Dream until we are blue in the face

Musselburgh Athletic are enjoying the best wishes of the town

It has been a busy week for the Musselburgh pensioner, who has been glued to her armchair carefully cutting and hand-sewing streams of bunting, not to mention arranging for a large waterproof banner to be designed, printed and delivered to her ground-floor flat.

The result of her hard work is now on display for the world to see, adorning her home in the Newbigging area of the town, the poster covering all but a tiny crack of her and her husband Henry's bedroom window, with the bunting streaming out on to the garden railings.

For the couple, proud residents of the Honest Toun, it was the least they could do to show their support and is just a small example of the growing excitement that has sent Musselburgh blue and white crazy.

On Sunday, history will be made when Musselburgh Athletic FC make their way to Kilmarnock's Rugby Park for a place in the Scottish Junior Cup Final, taking on the Ayrshire side Auchinleck Talbot in what is expected to be a closely-fought game.

It is the first time in living memory that the East Lothian side have made the final. If they win, they will bring home the same title the town's long-defunct Musselburgh Bruntonians won when they beat Arniston Rangers in the competition at Tynecastle way back in 1923.

Understandably, the town is right behind its boys, with an estimated 5000 people expected to head to Kilmarnock for the match and the rest settling in to watch the game on TV to make sure they don't miss out on a second of the action.

"I know the boys will do their best," says Ruby, a well-known community councillor. "The whole town is behind them - what an achievement to get to the final.

"It took me hours to make the bunting, cutting and sewing the pieces before joining it all together on my sewing machine. I just feel everyone should get behind the team and I wanted to show my support.

"To be honest, I don't really follow football, but when I was young my dad would take me to the games. I think that even if you're not a football fan, this is very much about the community and us all showing our support for that."

Round the corner from Ruby's home, former Hibs footballer Jackie McNamara is pulling pints in the Sportsman Bar, the pub he owns on the High Street. As he serves local man Adam Archibald, pictured below with Jackie, a blue and white chequered flag hangs from the ceiling and blue commemorative T-shirts emblazoned with "Musselburgh Athletic" hang behind the bar.

Jackie reveals the souvenirs have been selling out fast, with townsfolk eager to savour just a piece of the history their side have already made, regardless of whether or not they win. Yet both men are confident Musselburgh have what it takes to claim the title.

"Getting to the final is a great achievement," says the former professional footballer, "And I know they are not the favourites to win but, as the saying goes, 'cometh the hour, cometh the man'. The whole town is behind them - the place is buzzing.

"It's like the old festival week used to be and we'll all be here waiting for when the cup comes home."

The excitement is even more intense further down the High Street in The Burgh where former local football coach Jim Finnigan insists the team have been playing well enough this season to realise their title dreams. "They need to keep it tight at the back for the first 20 minutes and then they will have a chance," he says.

"Who would ever have thought months ago they would have been in the final? It's great."

Similar optimism is found in almost every local, faces lighting up when the topic of Sunday's cup final is raised. Most shops have posters of support proudly beaming out from their windows, many homes have bunting and banners to show they are rooting for their team and the achievement they have made.

"I predict 5-4 to Musselburgh," smiles Alan Murray, who runs The Burgh Cafe on the High Street with wife Sarah. "All our customers are talking about the game. The team come in here, as do their families, and we all feel a win would make a big difference to the town."

Playing out from behind the bar at The Store Club on North High Street, is 'Mon the Burgh!, Musselburgh Athletic's supporters song, written by fan Peter Gillan to the tune of the Hokey Cokey to rally the fans as they sing their way to Kilmarnock at the weekend.

"Can you hear it?" smiles Andrew McBreatie, the club steward. "That is our song."

He and club treasurer Alan Pringle spent more than four hours hanging bunting in the grounds of the club, decorating the windows with flags and boards with the Musselburgh Athletic shield carefully painted by Andrew's step-daughter Amy.

A striking sight as cars enter and leave the town, many drivers toot their horns in support for the team as the men pose for pictures with fellow supporters and social club members at the front of the building.

"I'll be there on Sunday with my son," says local man Ronnie Fraser. "I didn't expect them to get to the final, but this is great for the town. It would be great for the cup to come home, but it is great for the team just to be there.

"I do think it should have been played on more neutral territory though, somewhere in between both places, possibly Livingston, but the boys just need to believe in themselves and, with a bit of luck, who knows what will happen."

One man who is keeping any speculation over a win firmly out of his mind is Musselburgh Athletic manager David McGlynn, who later insists that all he is thinking about is doing his job on Sunday to give his boys the best chance they have of success.

"It is a one-off and there is not much between both teams," he says. "We just have to try to win the game.

"The support in the town has been amazing for us, even the schools have being doing things for us.

"It's a great thing for the whole community.

"This is a new experience for everyone, though - the first time it has ever happened and that's why the reaction has been so good. We're hoping to take 5000 to Kilmarnock. It's overwhelming."

With a massive chunk of the town heading to Ayrshire, the rest piled into sitting rooms glued to television sets, it seems likely that Musselburgh will be eerily quiet on Sunday.

Whether things liven up later on that evening will all depend on what the score is at full-time.

"Musselburgh will be a ghost town on Sunday," says local Angi Arnott, drinking with friends in The Burgh. "But it will be jubilant if we win."

For more information on travelling to the Scottish Junior Cup Final on Sunday, visit www.musselburghathletic.com or call 07743927878. The game will also be broadcast live on BBC Alba from 2.50pm. For details visit www.bbc.co.uk/bbcalba.