Chris Strain has warned his players not to get nostalgic just yet as Kilwinning Rangers get ready to bring the curtain down on 90 years at Abbey Park.
The Buffs are set to bow out of their spiritual home tonight with their final league clash of the season against Auchinleck Talbot.
The bulldozers will then move in and the focus switched to getting their new home at Kilwinning Sports Club ready for next season.
Strain is fully expecting an emotionally-charged evening in front of a bumper midweek crowd.
Kilwinning Rangers scrap plans for glamour Abbey Park farewell
And while he wants his players to feed off that energy and claim one final victory, he’s keen that they don’t let the occasion affect them.
“I’ve said before that we want to leave this place with a good feeling and that’s definitely a motivation for the players, said Strain.
“Abbey Park holds a lot of fond memories for them as it does a lot of people, not least the fans.
“But the time to get nostalgic is after the final whistle, not before it. We have a job to do first and it’s a tough match against an Auchinleck Talbot side chasing down the league championship and Scottish Junior Cup.
“It doesn’t get any better in terms of Junior opposition and it’s going to be a feisty match.”
One Buffs player who is likely to be more emotional than most is former skipper Ben Lewis.
He is the hometown boy who progressed from the terraces to the first team and a decade at the club.
“The place holds lots of special memories for me as first a fan and then a player, said Lewis.
“I’ll miss it but I think the move is the right thing for the club.
“We have had a disappointing season and myself and the players are determined to repay the fans with a result.”
