Annan Athletic’s fifth round Scottish Cup glamour tie with Rangers has certainly been the talk of the town since it was announced last month.
The Scottish League Two club confirmed that all tickets for the last 16 contest tie this evening have been snapped up.
Tickets for the match have been like gold dust for many to get hold of but a number of supporters without tickets are also expected to be in the town pre and post match.
The income from visiting fans should be a welcome boost to the town’s pub, clubs, hotels and takeaway shops after an incredible tough couple of years due to the coronavirus pandemic.
And The Shed bar boss Steven Ceates admits this weekend feels like they’ve “hit the jackpot”.
He said: “This weekend is huge for us and everybody in the town. There’s a good buzz across the town.
“We’ve had a disastrous January so this is a breath
of fresh air. It’s been a tough couple of years for everybody.
“Between the Annan Rangers match and the Six Nations it has been a welcomed boost for us here over the past couple of weeks.
“I do feel the town has hit the jackpot with this game coming up at such an important and crucial time.
“It’s massively important for the town’s cafes, restaurants, hotels and the shops.”
Meanwhile, Annan Athletic will use the Anglers and Queensberry Hotel as part of their hospitality set-up after they received a large number of requests.
Long serving Annan secretary and director Alan Irving stated that they could have sold out their corporate hospitality “four or five times over” for the much anticipated contest.
He added: “This is a good game for the club, for the players and for the town.
“This will be the biggest match in the club’s history and you can tell that as everyone is talking about the game.”
The match will be shown live on Premier Sports with a 5.30 pm kick-off.
