Hawick Royal Albert to face fifth-tier opposition in round three of South Region Challenge Cup
Hawick Royal Albert, the Borders’ last men standing in this football season’s South Region Challenge Cup, have been drawn against opposition two leagues higher in its third round.
Manager Kenny Aitchison’s Royalists are to host the Scottish Lowland Football League West’s Clydebank in that round of 32, to be played on Saturday, October 10, with kick-off at 2.30pm.
That will be the two teams’ first meeting in histories stretching back a combined 102 years, the Royalists having been founded in 1947 and the Bankies’ current incarnation in 2003.
Albert are currently fifth in the East of Scotland Football League’s second division south-east conference, on ten points from five fixtures, 47 places down the Scottish football pyramid from their West Dunbartonshire opponents, sitting seventh in their table at the moment.
The Borderers, given a first-round bye, booked their place in round three with an 8-0 second-round demolition of Dumfries and Galloway’s St Cuthbert Wanderers at home on Saturday gone, September 5.
Their upcoming fifth-tier visitors’ route to Albert Park next month consisted of away knockouts of two EoSFL second division north-west conference sides, Stoneyburn by 3-1 in round one in mid-August and Livingston United by 4-1 in round two.
Round three is as far as Albert have ever got in the challenge cup, having made it beyond the second round only once previously, in 2023.
Also given a round-one bye that year, they beat West Lothian’s Bathgate Thistle 2-1 at home in round two but were then knocked out 4-1 away to North Ayrshire’s Kilwinning Rangers a month later.
This year’s challenge cup fourth round is scheduled for November 14, with eight-tie round five following on December 19, quarter-finals on January 30 next year and semis on February 27, all Saturdays, ahead of 2027’s final on Sunday, March 28.
Albert were one of two lots of Borderers in action in round two, along with their south-east conference rivals Vale of Leithen, also given a round-one bye.
The Innerleithen outfit went out 3-0 hosting Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University in Innerleithen, their exit following those of fellow south-east conference side Linton Hotspur, the Scottish Lowland Football League East’s Gala Fairydean Rovers and EoSFL division one’s Coldstream, respectively beaten 1-0 by South Lanarkshire’s Rutherglen Glencairn and 4-1 by East Lothian’s Tranent, both at home, and 8-0 away to Glasgow’s Knightswood in round one.
Though Albert are the only Borderers to make it to round three of the cup, the next best thing, neighbouring Northumberland’s Berwick Rangers, were also in yesterday’s draw and they’ll play Edinburgh University at home next time out.
Manager Kevin Haynes’ Scottish Lowland Football League East team edged out West of Scotland Football League division two’s Greenock Juniors 3-2 on the road in Inverclyde in round two to make it to the last 32 after skipping round one, and the capital city students they’re set to host got there via a 3-1 penalty shootout win away to EoSFL top-flight rivals Whitburn in West Lothian in round two after ending open play tied at 1-1.
Like Albert, round three is as far as Berwick have progressed in the challenge cup, going out at that stage 3-0 at home to Dumfries and Galloway’s Threave Rovers in 2024 and 1-0 away to East Lothian’s Musselburgh Athletic the year prior.