Charlie Christie - Inverness Caley Thistle one game away from Hampden in Scottish Cup
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This weekend we will see a piece of Scottish Cup history with the four quarter final games being played on four consecutive days – certainly the first time I can remember such a schedule and a reflection of the influence that tv scheduling plays in the modern football era.
It all kicks off tonight with our home match against Kilmarnock and it’s a real opportunity for us to add another chapter to our incredible love affair with the national cup competition.
It’s not the first time we have played Killie in Inverness in the competition, and we have a decent record up north with a draw in 2001 and a win in 2009. I played in the 2001 match and although it was a decent result against Premier League opposition it was also a hugely frustrating game which we dominated for long periods.
When Barry Robson scored a terrific half volley from the edge of the box in the 90th minute we thought we had won it, but we contrived to concede an equaliser straight from kick off and ended up losing the replay 2-1.
Along with our match this evening two other ties look very much in the balance with Celtic travelling to Tynecastle tomorrow for the lunchtime game against Robbie Neilson’s Hearts and Lee Bullen’s Ayr United side travelling to face Falkirk in the final sixth round tie on Monday evening.
That leaves Sunday’s early afternoon match at Ibrox where Rangers fans will hope for a stress-free afternoon against Raith Rovers and, with it being the last realistic chance of silverware this season for Michael Beale’s side, it is a match they simply must win.
I would expect both the Old Firm sides to be in Monday night’s semi-final draw along with Ayr
United and am quietly confident that the fourth team may well be the one with the longest name in Scottish football – let’s hope so!
n Both Dunfermline Athletic and Falkirk supporters should take a bow for producing a crowd of over 9500 for their midweek match in the Scottish League One top of the table clash at East End Park on Tuesday.
In the days when clubs in the lower leagues in Scotland are trying desperately to ‘make ends meet’ it was refreshing to see such a fantastic turn out on what was a bitterly cold evening in Fife.
It was also the biggest attendance in that division for 10 years since Glasgow Rangers were plying their trade at that level.
Both clubs are averaging home crowds of over 4000 as they occupy the top two spots in Scottish football’s third tier.
Those figures are a reminder of the true size and potential of both clubs.
Only one club, Dundee, in the Scottish Championship can boast a larger average league.
