The SFA are still confident of completing the Scottish Cup this season despite the competition being suspended alongside lower division football. According to a source speaking to the Daily Record they have no idea how they will manage it!
Arbroath and Falkirk are due to play a Second Round tie with the winner away to Celtic but since January 11 Falkirk have been put into hibernation with no update expected until March 1.
This weekend should have seen the quarter-finalists emerge but the SPFL has brought forward a set of fixtures from April with Celtic travelling north to face Ross County.
The Scottish Cup Final is scheduled for the second weekend in May but with 46 teams still involved it will require some fixture gymnastics to decide the tournament as planned.
After last season’s controversies the SPFL are very keen to get their leagues completed by mid-May when the contracts of many part-time players expires.
The Daily Record reports:
SFA chiefs are still determined to finish this season’s Scottish Cup by May – despite being two rounds behind Schedule and more than half the sides remaining out of action. This weekend should have marked the last 16 of the competition. But 46 sides involved in the third round draw on January 10 are still awaiting the green light for those ties after the lower leagues were brought to a halt on January 11.
Despite this, Record Sport understands SFA chiefs still intend to finish the sponsor-less competition this season and discussions are ongoing about rescheduling fixtures. But with no restart date for clubs below the Championship and Hampden due to be handed over for the European Championships in May, time is fast running out.
And ominously two Premiership fixtures – Livingston v Hamilton and Ross County v Hibs – were this week rearranged for March 13 which was the original date for quarter finals ties. Clubs remain in the dark over a solution. But a source said: “Ian Maxwell has been very, very clear he wants the competition finished this season. How it’s done is anyone’s guess.”
Celtic lifted the trophy in December with a penalty shoot-out win over Hearts and will be looking to lift the trophy for a record breaking fifth time running.
Although the SFA don’t have a sponsor for the competition they do have broadcast contracts with BBC Scotland and Premier Sports that won’t be paid if the competition doesn’t go ahead.