Rangers superfan makes Scottish Cup third round draw

A Rangers superfan last night conducted the third round draw for this season's Scottish Cup.

Tom Stoltman, the World's Strongest Man, performed in slightly different surroundings alongside draw host Gordon Duncan.

And the Scottish strongman produced some interesting ties for the next round of the competition, which will be played on the weekend of November 30.

“It’s cool to be invited to this," he said. "I love football and it’s nice to be able to play a part in this competition.

“There’s not as much pressure doing the draw compared to competing in front of millions of people at World’s Strongest Man – my nerves held up and thankfully my hands managed to fit through the hole into the draw pot as well.

“East Kilbride against Falkirk stands out for me – I know a few East Kilbride boys and obviously Falkirk are flying, while Caley Thistle and Cove Rangers is another tie that stands out.

“Caley are in turmoil right now so it would be nice to see if they could kick on and get a few games in the Cup.

“The draw is going to be interesting – there’s a lot of ties here with some small teams and there will be a few upsets in this round I think.

“When I think about some of the moments in the Scottish Cup over the years that stand out for me, Ross County reaching the final was one that comes to mind.

“When they beat Celtic in the Semi-final the whole town was like a ghost town, it seemed like everyone was at Hampden for it.

“To beat Celtic and then just lose out to Dundee United in the Final, that was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had in the Scottish Cup, especially with them being a local club for me.”

Aside from conducting a Scottish Cup draw, 2024 has been a memorable year for Tom, with his third victory in the World’s Strongest Man competition back in May of this year.

Despite his passion for football, Tom is very happy with the way his athletic career has developed.

He said: “Winning World’s Strongest Man for the third time was incredible. I’ve been busy this year, doing a lot of miles on the road – I’ve been doing more miles than I have been lifting weights.

“I’m going to keep taking as many opportunities as I can – I’m living the dream – and aim to win as many competitions. I want to keep on riding this wave and hopefully keep on being World’s Strongest Man for a few years to come and break some more records.

“I played for Ross County when I was younger and a few of my mates called me the Scottish Peter Crouch back then, though I played in the wrong position and I did not look like Peter Crouch – I used to wear glasses so I said I was more like Edgar Davids than Peter Crouch.

“I’ve always been a football fan and football is a massive part of my life, but I’m very happy with how my athletic career turned out."