Six-time winners Silverknowes have made it to the semi-finals in the 125th Dispatch Trophy after being watched at the Braids by two of the club’s pioneers in the event. Mike Muirhead, who now lives in the US, was up to support a side comprising Keith Reilly, Graham Robertson, Chris Milligan and Connor McWatt earlier in the week in the Edinburgh Leisure-run tournament. Then, on Thursday for the quarter-finals of an event being supported this year by Braid Hills Golf Centre and Golf Finance, 75-year-old Kenny Cooper was out on the course as well to lend his support. Back in 1979, they teamed up with Davie Fraser and Ian Muirhead to claim the first-ever medal - a bronze - won by Silverknowes in the historic team tournament. Five years later, Cooper then joined forces with Stevie Hunter, Ian Randall and Alan Hogg to land the first of those six Silverknowes successes. “I’ve got some great memories up here,” admitted Cooper, who had been glad to find a jacket in his car as the cool air took some of the warmth out of the glorious spring sunshine high above the city. “We won three bronze medals before finally getting gold ones and all four of us from that winning team in 1984 are still alive.” Reilly has five gold medals and 14 in total while Robertson has four golds but both Milligan and McWatt are chasing the one that really matters for the first time. “It’s absolutely brilliant that they are through to the semi-finals,” declared Cooper after Milligan and McWatt had been pleased to “play better than the last two games “ in a hard-earned Thursday triumph over Edinburgh Academicals. Standing between Silverknowes and another final appearance are Murrayfield after they dethroned Duddingston, winners for the past two years, in the last eight. Archie Wyatt and Harry Hawthorne finished three up at the front against Jamie Duguid and Allyn Dick while Cameron Whyte and Stuart Thurlow won three up at the back over Gary Thomson and Craig Pirie. That was sweet revenge for Murrayfield after losing to the same opponents in the semi-finals two years ago after they’d also made it to the last eight in 2022. Team manager Stevie Anderson is the driving force behind Murrayfield’s participation in the tournament and his optimism heading into this edition has certainly not proved to be unfounded. Wyatt, who is just back from the US after ending his junior year at Colorado State University-Pueblo, plays off plus five while he said Hawthorne had been knocking in “lots of putts” on Thursday night. The other semi-final on Saturday morning sees Hailes, winners in 2015, take on Heriot’s FP, who lifted the trophy two years later before getting to the final two years ago. That will be a tough one for Graham Ewart, who, as always, has been at the side of the first tee - Bob Kilgour, another well-kent face in Lothians golf, too - to see the action get underway this week. As a very proud Kingsknowe man, he’d love to see Hailes claim the trophy once again but he’s a Herioter, too, so he won’t mind them going all the way, either! Semi-final ties 8.00am Hailes v Heriot’s FP 8.10am Silverknowes v Murrayfield