BACK IN the late 1980s, following their unprecedented and since unemulated run of three Scottish Junior Cup wins in a row, the then Auchinleck Talbot committee had a special niche built into the lounge bar of the Talbot Social Club, adjacent to the pavilion at Beechwood Park.
I cautioned them at that time that this maybe wasn't the wisest use of resources; this niche was specifically built to house the Scottish Junior Cup, no other trophy fits the bespoke space. I suggested the Talbot run HAD to end, and while never doubting that they would win it again, I fancied there would be a few seasons during which the empty space would mock their preseumptions.
And so it transpired, however, the modern-day Talbot committee, which includes the likes of secretary Henry Dumigan and treasurer Davie Loy, who have been there since the first great, will not have to worry about a void taunting them for the next 12 months, after their tam's win over Linlithgow Rose, at Livingston, yesterday.
The better team won, more-emphatically than the 1-0 score-line might indicate and, truthfully, it will be very hard for any team, even Linlithgow, to wrestle the trophy off Tucker Sloan's men next season.
The final was scrappy, but, it was a good day out - particularly for the Talbot Taliban. Mind you, as someone who saw his first Junior Cup Final back in 1956, I reckon this particular grade of football has never been the same since time-honoured "Gerrintaerum" tactics were banished, in the face of opposition from MMA cage fighting. There was one three-man "stoat-up" on Sunday which had we older afficiandos smiling, but, generally today, Junior football is about as entertaining as watching an SPL game.
I was discussing events today with some junior fanatics, who were relishing a not bad weekend for junior football in Cumnock and Doon Valley: Talbot won the BIG one, the Scottish, on Sunday; Glenafton had won the next-big one, the West of Scotland Cup, on the Sunday; while, to loud cheering from the surrounding villages, Scumnock were beaten in the final of the Ayrshire Cup on the Friday night - "the best result of the weekend", according to one Glenafton fanatic.
The same guy, came-up with a plausible means of getting round the convention whereby the Scottish Junior Cup Final has become, over many years, a disappointment to the cognoscenti.
The occasion, the stress, the fact the game is played on an all-seated senior ground, which doesn't allow the freedom to wander about and generally abuse the referee and opposition, is reckoned to reduce the junior fan's enjoyment of what should, win or lose, be the biggest day of his club's season.
"Why not play the final in one of the several well-appointed junior grounds, such as Pollok's" my friend suggested.
"I t isn't as if the Junior Cup Final will fill a senior ground - the bigger junior grounds can easily accommodate five-to-seven thousand "real" junior fans, standing and enjoying themselves" he continued.
"There were only about 1500 fans at our final on Saturday, but, inside Newlandsfield Park, they created a Hell of an atmosphere.
Of course, the Hampden blazers, the sponsors and the hangers-on will have to be taken care of and not every junior ground is equipped to do this, but, while the "prawn sandwich" brigade have to be looked after, the real fans, who follow their clubs everywhere should take priority. I think my friend from the Glen has a point.
Sunday's trophy win was Talbot's 101st, not bad for a wee team from East Ayrshire.
Easy money oul yin, eh?
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