Edinburgh Caledonia are aiming to “inspire” ahead of rewarding Scottish Cup against Hearts

The League One outfit faces one of the biggest games in their history on the weekend as they travel to the Oriam to take on Eva Olid’s Hearts. There are 28 places between the two sides in the footballing pyramid with the Jambos sitting fifth in the SWPL1, while the visitors occupy second place in the fourth-tier. 

This is not the first time Edinburgh Caley has progressed to this stage of the Scottish Cup, with the side crashing out to Boroughmuir last season. However, this year they face an even tougher test against one of the best sides in the country. Ahead of the tie, manager Euan Cole insists that the tie is a testament to everyone at the club as he hopes the fixture will inspire the next generation of players at his club. 

“The players relish it,” he told the Edinburgh Evening News. “We have a very good squad and that has been clear since I started. It was about the end of January last year when I took my first help-out training session with them. It was very clear to me then that they had a lot of quality in the squad. It is something the players now relish. 

“It is a huge one for the club and we are all very excited to play it. It is a great opportunity for the players to play against such a high-level opponent. Even more than that, it also gives the club a great opportunity. We are all volunteers, and the way the club has progressed over the years is a testament to everyone who has been here before. 

“This game is for them as much as anyone else, we just want to enjoy it and try and play our way if we can. We expect a lot of our youth section will be there as well. If they can take some inspiration from it as well, hopefully, they can stay involved in football and one day play for Edinburgh Caley.”

Cole’s side has done well to get this far in the competition. Edinburgh Calely had to get past Kilwinning before narrowly beating Armadale 2-1 away in a tough tie. At the same time, the capital side has been gunning for promotion to the Championship and are currently four points clear of third with a game in hand. 

This weekend is set to be a nice distraction for the squad who are looking to cause one of the biggest-ever upsets in the cup. While a positive result will no doubt be extremely difficult for Cole’s side, the manager is hopeful that Edinburgh Caley will be able to leave their mark against Hearts. 

“I just want the players to enjoy it, that’s the message every single game,” he added. “As long as we are enjoying it, that has got to be number one. My key message ahead of the training session was just to enjoy this week, it is a real opportunity to play against a very good team that we might not get to play for a while. Just enjoy it. 

“If we can leave our mark, play our way and have a chance to be recognised by a big established club like Hearts and a coach like Eva Olid, then we will have done everyone proud. If we can get some recognition from that level, we will have done well.”