Cup final countdown almost over

By Giancarlo Rinaldi South of Scotland reporter, BBC Scotland news website

The big day has been anticipated in the town for six weeks

A wee man in Dumfries town centre has been giving me a countdown to the Scottish Cup final.

Every time I meet him he tells me how many days to go until Queen of the South face Rangers at Hampden Park.

In truth, however, I don't think he is telling anyone in the town anything they don't already know.

The anticipation has been such that just about every one of its 30,000 residents can tell you exactly how many hours until 1500 BST on Saturday.

There is a nervous energy on the streets the likes of which nobody has experienced before.

While Rangers fans have had the games coming thick and fast, Doonhamers have gone weeks without that release of tension.

Refreshing change

Queen of the South played their last competitive game on 26 April.

Since then it has been all about the cup final.

It has even caused a refreshing change to the town centre colour scheme.

Shop windows in Dumfries have been filled with blue and white

Instead of local youngsters sporting strips of clubs from London, Manchester, Liverpool or Glasgow they have been donning shirts from closer to home.

Merchandise has been doing such a booming trade that if you dropped a blue and white hankie in the street somebody would probably offer you a pound for it.

Supporters have been planning trips from all across the globe to make the final.

Even people normally with little interest in football have been carried away by the enthusiasm.

More than one punter has been spotted snapping up odds of 8/1 on Queens to pull off one of the biggest shocks in Scottish Cup history.

Such is the dreamland Doonhamers have been living in since beating Aberdeen on 12 April.

Sizeable grin

If you need a dose of the feel-good factor all you have to do is walk down Dumfries High Street.

A sizeable grin has been compulsory in the town for the past six weeks or so.

Of course, that may all come to an end on Saturday afternoon.

The chances of Queens beating Rangers are slimmer than pencil-thin midfielder Paul Burns.

The Doonhamers' trophy cabinet is something akin to Old Mother Hubbard's cupboard.

At Ibrox, on the other hand, they can count their Scottish Cup wins on the fingers of seven hands.

A feel-good factor has been transmitted to the town recently

No matter what happens at Hampden, however, Dumfries plans to celebrate.

An open-top bus parade is planned for a team which has given the town something to smile about.

It is easy to think football is all about multi-millionaires, contract extensions and sponsorship deals.

Queen of the South are a bit of an antidote to that particular affliction of the modern game.

The Dumfries side has given a small community a real sense of pride and satisfaction.

It is something that nobody can put a price on.

Win or lose, Saturday will be one of the most special days on the sporting calendar of south west Scotland.

And, whatever the outcome, there is always the Uefa Cup campaign to look forward to.

It is only about six weeks and five days until that particular competition gets under way.

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