Scottish Cup glory trail gets whole Borders town buzzing

These are heady days for the football club, this week drawn away against Elgin City in the third round of the old competition, after seeing off Berwick Rangers in the previous tie.

Their success is all the more remarkable as it comes just months after the team’s home ground at Albert Park in Mansfield Road was flooded out.

It’s the first time the Royalists, founded in 1947, have made it this far, but their supporters are confident they can progress even further by reaching the fourth round and a possible meeting with Scottish Premiership giants Rangers or Celtic.

Honorary provost Stuart Marshall said: “The town was buzzing after last week’s result, and to think what this club has overcome in terms of being completely flooded out on several occasions.

“I congratulate both players and management on their recent successes and wish them well on their onward journey in the cup.

“It would be absolutely magnificent to see them beat Elgin, and all of us in Hawick are rooting for them.”

Hawick and Hermitage councillor Ron Smith admits being a “nostalgic Motherwell supporter” but is hoping his present home team will progress further.

He said: “My very best wishes go to Hawick Royal Albert. Having seen off Berwick Rangers, they should have no fears regarding Elgin City.”

Derick Tait, chairman of the Future Hawick group, believes the whole town should be proud of the lads’ success.

He said: “It’s great, and we wish them well for the next round and hope they can go further in the competition.

“The team have not been doing well in previous years, but it was a cracking result against Berwick. Their success is something the town can take great pride in.”

Hawick and Denholm councillor Watson McAteer admits to being “more of a rugby man”, but he has family members who have represented Royal in the past and has been watching the cup run with increasing excitement.

He said: “The Albert has faced many challenges, not least recovering from being flooded out at the beginning of the year.

“They are used to fighting the odds, and I, for one, would expect them to give a typical fight against Elgin and progress to the fourth round of the cup.

“The team committee should be proud of the results of their hard work both on and off the pitch.”

And it’s not just politicians who are getting behind the team as town butcher Grant Archibald has created an edible memento of the famous cup run – a sausage incorporating blue and red - the colours of the team’s home and away strips.

Grant, of Hutton’s in Howegate, said: “It’s pretty impossible to create a blue sausage so we put some blueberries and raspberries in there with a dash of prosecco as a champagne to celebrate the team’s win.”