Road to Hampden kicks off with historic BBC first.
BBC Scotland cameras head to Fife for the start of their William Hill Scottish Cup TV coverage when Lowland League pacesetters Kelty Hearts take on Ayrshire Junior giants Auchinleck Talbot later this month.
Kelty, managed by Barry Ferguson who won the coveted trophy on five occasions during his time at Rangers, currently lie second in the Lowland League having scored 30 goals in the first six league matches of the season.
Auchinleck Talbot caused one of the upsets of the competition last year, beating Ayr United 1-0 in the fourth round in front of the Sportscene cameras.
Tommy Sloan’s side currently lie 10th in the West Premiership, 10 points behind the leaders – but have four games in hand.
Grigor Stirling, Commissioning Executive, Sport said “BBC Scotland has a long association with the Scottish Cup, and our audience will enjoy comprehensive coverage of this season’s competition, starting with this mouthwatering tie.”
Scottish FA Commercial Director Chris Rawlings said: “We’re delighted to work with BBC Scotland to bring live televised coverage of the William Hill Scottish Cup First Round fixture between Kelty Hearts and Auchinleck Talbot.
“It is a historic moment for the competition, bringing the early stages of the cup to a national audience for the first time. Clubs competing in the early round will enjoy greater exposure and it will be a memorable evening for both as they go head to head in what promises to be an exciting First Round.”
Coverage of the first round match in Fife starts at 7pm on Friday September 20 on the BBC Scotland channel, the first of 11 live games in the competition, culminating in live coverage of the final on Saturday May 9.
Grigor Stirling
Commissioning Executive, Sport,
BBC Scotland
