From the moment Sons sealed their spot in the final, it’s safe to say the town has been increasingly gripped by cup fever.

And as the clock ticks down to kick-off on Saturday, businesses and fans have been doing their bit to help ensure the day is as memorable as possible.

Graffiti artist Barry the Cat, whose murals have brightened up buildings all over Dumbarton and the Vale, is turning his hand to something a bit different – by painting a 30ft long by 10ft high fan banner in the club colours for the match.

The 44-year-old said: “I have painted banners before but not one for fans, but I’m more than happy to do it because I know how much they love their sport.

“It’s going to have the elephant and the castle on it, but not the normal logo or club badge, Sons of the Rock and a depiction of Dumbarton Rock itself.”

The Reporter is also pitching in to help fans have a great day. We’ve produced thousands of masks of manager Stevie Aitken’s face to be included with every edition of the newspaper.

Show Stevie your support and make sure you wear yours on Saturday.

Others have been making it their mission to ensure as many as possible can make the journey.

Gillie Brough is organising supporters’ buses travelling to the game and has been inundated with requests from fans desperate to be at McDiarmid Park.

As the Reporter went to print, 11 buses had already been put on to take fans to Perth for the game.

Gillie said: “It’s some task, I’ll tell you. Each person has been bringing their own thing to the table – obviously I’m the buses.

“I know that there are lots of people going by train and car too. I’m just hoping we basically get a mass exodus of the town.

“The more the merrier. It doesn’t matter if it’s their first time watching Dumbarton, just come and lend support and give us that extra voice. My mission has been to get as many people as we can.”

Fans and supporters have also been lending a hand putting up posters around the town to encourage people to head to Perth.

And with the Sonstrust expecting more than 2,000 people to make the trek to the final to give their support, it’s clear the efforts of all involved are well and truly paying off.

To commemorate the special occasion, sponsors Irn Bru have also commissioned a limited edition set of 56 cup final bottles, 28 of which will go on sale in Dumbarton, with another 28 on sale in Inverness from Thursday.

The bottles will be available at the service station on Townend Road, where fans will be able to claim one bottle per person if they present their cup final ticket and buy another item from the station, which doesn’t have to be a Irn Bru or Barr product.

The limited edition set was unveiled by Sons midfielder Dimitris Froxylias, who picked up the Irn Bru Golden Balls Award for his wonder strike which fired Dumbarton into the final.

He said: “I’m delighted to receive the Goldenballs award. The free-kick was one of my best ever and I’m glad the fans enjoyed it.

“It was great to score the goal that helped us reach the final and to see the reaction from all the fans who came down to support us was an amazing feeling.”