Mention Nairn County's Scottish Cup run of 1985-86 to any supporter who was around at the time and they will have a tale to tell you. Whether it be mucking in to help in the all-hands-to-the-pump effort that was made by the whole community to ensure that the third round tie went ahead in atrocious weather conditions or bunking off school to go to the replay at Meadowbank in the second round, the mere mention of the "good old days" will bring the memories flooding back for many.
With the club on the brink of extinction and in the midst of financial meltdown, Mansel Craib's battlers somehow hauled themselves through the first two rounds of the now defunct Scottish Qualifying Cup (North) to reach the Scottish Cup proper. 1-0 wins against both Rothes and Huntly - with the Nairn goal coming from Brian Fraser in each game - set County up for rollercoaster Scottish Cup ride. They were to go out in the next round of the Qualifying Cup to Peterhead after a replay and the infamous Cucumber-gate. A bye in the First Round boosted the club's hopes of a big-name tie and the Second Round draw saw them handed a home clash with Second Division side Meadowbank Thistle.
Following a postponement on the original date of January 4, the tie took place on Saturday January 11 in front of a crowd of 754 at Station Park and County came mighty close to causing a massive upset.
In the matchday programme, manager Mansel Craib wrote: "The importance of a win today cannot be stressed too much as it would be a great boost to the club, players and our band of supporters. It can also be a boost to the Highland League in general. A run in the Scottish Cup is what every manager hopes for especially if the team are much success in the league which can make for a dreary winter."
The Nairnshire Telegraph of the time reports: A place in the third round of the Scottish Cup and a lucrative tie against Premier Division side Dundee was tantalisingly close for Nairn County on Saturday when they gave second division championship contenders Meadowbank Thistle the fright of their lives on a windy and rainswept Station Park. The match ended in a 1-1 draw with Nairn in front for the best part of the second half.
The hallmarks of this Nairn team is their determination and fighting spirit and these qualities shone through in abundance. With the wind at their backs from the kick-off, it was on the cards Meadowbank would quickly be breathing down Joe McMillan's neck. And so it turned out.
However, the Edinburgh side probably had not bargained for Nairn battling back they way they did. The tide began to turn after half-an-hour then Graham Bennett grabbed a sensational lead for Nairn in the 49th minute. For a spell it looked as if Nairn were going to record one of their best ever Scottish Cup victories but a substitution by Meadowbank changed all that and earned the south team another bite at the cherry. Chris Robertson replaced striker Darren Jackson and the ex-Rangers and Hearts forward provided the vital spark Meadowbank had been missing up front. A swerving drive from Robertson in the 78th minute crashed against the crossbar and defender Walter Boyd was on hand to smack home the rebound to the despair of a big Nairn support which turned out in atrocious weather conditions.
Mansel Craib said after the match: "The players showed tremendous spirit and put everything they had into the game. I think our supporters would agree with that. It was disappointing losing that goal but the players are not too down-hearted and are still confident we can finish the job in Edinburgh."
The Nairn team that day was - McMillan, K. Fraser, Cameron, Cleland, Mackay, Bennett, Macdonald (Main), Penman, B. Fraser, McKie, Macleod (Innes).
The replay was scheduled for only two days later, as County travelled to the 16,000 capacity Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh on Monday January 13. If level after 90 minutes, the match would go into extra time but penalty shootouts had not been introduced to the Scottish Cup at this stage and if the match was still level a further replay would be required at a neutral ground, with St Johnstone's Muirton Park a mooted venue. That night, 606 people were inside the stadium that hosted the 1970 Commonwealth Games and would later also go on to host the 1986 Games. For the match that kicked off at 7.30 pm, County uniquely played in the change strip of the town's junior club Nairn St Ninian because of a colour clash. What followed was probably Nairn County's finest hour in the Scottish Cup.
The Nairnshire Telegraph reported after the match: Nairn County rewrote the history books with their finest Scottish Cup performance ever at Meadowbank Stadium in last Monday's second round replay with Meadowbank Thistle. It was an outstanding performance by the side that started the current season as the 'joke' team of the Highland League. Some joke, as they second division side found out to their cost. Nairn rattled in two super goals in the first half when they had the wind at their backs and the entire second half was a backs-to-the-wall job as the Edinburgh club hit back with a goal in the 46th minute then threw everything into attack in a vain attempt to get the equalising goal.
Every Nairn player was a hero on the night but if there was to be a man-of-the-match award none of his team-mates would deny Joe MacMillan that accolade. He turned up trumps time and time again when the chips were down as the Nairn goal underwent a tremendous onslaught in the second half.
Nairn sensationally took the lead in the 25th minute. Kevan Fraser was trying to find a way through the home defence when he was felled some 25 yards out. Charlie INNES stepped up to take the free kick and sent a flashing drive past the defensive wall and beyond keeper McQueen's reach.
The Nairn supporters were still celebrating when the visitors bagged a second counter. In the 31st minute Graham Bennett split the Meadowbank defence with a short pass to PENMAN inside the penalty area. The Nairn captain shrugged off two Thistle defenders and managed to poke the ball under McQueen's body into the net.
Nairn were denied two penalty claims as they went all out for the kill before the half-time. In the 39th minute centre-half Stewart used a hand to control a Brian Fraser shot then Smith used an arm to bring the ball down as Bennett tried to get past.
A two-goal lead at half time must have been a tremendous booster for Nairn but within 60 seconds of
Throughout the second half winger Lawrence was a thorn in Nairn's side as he took the defence apart with some great wing play but his forwards were either passing up the chances he provided or they were being denied by the goalkeeping of MacMillan who was in outstanding form.
In the 63rd minute Tierney had the ball in the net but the referee had blown for an infringement.
Nairn replaced the injured Kevan Fraser with Derek Main and the substitute came close to putting the result beyond doubt when he gathered a Penman pass and shot just beyond McQueen's goal.
Robertson missed another golden scoring opportunity off a Lawrence cross. Another attempt by McGachie was defied when MacMillan managed to turn his header past the post.
In the dying minutes Nairn were playing into the face of a full scale blizzard and as the last seconds ticked away, they had a great escape when Lawrence rattled the Nairn bar with a free kick.
As the final whistle sounded, jubilant Nairn supporters ran on to the running track to acclaim their heroes.
As the excitement of the match died down, Nairn County manager Mansel Craib was full of praise for his conquering heroes.
"After the game at Nairn I was quietly confident we could finish the job at Meadowbank. It was a supreme team effort but the lads deserved their win and now we're all looking forward to tackling Dundee.
"Meadowbank were no easy opponents. You need to carry a bit of luck with you in the cup and we had our share of it as they piled on the pressure in the second half. But Joe MacMillan was outstanding. The swirling wind was making it very difficult for him to get to the cross balls as we came under pressure.
"Having said that, it was essentially a team effort. Every player gave every once of energy they had and by the end of the game they were all exhausted.
"Without the supporters' backing we would have struggled. It was magnificent to see so many make the journey on a weekday."
Along with the extensive match report, the Nairnshire Telegraph also carried several tidbits of tales from Nairn's glory night at Meadowbank. CHAMPAGNE CELEBRATION - Local publican Tommy Cowan of the Shore Inn had every confidence in Nairn County going through to the third round of the Scottish Cup. He gave six bottles of bubbly for the players to celebrate in style and they did so as the champagne corks popped in the changing rooms after the game.
VICTORY JIG - While we lesser mortals were heartily engaged in biting our fingernails as the last few minutes of the replay were being played out, Nairn coach Rab Mulheron must have received some communication from on high as he was doing a victory jig down the Meadowbank running track... with five minutes to go!
SUPER SUPPORT - Nairn County had a tremendous support behind them in the Commonwealth Stadium. Of the 600 crowd well over 100 came from Nairn and they were joined by exiles from throughout Scotland. As well as a supporters' bus, many fans made the journey south after finishing work in the afternoon. The vocal backing was a tremendous boost to the side and the players commented afterwards that it was like having an extra man in the team.
STONEWALL DEFENCE - Such were the heroics performed by the Nairn defence in the second half one disillusioned Meadowbank supporter was heard to comment that playing as they did, Nairn could have kept Barcelona at bay.
BEST EVER - As the excitement mounted in the closing stages of the replay, a number of Nairn fans moved out of the stand to get away from the tension. One life-long Nairn supporter who remembers another famous Nairn victory in the Scottish Cup at Forfar, however felt this was the best yet. The atmosphere was even better than the night Nairn beat Fraserburgh in the play-off to clinch the league championship in 1977 he added.
TIRED BUT HAPPY - It was a tired but happy Nairn County party which arrived home in Nairn at 3.30 am on Tuesday morning. The team bus stopped so the players could enjoy a celebratory drink before leaving Edinburgh and heading north.
NICE ONE TOMMY - Lisbon Lion and former Dundee manager Tommy Gemmell was also convinced it was over bar the shouting as he left the stadium with 10 minutes to go. Gemmell, who frequented the Lion Hotel in Auldearn as he visiting the north for shooting and fishing holidays, turned to the present incumbent at Dens Park and told him: "Enjoy Nairn, Archie. It's a nice wee town."
The Nairn team that night was - MacMillan, K. Fraser (Main), Cameron, Cleland, MacKay, Bennett, MacDonald, Penman, B. Fraser, McKie, Innes (Mackenzie).
That famous win at Meadowbank was the spark for Nairn to be engulfed by Scottish Cup fever. As the only non-league team left in the competition, the impending David-against-Goliath clash with Dundee at Station Park attracted the attention of the nation's media and captured the country's imagination as the County players revelled in their 15 minutes of fame. It was said that if they could do the unthinkable, it would be a bigger cup upset than Berwick Rangers' win over Rangers in 1967. The man who masterminded the Meadowbank triumph, manager Mansel Craib cranked up the mind games ahead of the match. He said: "Dundee do not have a very good Scottish Cup record and Archie Knox knows this. If I was Dundee's manager I would be extremely worried about losing."
The tie took place on Saturday January 25 after all of the 3,600 tickets priced at �2 for the terraces and �3 for the stand had been sold. On a frosty day, Station Park was backed to the brim and Dundee had the added advantage of having a new AstroTurf boot at their players' disposal while Nairn had to play in regular studs. Could Nairn do the unthinkable?
In his programme notes, Craib said: "It was no mean feat to dispose of Meadowbank in such atrocious conditions away from home. It looked as though the goal from Graeme Bennett in the first game would have won the tie but it was not to be as Meadowbank equalised with 12 minutes to go. A big thank you
"Today we meet Dundee, what excitement for everyone concerned and I know that the players will again rise to the occasion and play their hearts out."
The Nairnshire Telegraph reported the money-spinning tie, which brought in an estimated �5,000 to the club. It always looked on the cards that Nairn County's best ever Scottish Cup run was going to come to an end when they drew the short straw against Premier opponents Dundee. But despite their third round 7-0 drubbing, County's cup progress in the national tourney provides another chapter to be written into the Station Park history books and the club can hold their head high having achieved so much when only eight months ago their very existence was in jeopardy.
Sixteen years after that memorable 2-1 win at Forfar in the "Scottish" many County supporters reflect on that occasion. Now a new generation of Nairn followers will be able to look back on that memorable night in Meadowbank as County knocked out Thistle to win the plumb tie with the Dens Parkers.
Although there was a light covering of snow on the pitch in the morning the playing surface was soft but a frost during the day made under-foot conditions dicey and quite frankly, Dundee adapted better to the elements than Nairn.
It took just seven minutes for the Dark Blues to go ahead when a Rafferty free kick into the box caused Nairn's defence no end of problems. Nobody seemed to clear it and when the ball broke to Rab SHANNON he quickly dispatched it into the corner of the net.
Two minutes later the Dundee contingent in the crowd were jubilant when Tosh McKinlay knocked the ball on to HARVEY and his 15-yard volley was always a 'homer'.
These early goals knocked the wind out of Nairn and for a spell it looked as if they were going to make a game of it with Reynold Cameron sending a flashing drive inches past the post as Dundee were caught square at the back.
County hopes rose when Graham Bennett tested Bobby Geddes with an 18-yard grounder.
Just when it appeared as if Nairn were getting into the picture Dundee provided a real sucker punch which killed off any lingering hope before half-time. The corner from Bobby Connor was headed on by Shannon and MacMillan, the hero at Meadowbank, let the ball slip to let HARVEY in to nod the ball home.
HENDRY added a fourth in 51 minutes as the County defence again failed to clear their lines.
In 58 minutes Stephen made the run through the middle, laid the ball off and there was SHANNON to apply the finishing touch.
Goals from RAFFERTY (69 mins) and HARVEY (88 mins) completed the rout.
Nairn manager Mansel Craib said: "Naturally I was disappointment by the team losing so many goals but we didn't have the footwear to suit the conditions and the players were uncomfortable from the start.
"The players maybe felt they let the fans down a bit but it was a great experience for them playing against Premier League opposition and before such a big crowd.
"If we hadn't lost the third goal just before half-time we might have made a game of it but that was the killer."
The County team that day was - MacMillan, K. Fraser, Cameron, Cleland, Mackay, Bennett, Macdonald (Main), Penman, B. Fraser, McKie (Mackenzie), Innes.
The match was blighted by crowd trouble in the Cowshed during the second half when Dundee supporters forced their way into a Nairn section and a fracas broke out. Fans spilled on to the pitch to get away from the incident and the police moved in to restore order. The match was held up for a short time but no one was arrested in the incident, although there were four arrests during the match, three for drunkenness and one for creating a disturbance. All arrested were from Dundee, it was reported.
The paper again carried several small stories along with the match report. SECOND TOP - For the information of statisticians, Nairn County's attendance of 3,600 against Dundee was the second largest in the Station Park club's history. The record attendance was made in 1937 when Celtic visited Nairn to commemorate the opening of the stand and 4,040 fans turned up. Celtic won 7-0. Next came the Dundee match on 3,600, closely followed by the friendly with Rangers in August 1977, when 3,587 spectators watched Nairn battle back from 3-0 down to 3-2 against the mighty Rangers. Fourth in line was that memorable Hamilton game for County supporters who are longer in the tooth than myself. That was a Scottish Cup second round replay and Nairn lost 2-1 with Davie Johnston snatching a late goal for Nairn in front of a crowd of 3,405.
MP's PAT ON THE BACK - As well as congratulatory messages from football teams throughout the north and north east on their Scottish Cup achievements, Nairn County received a telegram congratulating them and wishing them well against Dundee from Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber MP Sir Russell Johnston.
MEDIA COVERAGE - Press, radio and television coverage in the build-up to the Scottish Cup tie was quite phenomenal with everyone getting in on the act providing tremendous publicity not only for Nairn County but for the town in general. Team manager Mansel Craib and secretary David Beck were interviewed on Reporting Scotland by Jane Franchi on Friday evening and the same night North Tonight gave coverage with Isobel Fraser interviewing some players and officials at a training session at Fort George.
LEST WE FORGET - In the record books Nairn County's first venture into the third round of the Scottish Cup can be looked upon as a bit of a drubbing. But reflect on what has been achieved by
And so almost 22 barren years followed with the Qualifying Cup proving to be an insurmountable object between County and further Scottish Cup glory. With that now taken out of the equation, Les Fridge can take over the mantle from Mansel Craib of being the latest manager to lead Nairn into the Scottish Cup against Rothes in what is sure to be a white hot atmosphere at a packed MacKessack Park this Saturday. Three victories will see the team equal Mansel Craib's side's record and write the current crop of County players into similar folklore as the class of '86.
