Horror writer Stephen King couldn’t have penned the Buckie Thistle story that has unfolded in the past 48 hours.
After all, the multi-million selling author doesn’t do fairytales. And that’s exactly what the fourth round Scottish Cup draw handed the Highland League outfit – who just happen to wear green and hoops – on Sunday night.
Buckie were paired with Celtic at Parkhead and superfan King, who mentioned the club in his 2020 No.1 best-selling book If It Bleeds, will be as delighted as the rest of the town as up to half of it evacuates to Glasgow on January 20. King subsequently sent officials two signed copies of the book for auction as well as a photograph of himself wearing a Buckie strip in his hometown of Bangor, Maine. Now Buckie are intent on inflicting Misery on Celtic when they travel to Parkhead. The odds are stacked against the part-timers inflicting a Highland horror story to top anything King has penned.
But the Moray-based Jags have history in the cup in Glasgow. They became the first – and still only – non-league side to win a competitive match at Hampden when they sent Queen’s Park crashing out in the fourth round way back in 1954.
But that result would pale into insignificance if Buckie were to follow in the footsteps of Highland neighbours Inverness 23 years ago and rock Parkhead to its very foundations.
No matter what happens, it will be a day to remember for the Banffshire town with a population of fewer than 10,000 people.
A sizable number of locals are expected to make the 400-mile round-trip to the east end of Glasgow for the first-ever competitive meeting of the sides.
Eleven-time Highland League champions Buckie – currently fifth in the table with games in hand – average around 250 at their 5,000-capacity Victoria Park stadium where they once hosted Celtic in a friendly.
But club President Garry Farquhar reckons Buckie will resemble a ghost town when they undertake the biggest game in the club’s 134-year history on the weekend of January 20.
“It’s a fairytale draw, a dream come true,” he said on Monday. “and shows exactly what the Scottish Cup can throw up.
“Your aim is always to get through to the next round and then see what happens and that’s what makes the competition so good. And something big has certainly happened to us.”
Farquhar is also rubbing his hands in anticipation of a record pay-day of at least £250,000 – even if Parkhead is only half full.
The 68-year-old Aberdeen-based oil-related businessman has been a fan since he was a youngster growing up in the town and has had a direct association with the club for the past 19 years. And while he was keen to stress that Buckie isn’t in it just for the money, he described the anticipated cash windfall as an unbelievable bonus.
He said: “Any revenue that comes from the tie is going to be greatly appreciated by a club like Buckie playing in the Highland League. It takes a lot just to keep the club running and what’s coming is a good reward for being in the fourth round.
“Getting that far on its own is worth money in terms of what you get from the SFA, so that was the target in the first place. Anything on top is an unbelievable bonus.
“It may be surprising but you are probably only talking two years’ money in regard to running costs because football is an expensive business even for a Highland League club. There are high financial demands.”
Farquhar has been the head of club affairs for just over 10 years. He said: “Although I live in Aberdeen these days, I was born and brought up in Buckie and I was always aware of the club.
“I was also keen to become involved with the club, which I have been since 2004. This will be the biggest day in my time here although there have been other great moments as well when we won the Highland League in 2010 and again in 2011 following a gap of 52 years.
“This will be a huge day for the club but one of the biggest things for me is that this draw is fantastic for our supporters who are a big part of the club.
“Our average crowd is between 200 and 250 and we may get a bit more for certain games, maybe around 300. But I like to think there will be a good representation at the match against Celtic because there is already a lot of interest in the town.
“I am just delighted that the fans are going to get a very big day out. Our aim is to do ourselves proud and the Highland League as well.
Under SFA rules, Buckie will be expected to wear their change away strip of yellow. But, privately at least, moves are understood to be afoot to try to persuade Celtic to allow their opponents to wear the Hoops on their big day.
Farquhar claimed that it is not something that has been discussed as yet but he added: “It would certainly be a lovely gesture. ”
With a record of 13 wins and two draws from 19 matches so far this season, Buckie are clearly no slouches. Not that the Celtic players will need any reminding of the need to proceed with caution. The memory of “Super Caley go ballistic, Celtic are atrocious” back in 2000 should be more than enough of a warning for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
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