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Ross County at home would be good. 

Edited November 19, 20178 yr by Guest

I'd like a Highland League away trip.  Fraserburgh or Formartine would be good, while Brora would be carnage!

County home or away might be more of an occasion, but we've played them loads of times over the last few years.  It'd be nice to have something different.

Edited November 19, 20178 yr by Renegade

I wouldn't be unhappy with The Rangers either at home or away.

It would almost certainly be selected for live TV which, taken with the gate money, would give us a six figure boost to the coffers which might help us recruit a striker and possibly a replacement for David Raven in January and, unlike a draw against Celtic, which might generate similar revenue, would still give us an opportunity to progress in the tournament.

Home tie. Preference is to advance for me, so try to avoid Celtic, Aberdeen, Hibs but would be optimistic against all others - especially as its usually the first game back after the Premiership winter break so often shocks happen there. 

Only negative of a cup run is that if we only make the play-offs its a detriment.

When is the second round played?

2 minutes ago, ictchris said:

When is the second round played?

Weeks ago. Today is the draw for the fourth round.

4 minutes ago, Kingsmills said:

Weeks ago. Today is the draw for the fourth round.

I can't keep up with these modern rounds.  Bring back the third round in the first week after January IMO.

The 4th round will be on the 20/21 January 2018.

Dundee away

Away to Dundee.

Dundee away. I'll take that. Repeat of scoreline from last time we were there please. 

Josh Meekings likes this.

Interesting draw.  Decent draw for us with hopes of an "upset". I'm sure we like the draw more than they do.

But Hibs and Hearts meeting, a top flight Lanarkshire derby and Fraserburgh taking on The Rangers certainly catch the eye.

Highland League involvement in the 5th round guaranteed with Formartine hosting Cove.  Brora also quite capable of taking another league scalp at Methil.  

Disappointed with that draw. Away from home. Not a money spinner. Not a ground that is a novelty for us. Would much rather have got a more winnable tie and saved the giant killing opportunities for the latter stages.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, every club eligible for the Scottish Cup should go in at round 1.  It'd be brilliant!

11 hours ago, Renegade said:

I've said it before and I'll say it again, every club eligible for the Scottish Cup should go in at round 1.  It'd be brilliant!

I disagree. It would actually make it less likely that smaller teams would make the latter stages. 

Fort William v Celtic doesn't really do it for me. The big sides would simply put out a youth side or fringe players and it would be so artificial. Far better to have little teams playing big teams because they have earned the right by winning through in earlier rounds. They deserve and get a bit of respect and the game becomes a real occasion. 

2 hours ago, DoofersDad said:

I disagree. It would actually make it less likely that smaller teams would make the latter stages. 

Fort William v Celtic doesn't really do it for me. The big sides would simply put out a youth side or fringe players and it would be so artificial. Far better to have little teams playing big teams because they have earned the right by winning through in earlier rounds. They deserve and get a bit of respect and the game becomes a real occasion. 

I agree with DD and, in effect, what we now have is a rough equivalent of the former Qualifying Cup. One difference is that everybody is actually in the Scottish Cup proper and, rather than chunter your way through two or three rounds of all-Highland League ties before reaching the Q Cup last four and hence the main tournament, you are nominally in the main event right from the start, but also able, from the start, to meet Lowland, Junior or SPFL lesser lights.

Under the old arrangement, depending on the luck of the bye, between 2-3 Q Cup games and 1-2 "Scottish Cup" games - ie 3-5 games - would be needed to get to the last 32 when the big teams came in. Now it's just 2 or 3.

I just love the Scottish Cup (& not just because of 2015...) - I remember Auchinleck Talbot (I think..) playing Hearts at Tynecastle for one...and as for all the wonderful cup ties we had as a lower league club.

It's great to see small clubs get a tie against the 'big boys' & as DoofersDad rightly said, these clubs have earned the right to these ties. What with TV cash & a potential big gate, these ties represent a huge incentive for the smaller clubs & can make a real difference to their finances. 

6 hours ago, DoofersDad said:

I disagree. It would actually make it less likely that smaller teams would make the latter stages. 

Fort William v Celtic doesn't really do it for me. The big sides would simply put out a youth side or fringe players and it would be so artificial. Far better to have little teams playing big teams because they have earned the right by winning through in earlier rounds. They deserve and get a bit of respect and the game becomes a real occasion. 

It might not do it for you, but it certainly would for them.  Even if it is a Celtic youth team, that's players playing for the first team who otherwise would and it would also bring a big cash injection for smaller clubs, which teams like Fort William desperately need.  Football needs more variety and having everyone, or most clubs big and small, entering at the same level would undoubtedly do this.  I've heard people say in the past that having everyone enter in the first round would mean you'd see some demolitions.  Maybe so, but you'd certainly see some giant killings too.

17 minutes ago, Renegade said:

It might not do it for you, but it certainly would for them.  Even if it is a Celtic youth team, that's players playing for the first team who otherwise would and it would also bring a big cash injection for smaller clubs, which teams like Fort William desperately need.  Football needs more variety and having everyone, or most clubs big and small, entering at the same level would undoubtedly do this.  I've heard people say in the past that having everyone enter in the first round would mean you'd see some demolitions.  Maybe so, but you'd certainly see some giant killings too.

There is a stage when an encounter ceases to be a sporting contest and hence also loses sporting integrity and I think that territory has been well and truly reached here. The Scottish Cup is a serious competition and not a fabricated excuse to make money by extending the luck of the draw principle well beyond where it is already. For instance you need to qualify for the Olympics, Scottish rugby's cup competitions are restricted by leagues and the Camanachd Cup is open only to the leading clubs, so why make football any different? Extending the number of potential rounds for the bigger clubs from five to eight would only add unneeded games for some which could produce the most outrageous mismatches, orremove some of the bigger names by September with the likes of a first round Edinburgh Derby. A 23-0 thrashing by a bunch of 15 year olds in green and white hoops would do absolutely nothing for anyone, especially since Celtic Park would be empty.

The most notable outcome of "Fort William v Celtic" would most likely be the breaking of Inverness Thistle's 1979 record of 29 postponements v Falkirk.

All in from the start ? Give it a "go" and see what actually happens. I favour that. Who knows? It might work.

The wee clubs all have to come up against a bigger and better club in due course, no matter what. So, in order to make  a few pounds  let them vie with one from the start and the best of financial luck to them.

Unless just the thrill of playing in the Cup is what the fans want,  then going to a few games against  a team of forest fairies may  be best for them perhaps. 

23 minutes ago, Scarlet Pimple said:

All in from the start ? Give it a "go" and see what actually happens. I favour that. Who knows? It might work.

The wee clubs all have to come up against a bigger and better club in due course, no matter what. So, in order to make  a few pounds  let them vie with one from the start and the best of financial luck to them.

Unless just the thrill of playing in the Cup is what the fans want,  then going to a few games against  a team of forest fairies may  be best for them perhaps. 

It used to happen until about fifty years ago but produced too many mis matches. The SFA don't often get things right but I rather like the way the competition has been organised in recent seasons.

The Highland and Lowland League sides together with the best of the Juniors all get to play in the tournament proper and those that survive until the fourth round to face the prospects of being drawn against the top teams have got there on merit.

Undertsood, Kingsmills.