Campbell Money predicts a cup cracker between Ayr United and St Mirren

Feb 4 2011 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

HE’S black and white through and through.

And Campbell Money can smell a cup shock looming when Ayr United and St Mirren lock horns on Saturday.

A goalkeeping legend at Saints with 400 appearances, he headed up United’s youth department before taking up the manager’s job for two seasons.

Now he’ll be back at Somerset Park as an interested observer as the two clubs closest to his heart fight it out for a place in the quarter-finals.

Money, 50, declares: “If I had to be nailed to the cross I would go for St Mirren but it could take a replay.

“However, it won’t take much to swing it. If Saints are slightly off and Ayr play as they did against Hibs they can win the tie.

“It will be an extremely difficult 90 minutes for St Mirren. If they don’t look after the occasion in terms of keeping Mark Roberts, Scott McLaughlin and Ryan McCann quiet, they will have problems.

“Roberts, in the first half of the replay against Hibs, was absolutely fantastic.

“I have known Mark for a long, long time but I have never seen him show the level of maturity on the pitch as he did in that game.

“The work he did in the build-up to the goal and then the finish was magnificent.”

Money reckons a key clash will be the tussle between rival powerhouses Martyn Campbell and Michael Higdon.

He said: “Campbell has been outstanding when I have seen him this season but I don’t think he will have faced anyone who can give so many problems as Higdon.

“Colin Nish lacked confidence when Ayr beat Hibs but Higdon is big and strong and will give Martyn a different kind of test.

“I like the look of young Jonathan Tiffoney who had a great game and never gave Derek Riordan a kick apart from the one mistake when he lost the ball in the penalty box.

“But I wonder if he would be better playing one forward.

“St Mirren will be in Ayr’s faces right from the start and won’t give them the time they had on the ball against Hibs.

“If everything is equal, St Mirren will win but Ayr have the players to cause a shock.”

Money’s love affair with the two cup foes began at the unlikely setting of Dam Park.

He recalls: “Work was being done at Somerset Park in the 70s and they played their early games one season at Dam Park.

“I vividly remember Ayr playing St Mirren there and Ian Ure, who was coming to the end of his career, was in the Saints team.”

Despite the obvious gulf between the clubs, Money reckons that will go out the window on Saturday.

He said: “Ayr are a club who shouldn’t be in the Second Division and they will have a big crowd roaring them on.

“St Mirren have been perennial strugglers in the SPL. Gus MacPherson and now Danny Lennon have done well to keep them there with one of the smallest budgets.

“But this will be a different type of test for them.”

Campbell began his playing days with Dailly Amateurs before joining Saints as a youth in 1979.

He was a Love Street lion until 1996 and holds a never to be beaten record of playing in Europe eight times for Saints.

He even hit the goal trail - proudly firing home two penalties for the Buddies.

Money stepped into management with Stranraer winning them promotion and the Challenge Cup.

Ayr chairman Bill Barr lured him to Somerset Park where he followed Gordon Dalziel into the top job.

Then followed spells at Stenhousemuir and Cumnock before landing his present post as a development and monitoring co-ordinator with the SFA.

AYR RAISER: Money was United boss.