Kelly: I Can't Wait To Do My Sunday Best

Jan 13 2008 By Gordon Waddell

GARY KELLY knows East Stirlingshire are going big time today - because it's the first time he has played football on a Sunday since he was 11!

The 26-year-old has faced SPL sides twice in his career but his only taste of Ibrox was as a Celtic fan at Old Firm clashes.

Now Kelly is relishing the thought of a Sunday showdown.

The midfielder grinned: "I'm savouring everything about this. I played against Hibs when I was at Stirling Albion and at East Fife we took Dunfermline to a replay.

"But this is huge. Staying away the night before the game, even the fact it's a Sunday - it may never happen again for most of us.

"I've never played on a Sunday before, at least since I was about 11.

"I have been to Ibrox a few times - in the away end for Old Firm games.

"And I have a busload of about 40 going to the away end this time. It will be a big family day and they're all wearing Shire strips."

But despite the big-time buzz Kelly insists Shire won't be overawed.

He said: "We will have a game plan. We try to get the ball down and play football and Ibrox will be a good surface for that.

"But we will keep it tight and snap at their heels so they don't dominate possession and pass us off the park. We can't afford to think that if they score we'll get humped."

Kelly has planned ahead for the celebrations, taking tomorrow and Tuesday off from his day job as a mortgage advisor.

But he sighed: "I've been hit with jury duty on Monday. I was trying to back out of it but they want proof I'm away on holiday.

"You can't really count playing at Ibrox as a holiday, can you?"