Amateur side aim for European glory

David Knox • Published 11 May 2010 14:27 0 Comments

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SCOTLAND'S last chance of European glory this season rests on the shoulders of little Lauder FC.

Rangers fell by the wayside during the Champions League group stages and Celtic crashed out of their Europa section early on.

Aberdeen were even worse as they bombed in the qualifying round to Czech minnows Sigma Olomouc. But the pride of the nation may be restored this weekend as the amateurs from Woodcot Park head for Italy.

The Border Amateur C Division club head for a four-way tournament in the southern town of Ceirella on Friday.

And they hope to return the following Monday with the cup.Lauder coach Alan Thomson told the Border Telegraph: "We have been planning this trip for the past six months.

"We'll have a busy weekend with two matches on the Saturday and a further two on the Sunday - hopefully one of them will be the final. We have struggled a bit in the league this season so this will be our last chance of silverware."

The Cerilla tournament - which features AS Cirella, Azzurra and Cirella Old Boys as well as the Scottish tourists - won't be Lauder's first foray into Europe.

The Border Amateur side played in France in the late 1980s. A total of 32 players, coaches and supporters will fly from Edinburgh to Rome on the eve of the tournament. And they also face a four-hour bus trip to the ground before playing the following day.

Alan added: "The Italian club are paying for our transport when we arrive which is very kind of them. We really don't know what standard of football they play at, but we'll do our best to win.

"I'm sure everyone will have a great weekend - we're all really looking forward to playing in Europe."

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