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CLUB captain Mitch Megginson spoke to the media from Balmoral Stadium to preview this Sunday’s Scottish Cup Third Round tie against Rangers at Ibrox.

ON THE PROSPECT OF PLAYING AT IBROX

I’m fortunate to have played there before with all of my previous clubs. I came off the bench there as a youngster with Aberdeen.

Rangers were also still in the Championship when I played against them there for Dumbarton, Raith Rovers and Alloa. It’s nice to have already made a few appearances there.

There will be no crowd there this time though, which will be strange. My last game there was when Rangers were getting the trophy for winning the championship, so there was a full house.

Sunday will be something different, it’s a downside to this tie. It would have been great to have fans there, plus the Cove Rangers supporters don’t get a trip to Ibrox to see their team playing. It’s on Premier Sports but that’s not quite the same as seeing it live.

But we’ve got used to the fact that it’s just part and parcel of getting back playing this season.

ON THE PROSPECT OF WINNING AT IBROX

If we didn’t think we could there would be no point in going there. It will take a lot of luck, a top performance from ourselves and for Rangers to have an off day.

It doesn’t matter who we are playing – the Scottish champions, a Highland League side or one from our own division – it’s not in our nature to do anything other than try to win the game.

It’s the Scottish Cup, you never know what’s going to happen, I will have all of my fingers crossed. Sunday gives us as chance to show Scottish football how good a team we are.

Rangers are the champions and a top quality side but we want to do the very best that we can. It’s something we can go and enjoy, there is no pressure on us.

The other downside is the game is at 6.30pm on a Sunday night. We have another game down in Glasgow, against Clyde, on Tuesday night, so it’s not ideal for us.

It’s hard on part-time players when you also have to go to work on the Monday. It is what it is, so we just have to deal with it.

Our main focus is the league, so Tuesday is the more important game for us – but we also want to do well in what is as huge tie for the club.

ON THE VIRTUAL TICKET INITIATIVE WE HAVE LAUNCHED, WITH THE SUPPORT OF RANGERS

It’s a fantastic idea in what has been a tough season for the club, with no income. The chairman would have wanted Rangers away in a cup tie because you would normally have a full Ibrox with all the benefits that brings.

It’s great to see so many of our fans – and the Rangers supporters – backing the virtual ticket scheme. Everyone needs to come together in these difficult times and help each other as much as they can.

ON COVE’S JOURNEY FROM THE HIGHLAND LEAGUE INTO THE SPFL

My ambition when I came to the club was to make history for the club and we obviously managed to do that by stepping up into League Two. My dad playing for the club gives it a bit more passion for me. I used to come and support him and the club at Allan Park.

I hated losing before I came to Cove but that dislike has really intensified since I came to the club. It hurts a lot longer because I live and breath Cove and want to see us do well.

There is a continuing drive to keep improving and that comes from the very top at the club. We want to be as successful as we can. Eventually, we want to be playing in the Championship. Having that ambition drives the players on.

As soon as we stepped up into League Two the stakes were raised again (with the appointment of Paul Hartley as manager). We were up against better opposition so you need someone who has done it this level and played at the very highest levels.

You can see we have improved as team while still having a nucleus of players who played at Highland League level. It was a shame last season was cut short but we showed we were more than worthy winners of that division.

It’s been tougher this season, as soon as you step up into League One you are up against all the good players who, for whatever reason, don’t want to be full-time. You are facing some tough opposition so we have done well to put ourselves in with an opportunity to finish in the top half of the table.

We have four games remaining and will do our best and then see where we are from there.

ON THE PROSPECT OF BRORA RANGERS AND OTHER HL CLUBS EVENTUALLY JOINING THE SPFL

I definitely think the Highland League – and Lowland League – teams are ready. You only need to look at what happened in the Scottish Cup last week.

When Cove were in the Highland League ourselves, Formartine United, Fraserburgh and Brora were always challenging and beating league sides in the cup.

And Brora, of course, have just beaten Hearts, the Championship leaders.

It’s a testament to the standard of players the Highland and Lower league clubs now attract. They are good quality and only going to add to the Scottish leagues. They have ambitious chairman spending a lot of money on improving facilities because they want to progress.

It’s a good thing for football.

Clubs can get a bit stale and become happy to just meander through the season. That doesn’t do anything for Scottish football.

The introduction of the play-offs has given all of the clubs a bit of a shake up to make sure they don’t fall out of their league.

They are looking over their shoulders now, which is a positive thing.

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