Celtic’s Scottish Cup Final against Inverness Caley Thistle looks set for a lunchtime kick-off as a warm up to the FA Cup Final at Wembley.
BBC and ITV will show the Manchester Derby live with a 3pm kick off with BBC Scotland and Viaplay Sport not prepared to go head to head with that fixture.
Scottish fans are used to being messed about for television such as Celtic kicking off at 12 noon away to Ross County.
The Scottish Cup Final has so far been immune to that but that is poised to change according to a report in The Sun:
It’s believed that Caley Thistle boss Billy Dodds and his Championship underdogs could have it confirmed within the next week that they will take on Ange Postecoglou’s Treblechasers on June 3, much earlier than the traditional 3pm kick-off.
That will spark fury, in particular, from Inverness fans, who were unhappy at having to travel from the Highlands to Hampden for a 12.15pm start to Saturday’s semi-final with Falkirk.
Execs from broadcasters Viaplay and the BBC are keen on a stand-alone kick-off time for the Cup final to avoid a direct clash with the FA Cup.
For the first time in its history it will be competed for by Manchester City and Manchester United – and is expected to draw a huge TV audience.
Subscription-based Viaplay especially are keen on an earlier Hampden start, although a tea-time kickoff hasn’t been ruled out.
A 5 or 5.30pm kick off would be far more convenient if the game can’t kick-off at 3pm on Saturday June 3
Ticket pricing and allocations are expected to be announced this week, with less than 15,000 at the Inverness v Falkirk semi-final Celtic fans are expecting an allocation of close to 40,000 for the final.
Why was the first cup semi final on Saturday shown live by BBC Scotland ,but the second on Sunday between Celtic and the Rangers not ? How can the alleged national broadcaster be so lame by not showing both ties live at the national stadium ! Whenever the word production and the letters BBC are spoken in the same sentence ,I roll my eyes in embarrassment ! A cheap ,lazy , privileged ,publicly funded organisation at its shabbiest !
Both clubs should tell them to fck off. Plans will already be in place by supporters.
Broadcasting as a prelude to the FA Cup final is a good marketing ploy, getting the game a higher profile.
They could get their heads together and compromise, either by moving the English game to 4.00PM and the Celtic game to 2.00PM or tossing a coin for one final on Saturday and one on Sunday. Of course fakkin Enger-lund will expect their time and day to be sacred and immovable due to their supremacist fakkin nature. They’ve much in common with huns and I know, I live in England and I also know all about huns.
Didn’t these finals used to be seperated by a week? That would surely suit all camps?
Otherwise I agree with Stevie, upgrade Celtic TV (to make it watchable) and make it available in UK/Eire and tell the rest to fakk off.
I can see the obvious attraction to Celtic (financially) to make extend Celtic TV to the UK & Eire but for starters I’m sure they are constrained by the collective agreement we have signed up to with the SPFL and and then there are probably other ramifications to going it alone; after all we don’t live in a vacuum, meaning we need the co-operation of all teh other teams.
I wonder if it might happen some day. Who’d have thought back in the old Arthur Montford days we would have the televised football we have now.
Doesn’t bother me as I’ll be able to watch the Manchester final aswell… if I were a IC fan tho, I’d be RAGIN not sevco fan levels but still…..
HH
Scottish games should be prioritised on Scottish TV aput out and watched at the proper time off play……3 pm…we’re Scottish and want to watch our games not England’s…..