Still Scotland's top competition (Scottish F.A. Cup)

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Product:	Scottish F.A. Cup
Date:	21/12/01 (8 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: financial incentives, chance of an upset, great day out

Disadvantages: none

The Scottish League Cup is meaningless; we've all known that for years, it has no European place, it's played at a time of the season when clubs are still trying to find their feet and all of the major clubs field their reserve team. But what really gets to me is the fact that people are now claiming that the Scottish Cup has become a waste of time? For me, this is another classic example of the Old Firm suffocating Scottish football with their "we're bigger than you attitude".

Just because the Old Firm no longer enjoy the Scottish Cup doesn't mean it's a waste of time. I'm an Airdrie fan, and the two Cup Finals we've reached in the past 10 years have been the two greatest footballing experiences of my life. We should have won one, if not both of the two finals and it proved to be a great day out for players and supporters alike, a unique experience for many of the players in the side.

And what about Hearts? They're cup win in 1997 was the only thing they've had to cheer about in recent years. What people fail to understand is that for us mere mortals (clubs outwith the Old Firm), the league is out of our reach before the season starts. The cup gives us that chance of an upset over a one-off match, the chance to reach the final and have a great day out. Who knows, maybe we'll earn a European place and get a plump draw with a major European side.

And then there's the financial aspect of it. For a small time club like Alloa or Berwick Rangers, or even First Division clubs like Airdrie or Raith Rovers, the chance to play at Ibrox or Parkhead in the Cup will bring in about £150,000 to the club, a vital sum for any team in the cut-throat environment that is Scottish football. Such an investment helps bring financial stability, to clear debts and maybe even invest in stadium expansion, new players or a youth policy.

The magic of the cup lives on and we all live for upsets, such as
Hamilton's win over Rangers in 1989. Only two years ago, Inverness Caley horsed Celtic on their own turf - and it is for these matches that fans live. The cup helps gear supporters away from the run-of-the-mill dross that they have to put up with during a league campaign, which more often than not is finished before it's even started.

Many fans are sceptical of the cup - but trust me, if you reach the final like Airdrie did, you'll never forget the experience for the rest of your life.

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