Mid-phone call, Peterhead chairman Rodger Morrison breaks off to find one of the club’s volunteers and statistical gurus.
Morrison cannot remember the last time Peterhead made it to the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup, a feat which lies ahead of them should they upset Premiership side Dundee on Monday night.
The date in question is March 2001, when the Blue Toon faced Livingston in the last eight of the competition in their first season as an SPFL side.
It had come in the wake of Airdrieonians’ financial difficulties, which handed Ian Wilson’s side a bye through the last 16 and an unprecedented step for the then-Division Three side.
Now in League One, Peterhead have beaten Lowland League sides Civil Service Strollers and East Kilbride to earn a plum tie against James McPake’s struggling Dundee.
Dare they dream of an upset?
“There’s always the possibility,” said Morrison. “Dundee wasn’t the biggest of draws but getting it on TV was the cream on top of the milk. There’s an outside chance of getting a result.
“It’s a long time since we’ve been in this round but hopefully we can do something on Monday night.
“It makes your season getting to this stage, win or lose. What we’ve come through with Covid – I’m sure every club is the same as us in being stretched – it gives your season a real bounce.”
Financially the boost to Peterhead will be significant. Like many clubs they cut their cloth at the start of the pandemic, unsure of when the next game would be played or next significant expense would arise.
What it prompted may well have been one of the savviest decision’s Peterhead have made in years.
In years past, manager Jim McInally has relied on experience within his squad, but that often came with the downside of significant squad turnover from year-to-year.
The Peterhead side of this season has been one of energy and intensity, something McInally has admitted he has not been able to do in the past.
A younger core of players have been signed on longer-term deals, such as David Wilson, Grant Savoury and Jack Brown, providing a better foundation for the club in seasons to come.
“Covid probably caused it,” said Morrison. “We had a fairly big budget at the time Covid came along and we sat down with Jim and the players about cutting wages. We didn’t know what was going to be coming in going forward.
“We decided then that, if it was possible, we would look at the talent in the Highland League. It was going for a more youthful, energetic team and this season was always going to be about surviving in this division, but building so we had a settled team for next season.
“The young lads have really come on well. That’s the basis of our team and building for next season.
“We’ve been depending too much on loanees. Loan players are fine but they’re never your player. One or two is alright but now we’re really trying to build a team for the next couple of years.”
The BBC cameras will be at Balmoor on Monday night for the game, another welcome step for the Blue Toon given how long it has been since one of their games has been screened live.
While the joy of a potential upset would be immediate, the financial rewards would give the Peterhead heirarchy some much-appreciated freedom to prepare for the future.
“It would obviously be massive,” added Morrison. “The biggest thing for me would be you could plan a bit better next season.
“Although we’re running with a youthful side, you still need experience and getting through might just give us the freedom to go and get that for Jim.”
