Auchinleck Talbot manager Tommy Sloan has described his club’s Scottish Cup tie against Celtic as being the biggest cup-tie in his long career. The Ayrshire junior side got the dream home draw when the big guns entered the hat at the fourth round stage…
Auchinleck Talbot has yet to decide whether the cup tie is going to be played at their 4000 capacity Beechwood Park or perhaps maximise their takings by moving the game to either Kilmarnock’s Rugby Park or Ayr United’s Somerset Park. Killie has a home draw of their own, versus Dundee at Rugby Park whereas Ayr United are away in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup with a tough task against Dundee United at Tannadice, with the ties scheduled for the weekend of 17 January.
The 61 year-old Auchinleck Talbot has won the Junior Cup seven times and is realistic enough to know that is his side’s best chance of collecting silverware in a cup competition this season. However taking on Celtic in the Scottish Cup is going to be a career highlight for Tommy Sloan.
Auchinleck Talbot hammered Dumbarton 4-0 in the third round at the weekend to set up the tie with the Scottish Cup’s most successful club – Celtic have lifted the old trophy on 42 occasions in our unbroken history Sloane has been talking about the draw and also the task he now faces keeping his players focused as they await until the middle of next month to face Celtic.
🚧 Good to spend some time with @atfc1909 manager Tommy Sloan today.
😮 Just the 22 years in charge at Beechwood Park and the club have a home Scottish Cup tie against Celtic to look forward to.
📺 More on @BBCScotlandNews Reporting Scotland at 6.30pm and 7.00pm. pic.twitter.com/W7468GpjBT
— Kenny Crawford (@KennyCrawford_) December 1, 2025
“You don’t get any bigger than that. It’s great for the club, with the publicity and whatnot, it’s great for the players especially, playing against Celtic, who last week beat Feyenoord away in Europe,” the Auchinleck Talbot manager said, as reported by STV.
“It is the biggest tie I have been involved in, there is no question of that. They are the champions of Scotland.
“To be honest, the Junior Cup is one we can win. That’s the most important competition for me whereas, we love being in the Scottish Cup but we know we are not winning it. I am realistic about it. The one we need to win is the Junior Cup, and we have had good success in it.
“We have a load of games before then. I will need to keep on to the players, that we need to try to win these games. It’s not a case of taking it easy. We need to guard against that.
“Hopefully the (Celtic) game is an incentive for them and we can keep the form up.”
🗣️ “The hospitality is already sold out.”
Manager Tommy Sloan says Auchinleck Talbot are hopeful of hosting Celtic at the 4,000 capacity Beechwood Park after they were paired together in the Scottish Cup.#BBCFootball #ScottishCup pic.twitter.com/kMRn7pGMD2
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) December 1, 2025
🍻HOSPITALITY SOLD OUT!
In rapid time, our hospitality packages have sold out for our upcoming match against Celtic.
Further details regarding the match will be communicated in due course through official club channels. #eppp pic.twitter.com/Lamd67kXKR
— Auchinleck Talbot (@atfc1909) November 30, 2025
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