The dawning of a New Year always fuels great optimism among Junior football supporters and it’s looking like 2017 is going to be no different.

I say this from recent experience after being recently accosted (light-heartedly) in the Braehead Shopping Arena by an avid Benburb supporter.

His gripe centred around a perceived lack of newspaper coverage over the famous old Glasgow club’s chances of getting their hands on silverware this season.

Trying to inject a touch of realism into the debate by pointing out the Bens are only sitting sixth top of the Central First Division and would need a phenomenal amount of results to go their way in the second half of the season to overhaul current frontrunners Cambuslang Rangers cut no ice with this staunch Govanite .

And neither did my attempt at putting forward a relatively balanced argument that Paul Lovering’s improving side are unlikely to go all the way in the Scottish Junior Cup even if they face a winnable but nevertheless tough fourth round tie in heading East to take on a Dunbar United side that has lost only once at home in this current campaign.

He countered this by saying: “But then Beith were not fancied last season”, but we eventually parted on an agree to disagree basis after a solid 15 minutes conversing on Junior football’s ever changing times.

A later glance over the history books only brought statistics to stack up against any diehard notion of hopes, dreams and the impossible happening for Benburb supporters this season seeing as their club’s last Scottish Cup triumph was before the Second World War - a 1-0 victory over Yoker Athletic in 1936.

With appetite whetted, I delved further and thought about what 2017 held in store for the other surviving Glasgow city-based clubs, Maryhill and Petershill who have likewise earned their places among the last 32 standing in the game’s Holy Grail competition.

The Scottish Junior Cup silverware last resided at Lochburn Park in 1940 following a 1-0 win against now defunct Morton Juniors and one cannot imagine John Hughes and his revamped playing squad participating in any open-top bus parade up the length of Maryhill Road for the foreseeable future.

That’s not to say they won’t give fourth-round opponents Fauldhouse United, currently propping up the East Premier League, a decent run for their money when they make the journey through to Park View later this month. However, the Scottish might be a unwelcome distraction to what is shaping up as the even bigger target of accumulating points that have hitherto proven hard to come by since Maryhill won promotion into the Super First Division last June.

The grown up take on things show the 133-year-old Glasgow outfit starting away in 2017 sitting second bottom of the table and with only two wins to their name from ten league outings which leaves them embroiled in a battle to climb clear of the basement and avoid being one of the four relegated teams throughout the second half of the season.

Petershill have been crowned Scottish Cup kings more than any of their city rivals (five times) yet even their last success occurred all of 61 years ago with a 4-1 Hampden Park defeat of Lugar Boswell in 1956.

It would be a major surprise if Willie Patterson’s present day playing squad could pull the feat off again but for sure they represent the best hope among Glasgow’s remaining representatives not least because they will enjoy home advantage when going up against Haddington Athletic.

The East Region side will be confident of taking a fourth West Region scalp following earlier victories over Troon, Shotts Bon Accord and Neilston.

However, it's hard not to think the Peasy’s formidable firepower of Chrissy Hall, Jason Hardie, Stephen McGladrigan and Stuart McCann will not emerge triumphant.

How far the Springburn club can go will largely depend upon the luck of the draw, however dropping out of the cup would not be a total disaster as an exit would allow more focus on their Super First Division title aspirations.

They are handily placed in third top spot and trail six points behind leaders Kilsyth Rangers but with a game in hand so it’s understandable if their 2017 sights are set on an immediate return to the Super Premier top flight above everything else.

This Saturday's fixtures (Kick-offs 1.45pm): McBookie.com Super Premier Division. Beith v Troon , Arthurlie v Kilbirnie Ladeside, Hurlford Utd v Rob Roy, Cumnock v Glenafton, Pollok v Auchinleck Talbot, Kilwinning Rangers v Largs Thistle.

McBookie.com Super First Division. Cumbernauld Utd v Shotts Bon Accord, Irvine Vics v Renfrew, Blantyre Vics v Clydebank, Kilsyth Rangers v Maryhill , Petershill v Girvan, Yoker Athletic, Irvine Meadow v Petershill,Shettleston v Irvine Meadow, Rutherglen Glencairn v Yoker Athletic.

McBookie.com Central First Division Bellshill Athletic v Lesmahagow, Greenock v Cambuslang Rangers, St Roch's v Rossvale, Benburb v Larkhall Thistle, Johnstone Burgh v Wishaw, Neilston v Vale of Clyde, Thorniewood Utd v Forth Wanderers.

McBookie.com Central Second Division. Newmains Utd v Lanark Utd, Port Glasgow v East Kilbride Thistle, Gartcairn v St Anthony's, Glasgow Perthshire. v Carluke Rovers, Ashfield v Vale of Leven, Royal Albert v Dunipace.

McBookie.com Ayrshire District League. Darvel v Kello Rovers , Annbank Utd v Maybole, Ardeer Thistle v Ardrossan Winton Rovers, Lugar Boswell v Saltcoats Vics, Dalry Thistle v Whitletts Vics, Craigmark v Muirkirk .