1 draw, 2 ties, 4 teams and 8 interviews
Wednesday 25th January 2012
There were four numbered balls in the pot for The Scottish Communities League Cup Semi-Final Draw carried out by the Minister for the Commonwealth Games and Sport, Shona Robison, and Director of Winning Scotland Foundation, Tommy Boyle, and they pulled out two great ties.
Players and management staff from all four clubs were delighted to speak about Ayr United v Kilmarnock and Falkirk v Celtic.
Jonathan Tiffoney (Ayr United)
"This is a brilliant tie and the one that the boys in the dressing room and everyone at the club wanted.
"I am a Paisley boy so will miss some of the build-up but from what I have heard, no-one will be in Ayrshire that day, they will all be at Hampden.
"It will be a great day for our fans who have been brilliant with us this season, even though in some League games we have been struggling. We have beaten three SPL sides to get here so hopefully, we can do that to Kilmarnock as well.
I have been at Ayr for three seasons now and came up through their youth system and Under-19 team and this will be the biggest game of my career. I will be doing all I can to be in the starting eleven."
Manuel Pascali (Kilmarnock)
"It is a very exciting draw. I was lucky to be involved in the game against Ayr three years ago in the Scottish Cup. That was when there were still 32 teams in the competition and this game will be much higher profile as we are down to the last four.
"This is the type of match that everybody will want to be involved in as it will be full of passion. It will be a great day for football and a proud day for Ayrshire.
"If we win, we are in the Cup Final and that would be great for me as I am well into my career now and do not have too many opportunities left to make Cup Finals.
"It will be a very dangerous game as Ayr certainly deserve to be in the Semi-Finals after beating three SPL teams along the way to get here.
"The fans of both clubs will be buzzing. In the three months since the draw has been made, a few things have changed in both teams but one thing remains the same and that is it will be a tough game. We must give it two hundred percent to get to the Final.
"Some people will see us as favourites as we are in the SPL but Ayr, Falkirk and East Fife before that have shown that does not count for too much in this season’s Scottish Communities League Cup.
"There have been surprises in the cup and derby games can be difficult enough. I remember very well the atmosphere at both Rugby Park and Somerset Park in the Scottish Cup – it was unbelievable.
"This will be a special day for me and a great one for Ayrshire. It is the closest I have some to lifting a cup so I really want to win this game and get into the Cup Final."
Farid El Alagui (Falkirk)
"We have been concentrating on the First Division Championship but it has all been about Celtic this week. We will enjoy the occasion as it not very often in your career that you play in games like this.
"The young players in our squad have done really well to get this far and it would be great to go one stage further.
"I have to praise the Manager Steven Pressley for the work he has done and his backroom staff of Alex Smith, Neil Macfarlane and Stevie Crawford.
"Stevie was a striker like me and he is giving me plenty of advice on how to score against Celtic."
Thomas Rogne (Celtic)
"I played in the Semi-Final against Aberdeen last season and scored in it. It was a good experience but it was quite a strange game as we were three goals up early on. We were four ahead by half-time and that does not happen too often in Semi-Finals.
"Falkirk were a SPL side not long ago and they have done really well to defeat Rangers and Dundee United to get to this stage. It will be a tough game as they have a lot of good young players which is great for the future of Scottish football.
"As well as getting to last season’s Co-operative Insurance Cup Final, we also got to the Scottish Cup Final against Motherwell and that was a really great experience. I have been in two Finals now and I want a lot more of them in my career."
Brian Reid (Ayr United)
"I am reasonably happy with the draw and I am sure the supporters of both clubs will be really looking forward to it. I was the Manager at Ayr when we drew 2-2 in the Scottish Cup in 2009 and that was a great day and the replay was a fantastic occasion even though we lost 3-1.
"The personnel has changed a good bit in both sides since then but over the years, we have had a good record against Kilmarnock and I am sure our fans will be reminding everyone of that.
"We are only one game away from a Cup Final and what an incentive that is. Ten years ago, we were in a couple of Semi-Finals and a Final in the one season but we were a full-time side then under the chairmanship of Bill Barr but things are a bit different now. It is probably a bigger achievement now with a part-time squad and we will enjoy the game and give it a real go.
"Falkirk and Ayr have represented The Scottish Football League well and hopefully, we can continue to do so.
"I was with Rangers for part of the time when they were winning nine titles in a row and I won the First Division Championship with Falkirk and went through Play-Off Semi-Finals with Blackpool and winning this would probably be the greatest achievement.
"As a young Manager, I am delighted and proud of what the players have achieved. Some people will be writing us off but we have been written off in the earlier rounds as well."
Kenny Shiels (Kilmarnock)
"It is the draw we wanted not because it is a First Division side but because it is an Ayrshire derby. We could have had Celtic so I am also pleased as we have a better chance of going through than if that had been the draw.
"Avoiding Celtic left Ayr and Falkirk and those games on paper look less tough and that is being open and honest. It will have added interest because of the local nature of two Ayrshire sides and case history will tell you that these games are played in a good atmosphere.
"Ayr have had big wins against Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Hearts and St. Mirren and that is something we have not achieved so they will be getting treated with the utmost respect in every way.
"We have had three months of SPL football since the draw but the Saturday after we were paired together, we had 2,000 kids at one of our home games free of charge and Ayr are a family club so there is plenty going on for our communities. It is great that the community work can be celebrated in the Semi-Final of The Scottish Communities League Cup.
"I have had Semi-Finals and Finals as a player in Ireland and I took Coleraine to one as well as Carrick Rangers and Ballymena as a Manager. In fact, every club I have managed has been in a Final and it is very exciting to have the chance to do so in my first full season in charge at Kilmarnock.
"Brian Reid has done a great job at Ayr and we speak regularly. He works hard at his job and his team play good attacking football and so do we and it is unlikely to be a goalless draw. I hope I don’t regret saying this but I see goals in this game."
Steven Pressley (Falkirk)
"This is the third tie against a former side and I am obviously hoping that it is a third time lucky. It is a terrific time for the club and for our young team.
"For many of our players, it will be their first experience of playing at the National Stadium and playing in the Semi-Final of a national competition.
"All the pressure is on Celtic and a lot of people will not expect us to cause an upset again but we will prepare properly. If we come into the game having done that, and with the right attitude and right energy on the day, then anything is possible.
"Our youngsters have risen to a lot of challenges already and there is a real sense of anticipation about the club. Over the last couple of months, you could sense that people were remembering that there was a huge Semi-Final around the corner however, the focus on our bread and butter has been great.
"The players have been playing for their jerseys in this game.
"I played in a few Semi-Finals although it is different as a Manager but it is a role that I am really enjoying. I probably enjoy it more than playing.
"I really love what is involved and I appreciate the support I have received from our Technical Director, Alex Smith, who has been like a father figure to me.
"I lost my own father when I was young and I have turned to Alex often for strong advice and I cannot speak highly enough of him. We have grown close over the years and I am lucky to be working with such an experienced guy.
"We will be full of energy and excitement for the game and looking to build on beating Dundee United in the last round."
Johan Mjallby (Celtic)
"This will be an interesting game and one we are looking forward to. In fairness, it did not matter who we got as it is a Semi-Final and it will be a hard game where we have to play well.
"Last season we took care of Aberdeen with a very good first half display, in fact it was a great example of the way we played a lot last season with a strong first half performance.
"After an inconsistent start to the season, we are getting to a high standard of performance.
"Steven Pressley came to Celtic after me and he has built up a squad of good young players at Falkirk who are good on the ball. He will be happy with the way his team are improving and working hard for him.
"Our players will respect Falkirk as they have it all to win and nothing to lose. Obviously, they beat Rangers and Dundee United earlier in the competition so we have had to do a lot of homework.
"Motherwell in last season’s Scottish Cup Final was a great day. When you are involved at Celtic, you know you have a great chance of winning trophies. It is a pressure that is brilliant to have but you have to be able to handle it as one of the best feelings ever is to win a cup."
Tickets for both games are still available
