Scottish Cup upset would ease Rangers fan Raymond Carr's nightmare

Raymond Carr cried all the way home after seeing Rangers lose to Berwick Rangers in 1967. Picture: SNS.

Rangers supporter Carr attended that fateful night at Shielfield and vividly remembers mourning the 1-0 first-round loss on the journey all the way back to Edinburgh.

However, the experienced coach is likely to cry tears of joy should his East of Scotland League champions take the scalp of the current Championship leaders in this afternoon’s third-round tie at Saughton Enclosure.

Asked to recall the biggest shock he has witnessed, Carr, pictured, replied: “I was a small boy when Berwick Rangers beat Rangers all those years ago. I was about 13, 14 years-old.

“I was a Rangers fan and I remember crying all the way back up the road. I still have nightmares about that game.

“I used to go to all the  Rangers matches and I still have my name on one of the seats in the club deck.

“I think if we could beat  St Mirren it would be on par with what happened in 1967.

“It would be fantastic for the boys but I would happily settle for them giving a good account of themselves. Hopefully it’s a decent result.

“It’s going to be a big ask, let’s not kid ourselves on, but we’ve got good players out there.”

LTHV have already caused an upset in this season’s competition by defeating League 2 leaders Stirling Albion 5-3 in the previous round.

Naturally, there is only one team that Carr wants to draw should St Mirren’s name be added to the epitaph of giant-killing victims.

“Beating St Mirren and getting Rangers in the next round would be my dream,” he added.

“I have been telling everybody I’ve had this dream. Rangers keep appearing in it.

“I also told Lee Wallace about it on Saturday as he helps  out at [East of Scotland side] Tynecastle. I told him we were coming for him.”

One factor that could benefit the underdogs today is home advantage. St Mirren’s objections to the Scottish FA about the suitability of the no-thrills ground for their supporters were dismissed.

The pitch is surrounded by a running track and inclined grass planes that will effectively act as terracing. The changing rooms behind one of the goals are also likely to offer basic facilities at most.

Carr added: “It’s about time some of these big clubs came here to see what it is all about.

“We don’t have pots and  pots of money to make the  necessary changes.

“We are gradually doing it but we are not getting any help from the council.

“We hope to have a covered enclosure built in December, although these things cost a lot of money.

“We want to progress and we can certainly do that with the players we have at the moment.

“I will be struggling to hold on to them at the end of the season.”

Carr was stunned by the level of his team’s performance as they put Stirling Albion to the sword and will ask for more of the same in today’s lunchtime kick-off. He added: “To be honest I was shell-shocked. I just wasn’t expecting us to go so far in front.

“It was just as well we did because there were a lot of tired legs at the end.

“We lost a couple of late goals but thankfully we still had enough of a cushion.

“The boys think they can beat anybody. They are delighted and raring to go, but it is going to be a big ask.”