in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup after the West of Scotland Football League’s side secured their place in this phase of the tournament by thrashing Scottish League Two side Dumbarton 4-0 in an epic away victory in the third round.
The fixture, scheduled for the weekend of January 17-18 next year, is one that presents a real glamour tie for Talbot, who have far exceeded most fans' expectations in this tournament already. However, it’s not yet been decided by Police Scotland whether their stadium is suitable to host the fairytale cup clash.
Auchinleck Talbot could face Celtic at Kilmarnock’s Rugby Park
Talbot typically play their matches at Beechwood Park, which is a venue that can hold between 3,800 and 4,000 spectators on a matchday.
However, the venue is designed to accommodate non-league matches and it’s not yet clear whether the stadium is suitable to host a game of this magnitude.
Glasgow Times understands the final decision on the venue is likely to rest with the police, Celtic football club and potentially the SFA themselves. As such, Kilmarnock, who play their matches at Rugby Park have offered to step in an allow the teams to play at their stadium if Beechwood Park is indeed deemed unsuitable.
Auchinleck Talbot make their preference clear as they gear up for fairytale cup clash
"It’s a fairy tale to get Celtic to come play at Beechwood, you’d never have thought that five, 10 years ago, so I can see that side of it,” explained Allan McLuckie, Talbot's assistant manager.
He added: "But I think a lot of it will be dictated to by the police and then maybe Celtic and the SFA themselves.The committee need to talk about it first and then we’ll take direction from them. It’d be great to have them at home but, by the same token, you’ve got an opportunity to leave a massive legacy in terms of the money that comes into the club."
However, it’s also worth noting that Kilmarnock are still involved in the Scottish Cup themselves and are playing on the same weekend as Celtic. They face Dundee , meaning logistics will need to be decided if a very busy day is on the cards.
Playing at Parkhead, has also been mentioned as a possibility, but McLuckie is adamant that he’d prefer home advantage on the smaller pitch. He concluded: Could you switch it to Parkhead? I don’t know whether that’s a possibility or not.
"Certainly Kilmarnock have come forward and offered their pitch.I think a lot of them would rather play at home on the smaller pitch."
Celtic reached the final of the Scottish Cup last year before falling short on penalties against Aberdeen to deny former boss Brendan Rodgers a treble in what would prove to be his final full season.
They’ll hope to regain the trophy this term as Wilfried Nancy prepares to take on his first ever managerial role in Europe after successful stints in both USA and Canada.