18/09/2021 – SCOTTISH CUP FIRST ROUND, GRANT PARK, LOSSIEMOUTH
Lossiemouth welcome East of Scotland League First Division Conference B side Preston Athletic to Grant Park this coming weekend for their first competitive meeting as the two face off in the first round of the 2021/22 Scottish Cup. The Coasters go into the game on a high on consecutive wins and clean sheets and are searching for their first Scottish Cup victory since disposing of Newton Stewart in 2009.
The Panners will arrive in the north after a fine start to their league season. So far, Preston have played 8 league fixtures, winning 6 while drawing once and losing once. The defeat came at home to Edinburgh South, while they played out a goalless draw with fellow title contenders Glenrothes. Preston have won all three of their away league fixtures this season.
FORM (MOST RECENT RESULT FIRST)…
LOSSIEMOUTH – WWLLLW, GF 9, GA 7
PRESTON ATHLETIC – WWWLWW, GF 15, GA 4
CLUB COLURS
Home kit – all blue; away kit – all red
ABOUT…
Preston Athletic was formed as a by-product of the mining community of Prestonpans when the miners of Preston Grange and Preston Links gave a penny out of their wages every week to keep it going. Preston Athletic first took the field as a junior football club in season 1945/46. The players and committee came almost entirely from the local mining community of Prestonpans, and the club took over the pitch vacated by the recently defunct Prestongrange Rovers.
Keeping their close links with mining, the club moved in 1950 to a more suitable pitch at Preston Links Park. This period was probably the best in the club’s history when large crowds were attracted to the games. The club found itself on the move again in the early 1960’s and eventually settled at its present home, Pennypit Park. The park was built on the site of the former Penny Pit, one of the oldest mines in the area, although by this time few players were miners.
Several honours were gained at the club, most in the 1940s and 50s, the most recent being the Alex Jack Cup in season 94/95, when Craigroyston were defeated in the final.
The club turned senior in 1994 when it was accepted as a member of the East of Scotland Football League. In 1995 the club was accepted as a member of The Scottish Football Association. During season 1999/2000 Preston applied for one of the two vacant Scottish Football League position but were rejected in favour of Peterhead and Elgin City.
Preston Athletic were founder members of the Lowland League in 2013/14 and took part in the league until the end of the 2016/17 season, when they were relegated to the East of Scotland League.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS…
None
SCOTTISH CUP HISTORY
Preston have participated in the Scottish Cup since the 2002/03 season and made their cup debut at home to Hamilton Academical in December 2002, losing 0-1 at Pennypit Park. The Panners won their first Scottish Cup tie in the 2005/06 edition of the competition when they ousted Stenhousemuir in the first round, before losing to Brechin City.
The Panners have gone on to face northern opposition in the Scottish Cup on a number of occasions, losing to Golspie, Fort William and Nairn County, while knocking Huntly, Fort and Nairn out of the competition. Ominously, their three wins against SHFL opposition have all come while playing away from home.
Preston qualified for the first round of the current edition of the competition after beating Threave Rovers in the preliminary round back in August.
LAST SEASON IN THE SCOTTISH CUP…
PRELIMINARY ROUND TWO
Lothian Thistle 4-4 LOSSIEMOUTH (AET; 3-3 after 90 minutes; Lothian Thistle won 4-2 on penalties)
PRESTON ATHLETIC 3-2 Hawick Royal Albert
FIRST ROUND
Stenhousemuir 4-1 PRESTON ATHLETIC
Sourced from Wikipedia, and the Preston Athletic club website, which you can visit here – www.prestonathletic.co.uk