Threave Rovers boss slams "crazy" choice of cup final venues

Threave Rovers boss Vinnie Parker has branded the venues for his side’s upcoming cup finals “crazy”.

The Castle Douglas side will play in the Cree Lodge Cup final at Lockerbie tomorrow night, with the League Cup final against St Cuthbert Wanderers at Creetown and the Potts Cup final against the same side at Newton Stewart to come later this month.

And the choice of grounds has not gone down well with the Meadow Park gaffer.

He said: “No disrespect to Creetown, I love Eric Houston their chairman and they’ve done brilliantly with their set-up, but I don’t know why we’re being sent there for a cup final – especially against Saints.

“Surely that kind of game should be at Palmerston, Galabank, Raydale, Stair Park – one of the better facilities especially to showcase the two top teams and with it being a derby.

“Nithsdale have played at Palmerston on two Friday nights so I don’t know why all the cup finals aren’t there.

“When Newton Stewart played Saints a couple of weeks ago it was a big cup final for Newton, they were looking forward to it and they got sent to Wigtown. No disrespect to Wigtown but it’s probably one of the worst pitches in the league.

“ They’ve had to move games to elsewhere and yet a cup final is being played there.

“Who is going to drive to Creetown to watch us on a Friday night? It’s crazy. It cheapens the cup finals. You want people to come to watch the South finals and to me it’s nothing short of embarrassing.”

Threave didn't learn their opponents for Friday’s Cree Lodge Cup final at Mid Annandale’s ground until Wednesday, with Caledonian Braves beating Nithsdale Wanderers in the semi-final.

And that’s something else the Threave manager is unhappy about.

Speaking earlier this week, he said: “You can’t prepare, you just have to worry about yourself. We’ve played at Mids this year more times than I’ve been there in the rest of my life put together. The changing rooms are miles from the pitch. Who is coming to watch?

“If it’s Caley Braves, they are a decent team. Any time we’ve played them it’s been a decent match. Nithsdale are aggressive, probably beyond aggressive. I’d be surprised the way things are going if they have a team on Friday.”

Ryan Coates will be the only absentee for Threave, with goalies Graham Wright and Kieran McCulloch both available.