Stirlingshire Cup returns as holders Stenhousemuir host Falkirk tonight

This evening the Warriors welcome William Hill Championship leaders Falkirk to Ochilview in their bid to defend the Stirlingshire Cup - one of the oldest trophies in Scottish football.

The district has been blessed with a few of these fixtures this season, with the last outing of the clubs ending in a victory for Gary Naysmith’s side in the SPFL Trust Trophy.

And there will be a welcome return from injury tonight for defender Nicky Jamieson, who was a key part of Stenhousemuir’s historic League Two title win last term.

The 28-year-old said: “Facing Falkirk in the Stirlingshire Cup is an exciting fixture and we are all looking forward to it.

We had a fantastic result against them earlier in the season, so hopefully we can go out and put on another great performance against a strong Falkirk side.

"As current holders of this cup, we know what’s at stake and can’t wait to get out in front of the supporters and fight to keep the cup at Ochilview.”

The Bairns will field a mix of first-teamers and youngsters for the tie, with tickets available via Fanbase.

For season 2024/25 the competition will be played in two groups of three teams, with each club having one home and one away tie, to be played by the end of 2024.

The winner of each group will then qualify for the final, which will be played by the end of March 2025.

“We’ve been working on resurrecting the Stirlingshire Cup for almost a year now, so it’s very satisfying to have it finally come to fruition,” Stirlingshire FA president Kenny Jamieson said.

"The competition is over 140 years old and the trophy itself is quite magnificent.

"We are all really looking forward to a great Stirlingshire Cup competition and wish all six teams the very best of luck.”