LARGS THISTLE V LINLITHGOW ROSE JUNIOR CUP FINAL LIVE ON BBC ALBA
Spòrs
Sunday 23rd May 3:55pm
The showpiece event of the Junior football calendar comes to our screens this weekend as BBC ALBA broadcasts exclusive live coverage of the Emirates Scottish Junior Cup final between Largs Thistle and Linlithgow Rose.
Coverage of this Sunday’s eagerly anticipated clash from Rugby Park starts at 3.55pm, with kick-off at 4pm. The programme will be hosted by Gaelic sports anchor Calum Macaulay.
Supporters from Largs and Linlithgow will be out in force to support their local sides and armchair fans from across the country will be able to enjoy what should be a carnival atmosphere.
For Largs Thistle, Sunday’s cup final will be a chance to recreate the glory of their 1994 Scottish Junior Cup win, when they overcame Glenafton 1-0 to lift the trophy. Despite patchy form in other competitions leading up to the final, Largs will feel confident they can achieve a result after their 2-0 aggregate win over Clydebank in the semi-finals.
Despite this, Linlithgow Rose go into the final as favourites with a rich Junior Cup history to draw experience from. Three times winners of the competition, their most recent cup success came in 2007 when they defeated Kelty Hearts 2-1 in the final at East End Park. Rose manager David Baikie will also be hoping that cup success will spur his players onto a good end of season run, with Linlithgow still in with an outside chance of securing the East Region Super League championship.
As well as full match action, Spòrs will catch up with the respective teams in a package of half-time news and interviews. We hear of the excitement in Largs ahead of the final, with one local shop in the seaside town creating its very own Largs Thistle ice cream to celebrate the club’s achievements.
Also speaking to the show is Linlithgow Rose club secretary Davie Roy, who hopes to mark his 50 years of involvement with the West Lothian club by celebrating a cup win, whilst the Spòrs team also pay a visit to beaten semi-finalists Clydebank to hear more about the Bankies’ ambitions for the future from their chairman Gordon Robertson.
Coverage of Sunday’s Junior Cup final adds to an extensive sports package provided on BBC ALBA, with this match plus forthcoming live shinty coverage complimenting the exclusive live offerings from the Scottish Football League and Magners League rugby play-offs in recent weeks.
Alan Esslemont, head of content for BBC ALBA, said: “The Scottish Junior Cup final is always an important date on the national football calendar so it is great that BBC ALBA will be there to provide the coverage that the final deserves.
“BBC ALBA broadcasting the final allows football fans, whatever team they support, to witness what should be a fantastic occasion for the two teams involved. Given the success of the Junior game across the country, we hope that it will be popular with viewers and once again demonstrate BBC ALBA’s commitment to covering Scottish sport from the grassroots to the top level.”
BBC ALBA’s coverage will be produced by mneTV, one of Scotland’s leading independent production companies, and is available on Sky channel 168 & Freesat channel 110.