A nail-biting week lies ahead for the East of Scotland club Whitehill Welfare. Tomorrow they will learn whether their application to join the Scottish Football League has been successful; four days later they will attempt to earn themselves a lucrative Tennents Cup third-round tie at Kilmarnock by beating Alloa, with whom they drew 2-2 on Saturday.

Inverness Caley Thistle manager Steve Paterson is thrilled at the prospect of facing Celtic in their third-round tie at Parkhead in front of a probable 60,000 fans.

"I know we can't try to set the pace of the game," he said. "But it's in my nature to try and get in among the opposition. It should be a great experience for my players, one they should remember for the rest of their lives."

SCOTTISH CUP THIRD-ROUND DRAW: Hearts v Stenhousemuir/St Mirren v Aberdeen/Albion Rovers or Dalbeattie Star v Partick Thistle/ St Johnstone v Rangers/Celtic v Inverness Caledonian Thistle/Falkirk v Peterhead/Arbroath or Fraserburgh v Motherwell/Queen of South v Livingston/Clyde v Raith Rovers/Stranraer v Berwick Rangers/Clydebank v Stirling Albion/Hibernian v Dunfermline/Kilmarnock v Whitehill Welfare or Alloa/Greenock Morton v Brechin City or Annan Athletic/Dundee Utd v Airdrie/Dundee v Ayr Utd. To be played on January 29th.