Clouds drift overhead as Mike Harris admits he couldn't change his flight from South Africa to attend a maiden appearance in the SPFL Trust Trophy for TNS.

The charismatic chairman of the Welsh club will instead be glued to a large screen stream of the showpiece final against Airdrie from sweltering Stellenbosch as The New Saints chase a historic triumph.

Harris, a Welsh businessman, spends a few months each year in South Africa and won't be alone in watching Sunday's final beamed in from the Falkirk Stadium having cultivated a following in the Western Capes.

"The Stellenbosch TNS fan clubs are out in force - about 30 of us," reveals Harris when quizzed on his plans to watch the match. "We've got some big screens in one of the local bars.

"TNS has a big following in the Western Cape. I've been coming out here for 15 years and several locations out here follow our club.

"The other thing is because we have been quite successful a lot of people use TNS in their accas for betting.

"The abuse we get if we lose or draw is quite phenomenal! But we've got a good following out here."

The 30-degree temperatures in South Africa offer little consolation to Harris who had attempted to switch his flights to make the final - having made it to Scotland for the semi-final triumph over Falkirk last month - but was bested by Easter inflation in ticket prices.

"I flew back in for the Falkirk game but I couldn't change my flight [this time]," explained Harris whose spirits aren't dampened by missing the final in the flesh. 

"Easter has made it nigh on impossible to change, any normal economics I think we'd have had to of won your competition two or three times over to justify the change in the ticket price.

"But it won't the excitement levels. It will be quite a nervous day I think.

"It's two teams that are very evenly matched. It should be quite a competitive game."

READ MORE: TNS hunting more history in SPFL Trust Trophy & world record recovery

Harris already has plenty of silverware-surrounded memories from his time as TNS chairman to date.

Although, Sunday wouldn't be the first time he missed a major moment for the club - albeit this time separated by continents rather than fencing at the stadium as he nipped to the toilet as TNS scored to claim the world record for consecutive wins with a 2-0 win over Cefn Druids.

The record has since been surpassed by Saudi club Al-Hilal, however, a win on Sunday would see TNS equal their own record of 27 wins on the bounce and close the gap on the new figure - currently 29.

"At the time I had nearly gone the 90 minutes but my bladder got the better of me so I had to go and use the loo," laughed Harris as he recalled the historic moment.

"While I was in the loo I'd heard the cheering and knew there had been a goal and I was pretty certain it was us but I didn't know until I was back in the ground that it was us getting the goal that took us through to get those 27 consecutive wins.

"Funny enough this game puts us back in the same spot - this game would match our previous record.

"Our record is now gone but I will say that we have got a chance to get it back.

On whether he'd head to the toilet to tempt lady luck into repeating the feat should things be nervy on Sunday, Harris joked: "Who knows! I am going to try and be a well-behaved lad that day and try to stay off the wee drams."

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For TNS, victory on Sunday would write their name in the history books as the first non-Scottish Cup to hoist the SPFL Trust Trophy.

And despite regularly featuring in Champions League qualifying rounds and hunting a domestic treble this season, Harris insists the competition is held in high regard.

He explained: "To us it is right up there. It gives a fair perspective to the quality overall of the teams in Wales. We are very enthusiastic about it.

"We quite like being drawn away, our fans absolutely love going up to Scotland and having a weekend up there whether it's in Glasgow, Stenhousemuir or Falkirk, wherever we go they absolutely love the journey. And we love to get at least one night out and meet new friends.

"It's great to test yourself against the other clubs outside our nation. 

"The normal UK public - particularly the English and the Welsh fans who support Cardiff and Wrexham etc - they all think the Welsh Premier is not a very good standard or whatever. 

"It does help when the clubs that do get invited in can do quite well. We are really pleased we are in the final and we are looking forward to it."