It is more than 10 years since Max Currie first pulled on a Stranraer strip.
A then 18-year-old Currie enjoyed a memorable debut on Boxing Day 2015, when Stranraer won 5-1 at Stenhousemuir.
Fast-forward more than a decade and the shotstopper – now 29 – is one of the more experienced members of the squad.
He said: “I keep seeing it all the time that the average age of the team is 21 and it is just me at 29!
“It is crazy but I don’t feel like that.
“It is weird because when you are a young boy and seeing boys at 29 or 30, they are the older ones.
“When you reach that age, you don’t feel any different.”
Currie would make four appearances during the 2015/16 campaign, filling in for David McGurn and then acting as understudy to Cameron Belford.
Since then, Currie has made more than 200 career appearances for clubs including Airdrie, Queen of the South and Saturday’s visitors, East Kilbride.
The number one felt that those experiences, rather than age, had helped shape him into the goalkeeper he is today.
He said: “It comes with playing games, no matter how old or young you are.”
Stranraer have been on a fine run of form in recent weeks, with 16 points from a possible 18 in League Two.
The only blemish on that record is a 2-2 draw at Forthbank Stadium, where Stranraer let slip a two-goal lead as Stirling Albion scored twice in the first 12 minutes of the second half.
However, Currie felt that lessons learned from that contest had proven useful.
He said: “I think it was a bit of a blessing in disguise.
“The boys were 2-0 up at the time and had a spell where we had to go through and survive being under pressure.
“That was crucial and we then went to Forfar and went 1-0 up against the wind and were able to see the game through and being able to deal with moments better in games.”
The goalkeeper is one of a number of members of the Stranraer squad to have previously pulled on an East Kilbride strip.
Daniel McManus, Beejay Coll, Lewis Dobbie and Dean Cleland have all featured at K Park over the years.
However, Currie stressed that there would be no extra desire to perform against his former club.
He said: “It is just another game to me.
“Playing against a former club is not really something that I think about.
“Playing against another club, some players take it personally but, for me, it is just another game.
“Losing on Tuesday night against Berwick makes it a bit bigger.”
Last meeting
An entertaining game at The LIME Stadium at Stair Park saw first Stranraer goals for both Matthew Gillies and Lewis Reid as the hosts came from a goal down to win.
Deryn Lang had already struck the crossbar before East Kilbride got themselves in front. Sean Docherty was penalised for bringing down Bobby McLuckie in the box. John Robertson then put away the penalty to give East Kilbride a 12th minute lead.
It did not last long though as Gillies as surged up the park and smashed home from a tight angle.
Stranraer would go on to win it in the second half. Aaron Quigg headed on James Dolan’s free-kick and Reid fired home a low shot.
Stranraer: Currie, Reid, McGrath, Docherty (McKnight 39), Gillies (Hunter 85), Coll (Ecrepont 70), Dolan, Quigg, Plank (Cleland 70), McManus, Lang.
Not used: Hughes, O’Donnell, Turay and Tas.
East Kilbride: Hepburn, S Young, Kyle (Mylchreest 75), Fagan, Breen, Leitch, McLuckie, Balde, J Robertson (Foster 69), K Robertson (Dobbie 46), C Young.
Not used: Hamilton, McGregor, Strachan and Morrison.
Last five meetings
- Stranraer 2 East Kilbride 1 (Gillies and Reid; Robertson (Pen)) at The LIME Stadium at Stair Park on March 14, 2026
- East Kilbride 0 Stranraer 2 (Dolan and Cleland) at K Park Stadium on January 24, 2026
- East Kilbride 1 Stranraer 4 (Breen; Russell (Pen), Lang, McManus and Hunter) at K Park Stadium on December 9, 2025
- Stranraer 1 East Kilbride 3 (Russell (Pen); Robertson x2 and Elliott) at The LIME Stadium at Stair Park on November 15, 2025
- East Kilbride 3 Stranraer 1 (Robertson (Pen), Ferguson and Balde; Turay) at K Park Stadium on August 16, 2025
Last five games
Stranraer
- LOSS v Berwick Rangers (A): 3-2 (Foster and Dunne)
- WIN v Elgin City (A): 1-5 (Mason x2, McManus x2 and Dobbie)
- WIN v Dumbarton (H): 3-1 (Mason and Dobbie x2)
- WIN v Forfar Athletic (A): 0-3 (Dobbie (Pen), McLuckie and Dunne)
- LOSS v Celtic B (H): 3-4 (Dolan (Pen), Healy and Trialist)
East Kilbride
- DRAW v Celtic B (H): 3-3 (Moffatt, Calder and Elliott)
- WIN v Alloa Athletic (A): 1-2 (McGuffie and McKenzie)
- WIN v Peterhead (H): 3-1 (Elliott x3)
- WIN v Bonnyrigg Rose (H): 3-1 (McKenzie, McGuffie and Balde)
- LOSS v Hamilton Academical (H): 0-1
Last time out
Stranraer
Lineup v Berwick Rangers: Henderson, Nair, Lynch, Cameron, Coll, Ecrepont (McManus 39), Dolan, Quigg (Dunne 70), Healy, Foster (Dobbie 70), Cleland (McLuckie 87).
Not used: Currie.
East Kilbride
Lineup v Celtic B: Kelly, Steele, Fagan, Maguire, East, O’Connor, Balde, McGuffie, McKenzie (Elliott 65), Calder, Moffatt (Ross 69).
Not used: Fallon, Lasley, Culbert, Hughes, Walmsley and McKendrick.
Transfers
Stranraer
Ins: Murray Binnie (St Johnstone), Zach Bruce (Hibernian, loan), Connor Cameron (Renfrew), Dean Cleland (Hibernian), Lewis Dobbie (East Kilbride), Lewis Gillie (Hibernian, loan), Aaron Healy (Arthurlie), Seb Mason (Carlisle United, loan), Mark McLuckie (Bo’ness United), Kenzi Nair (Heart of Midlothian), Dominic Plank (Heart of Midlothian) and Archie Traynor (Kilmarnock, loan).
Outs: Murray Binnie (Bo’ness United, loan), Ryan Edgar (Cumnock Juniors), Matthew Gillies (Heart of Midlothian, end of loan), Lewis Hunter (Caledonian Braves), Deryn Lang (Dumbarton), Joseph McGrath (Hibernian, end of loan), Kirk McKnight (Annan Athletic), Corey O’Donnell (Annan Athletic), Lewis Reid (Ross County), Tommy Sharp (Cumnock Juniors), Lyndon Tas (Heart of Midlothian, end of loan), Sallu Turay (Linlithgow Rose) and Sean Docherty.
East Kilbride
Ins: Rhys Armstrong (Airdrieonians), Owen Calder (Hibernian), Rhys Dargie (Celtic, loan), Euan East (Linfield), Marcus Gill (Celtic, loan), Finlay Gray (Stenhousemuir), Shay Kelly (Dumbarton), Liam Kennedy (Celtic, loan), Andrew Kyle (Celtic), Nathan Lawson (Motherwell), Lewis McGrattan (Airdrieonians), Craig McGuffie (Peterhead), Chris McKenna (Northern Colorado Hailstorm), Callum McKenzie (Stirling Macedonia), Owen Moffatt (Greenock Morton), Darragh O’Connor (York City), Mitchell Robertson (Livingston, loan), Euan Ross (Queen of the South), Timam Scott (Queen’s Park), Alexander Smith (Rangers, loan), Ali Spalding (Arbroath), Aaron Steele (Peterhead) and Malik Zaid (Edinburgh City).
Outs: Rhys Breen (Portadown), Lewis Dobbie (Stranraer), Keir Foster (Edinburgh City), Craig Hepburn (St Johnstone, end of loan), Nathan Lawson (Kelty Hearts, loan), Jack Leitch (Edinburgh City), Jordan McGregor (Edinburgh City), Bobby McLuckie (Heart of Midlothian, end of loan), Joe Morrison (Elgin City), Jackson Mylchreest (Bo’ness United), John Robertson (Raith Rovers), Kerr Robertson (Greenock Morton, end of loan), Timam Scott (Clyde), Ali Spalding (Dumbarton), Lewis Spence (Dumbarton), Bruce Strachan (Clyde), Erik Sula (Caledonian Braves), Connor Young (Dunfermline Athletic, end of loan), Sam Young (Dunfermline Athletic, end of loan) and James Lyon.
Five facts
- Robbie Foster’s early goal against Berwick Rangers in midweek was the first time Stranraer had scored in the fourth minute of a game since Dylan Forrest netted from the penalty spot against Elgin City in November 2023.
- Happy birthday to two former Stranraer players on Saturday. Frontman Bruce Cleland turns 68. He played for Albion Rovers and Motherwell, among other clubs, before moving to Stranraer in 1986. Also celebrating is defender Derek Wingate, who turns 51. As well as Stranraer, he can count Benburb and Irvine Meadow among his former clubs.
- The last time Stranraer played on September 26 – and won – was in 2015. The Blues travelled to Forfar Athletic’s Station Park and led 1-0 at half time thanks to Mark McGuigan’s goal. Chris Aitken’s penalty would ultimately prove decisive as Michael Travis pulled one back for the hosts.
- Evan Dunne’s goal against Berwick Rangers was the 30th time Stranraer have found the net in 16 games this season. That is the most goals Stranraer have scored in 16 games since the 2020/21 campaign, when they had scored 33.
- The first meeting between Stranraer and East Kilbride was in December 2016. Max Currie was an unused substitute for Stranraer while Beejay Coll was lining up for East Kilbride. The Stranraer side, which won 2-1, was: Belford, Robertson, Dick, Barron, Bell, Turner, Thomson, Gibson, Malcolm (Morena 89), Nuttall, McGuigan (Agnew 38). Not used: Watt, Sherrie, Maley and Currie.
Admission
Admission is ‘pay at the gate’. Season tickets are not valid for Saturday’s cup tie.
Away fans can enter the ground from the away turnstile opposite the main stand. This turnstile is cash only.
The following pricing applies:
- Adult – £17
- Concession (over 65) – £12
- Youth (5 to 16) – £6
- Under 5 – FREE
Our brand new floodlights will also be in action for the very first time this weekend, providing almost double the brightness of our old system as we head into the autumn and winter fixtures.
Pavilion Bar
Pop into our ever-popular Pavilion Bar outside the away turnstile from 1pm for a pre-match refreshment with fellow fans.
Home, away and neutral supporters are warmly welcomed, and the bar accepts both cash and card.
Or, stop off at the Stranraer FC Fitba’ Bar on North Strand Street in the town centre, which is also open to all.
Merchandise
Stop off at the new club shop in the McLeans Taxis Stand, which is stocked with exclusive Adidas teamwear, hats, scarves, umbrellas, pin badges, key rings, stickers and much more.
Cash and card payments are accepted.
Podcast
Catch the latest edition of club podcast Look Blues Talking for a full preview of this weekend’s tie, along with post-match reaction from Danny McManus and all the talking points from Borough Briggs and Shielfield Park.
Coverage
You can follow our live matchday updates on X (formerly Twitter).
The manager’s post-match reaction will be available on YouTube following the game.
Club 1870 subscribers get a first look at the goals on Saturday night, along with full match footage.
Extended highlights will be available via YouTube by Sunday morning, with Cameron Ritchie and Jethro Bremner-Allison on commentary.
Photos: Bill McCandlish, Dylan Heron