Fraserburgh boss hopes players can get time off work after drawing Rangers in Scottish Cup

By Allan Valente

Fraserburgh boss Mark Cowie says his side have "nothing to lose" after drawing Rangers in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup, but hopes his players can get time off work for the game.

The Highland League minnows landed a dream tie after being paired with the Ibrox side, who are currently managerless after Pedro Caixinha was sacked last month.

Cowie said the fixture would provide a massive financial boost for his club, with many of his players set to play their boyhood heroes - if they can get the time off work first.

Image: Fraserburgh's home at Bellslea Park

"I'm still on cloud nine. I decided to get all the players together to watch the draw because I had a feeling something was going to happen," he said.

"The longer the draw went on the more we began to believe. We were all shouting for number 29 when our name finally came out - then our prayers were answered.

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"It's a massive draw for this club. Financially it will really help us out as you can imagine, in today's world it is difficult to run a club. To know one of the biggest clubs in Britain is coming up to play you is fantastic. If the TV came too that'd be unbelievable."

Goals from David Templeton and Darren Lyon give Hamilton Accies victory against Graeme Murty's Rangers at Ibrox

He added: "I've got guys in my side that will have to get the morning off work to play against Rangers. I just hope their bosses are football men and understand.

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"A lot of them are Rangers fans so they'll be playing their heroes. But we have nothing to lose. Not one thing. It's at home, so that gives us a chance. If a lot of things go in our favour, you never know what can happen."

Image: Rangers' Danny Wilson at full-time against Hamilton

Cowie will plead with club chiefs to resist the urge to shift the historic showdown, which will be held over the weekend of January 20-21, away from their tiny Bellslea Park base which holds just 3,000 fans.

Broch bosses now face a major decision on whether to stage the tie on home soil or move it to a bigger venue such as Aberdeen's Pittodrie, but Cowie hopes his men will be given the thumbs-up to play on their own patch for what he described as the biggest game in Fraserburgh's history.

Image: Graeme Murty is in caretaker charge of Rangers

"The question now is, can we accommodate them? They have such a big support and for footballing reasons I'd love it to be here," he said.

"But I understand that is a decision we will have to make as a club. If it has to be moved so be it. Whatever happens this is definitely the biggest game the club has ever seen."

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