Stenhousemuir savour success

After a 111-year history without a trophy in the backwaters of Scottish football, Stenhousemuir are suddenly under the spotlight.

The club with an average attendance this season of 673 have reached the last 16 of the Scottish Cup for the first time since the early 1960s.

They also had the audacity yesterday to issue a "hands off" warning to clubs tempted by their manager, Terry Christie, formerly in charge of Meadowbank Thistle. He has guided Stenhousemuir, nicknamed the Warriors, to the top of the Bell's Scottish LeagueSecond Division this season.

Tuesday's 4-0 third round replay win over First Division St Johnstone at Ochilview Park secured the club a place in the fourth round for the first time since the 1962-63 season. John Sharp, their commercial manager and director, said: "I just hope nobodyis after our manager. Terry really is doing a magnificent job here and Meadowbank's loss has been our gain in the two and a half years he has been here. "He's not on a contract, you know. It's simply a handshake but we are so happy to have him."

Stenhousemuir now meet Aberdeen at home after deciding against switching the tie away from their home ground. The cup run is a bonus for Stenhousemuir, who are clear of the pack in the Second Division after a 17-match unbeaten run which was only brought to an end by Stirling Albion last week.

The increased interest in the central Scotland club has captured the attention of their out-of-town fans. "We've got fans all over Europe and many in England," Sharp added. "We actually have around 200 down south and we even have pubs that follow Stenhousemuir.

"Meeting Aberdeen will increase interest even further and, financially, it's good too."

Two other clubs cashing in on Cup success are Meadowbank Thistle and the Highland League leaders, Huntly.

Meadowbank beat Berwick in a penalty shoot-out which will be worth more than £50,000 - as they secured a visit to Hampden Park to face Celtic on 18 February .

It could be Meadowbank's last Scottish Cup tie under their present guise for the club are moving to Livingston, near Edinburgh, next season and will change their name.

On the same day, Huntly's Christie Park will be packed to a limit of around 4,000 for the visit of holders Dundee United.

The two all-Premier Division ties in the fourth round will be in Edinburgh and both will be all-ticket.

Hibernian against Motherwell goes ahead on the Saturday with the visitors receiving 4,800 tickets which go on sale from Fir Park on Friday. Heart of Midlothian against Rangers is to be screened by Sky Sports on Monday 20 February live from Tynecastle Park.

n The Scottish Football Association is to write to Celtic and Kilmarnock in another effort to end the seven-month long dispute over the poaching of Tommy Burns. Kilmarnock are still awaiting compensation following Burns' move to Glasgow to become the Celtic manager last July. The SFA has set up an arbitration tribunal to rule on the row - but it seems that Celtic are not prepared to accept its decision as binding.