SCOTTISH Cup football could be coming to Dunbar next season, with a decision expected to be made next week.

Dunbar United received a letter last week from the Scottish Football Association (SFA) confirming that the club had met all the criteria for the SFA licence.

The SFA will meet on Wednesday, when it is expected the licence will be granted, opening the door for the club to play in Scotland’s premier professional national cup competition and the possibility of promotion up the footballing pyramid.

Geoff Jones, manager of the Seasiders, was delighted with the news.

He said: “For the club, it is enormous.

“We had to wait an extra year and watch our counterparts in East Lothian go through that process.

“Haddington in particular had some great games in the Scottish Cup this year that, ultimately, could have swung either way with a late goal.

“It is really exciting for the club and the whole purpose of coming into the East of Scotland Football League (EoSFL) was for this to happen.

“I don’t think it would have happened if the new board had not come in.

“The amount of work round about governance and all the relevant documentation in place, I don’t think we would have got there without the skills that came in during the summer.

“For the club, this is huge and the town as well.”

READ MORE: Haddington Athletic and Tranent Juniors record historic wins

Haddington Athletic, Tranent Juniors and Musselburgh Athletic all made their Scottish Cup debuts this season, competing alongside Preston Athletic, who have competed in the tournament for a number of years.

Impressively, all three of the newcomers enjoyed victory in the competition before being knocked out.

Jones, who previously played for Haddington, thanked other clubs for their help in ensuring that Dunbar were likely to play in the tournament next season.

He said: “Tranent Juniors offered us a huge amount of support with documentation and what they have been through.

“We want that level of help and it would have been even more work to do it without them.

“It is what it is all about at this level; Haddington offered too but Tranent sent a whole heap of stuff.

“It is about clubs helping each other.

“We are all doing it for the same purpose, not trampling over each other to gain an advantage.”

The manager highlighted the Scottish Cup could make a difference to the club in the future, as an added incentive to try to tempt players to New Countess Park.

READ MORE: Musselburgh Athletic's cup journey ended by Wick Academy

Haddington enjoyed an impressive 3-2 win away to high-flying Lowland League side BSC Glasgow, while Musselburgh knocked out Penicuik Athletic, and Tranent Juniors ended the cup dreams of Edinburgh University and East Stirlingshire before losing to East Fife after being a goal up.

Jones was now hoping the club could write its own chapter in Scottish Cup history and said: “I am an ex-player at Haddington and I was delighted for them but definitely cast a wishful glance at it and said: ‘It could be us.’

“It would be great.”

Meanwhile, the East of Scotland clubs could find out within a matter of days what will happen with the interrupted season, with clubs having not played league matches since the end of last year.

It remains to be seen if promotion and relegation will take place.

Tranent Juniors sit top of the EoSFL Premier Division but Jeanfield Swifts could overtake them if they win their games in hand.

Musselburgh Athletic sit in fourth spot, while Dunbar United are on the fringes of the relegation zone in 14th place.

Haddington Athletic sit second in the First Division Conference A, with Ormiston in 15th, and Preston Athletic are 11th in First Division Conference B.

The league’s website states: “Following the announcement by the Scottish Government that adult contact sport cannot commence until May 17, the board have decided that unless that date is brought forward by a significant margin in the next Scottish Government review on April 6, we will in all likelihood have no other choice than to abandon this season’s league.

“A final decision will be made by the board later that week.”