SCOTTISH CUP THIRD ROUND

[sam peckinpah]

Does anyone know the treu crowd figure from the Wick Academy vs. Brechin City match? The newspapers I saw recorded it as 177. I find that hard to believe - I've visited Harmsworth Park and they pull in much more than that for an average Highland League game. The Brechin match was possibly the biggest in their recent history, certainly since they became HFL members.

Also - does anyone know why the Dumbarton vs. Morton replay is on a Saturday? Aren't all repalys between SFL sides played in midweek?

[Scottish]

The Wick Academy website gives it as 1,217. As for the Sons-Morton match, I haven't seen any reason stated but the Scottish Cup takes precedence. Maybe the clubs preferred Saturday for crowd reasons - it is an all-ticket tie. Or is there maybe a floodlighting problem at Dumbarton?

[laughingravy]

There is no floodlight problem at the Rock. Both clubs decided to take up the option of playing the replay the following Saturday, instead of the usual midweek replay. The decision was made before the original tie and the projected dates for abandonment/postponement or draw were posted on the SFA website.
It has turned out to be a good call commercially, Dumbarton had the time to make the replay all ticket, due mainly, to the extra interest generated by the 4th round draw, with only 140 tickets left unsold by Friday afternoon. Both clubs now playing with the prospect of entertaining Brother Walfrid's XI.
Morton and Dumbarton's scheduled league matches were both away from home, at Dingwall and Stirling respectively, obviously with no gate sharing issues.
Last December the Scottish Cup replay against Ross County only drew 551 to the SHC, which took place on a Tuesday night.
Not so good for Ross County and Stirling Albion, losing a Saturday League fixture, also for away fans losing out on enjoyable away day fixtures.
However from Dumbarton's point of few, a significant proportion of income generation is derived on hospitality packages, which do not sell in hastily arranged replays in midweek. Only last season, a league match was postponed due to a previously arranged wedding reception.
It is hardly greed, it is sound fiscal sense to give a reasonable chance of bringing money to give them the best possible chance to compete on and off the field, and at the end of the day...... survive.

[Skyline Drifter]

It is hardly greed, it is sound fiscal sense to give a reasonable chance of bringing money to give them the best possible chance to compete on and off the field, and at the end of the day...... survive.

Mmm. Not sure I entirely agree with that. The whole replay fixture is a bonus and any money generated from it is extra in the pot.

Doing what Morton and Dumbarton did, which is entirely within the rules and their right, will have made that bonus money a bit better but, as you already pointed out, the big losers are Stirling Albion and Ross County who will lose out on their own gate incomes and hospitality packages, particularly County whose catchment is over a much larger area and depend more heavily on hospitality income.

Also a number of Morton fans in particular who might otherwise have gone to Dingwall on a Saturday won't now be able to go midweek but could have easily made the short hop to a midweek game at Dumbarton.

I understand why the clubs did it and I don't doubt they will be better off from it so fair enough, but I don't think it's very moral. The Scottish Cup rules at this stage weren't intended for League clubs to take advantage of the two Saturday's option.

[sam peckinpah]

Interesting - I wonder how many league clubs have missed out on lucrative cup-tie Saturdays becuase they felt compelled to fufil replays in midweek.

Also, sticking with the cup third round theem - when was the last time a tie was abandoned twice?

[Scottish]

Interesting - I wonder how many league clubs have missed out on lucrative cup-tie Saturdays becuase they felt compelled to fufil replays in midweek.

Also, sticking with the cup third round theem - when was the last time a tie was abandoned twice?

Depends on what you mean by lucrative. Dumbarton's gate on Saturday was double their league average but of 750 or so extra customers half of the gate receipts go to Morton. So that's about 375 extra fans contributing ot the Sons' coffers. Tonight's game v Peterhead was about 350 down on their average so on the face of it they've 'gained' to the extent of 25 supporters.

I suspect what's really happened is that they've avoided a loss on a midweek replay rather than gained anything.

Ross County OTOH were down between 500-550 tonight on their games with Morton last season which bears out SD's obersvation.

The game which arguably had the worst impact was Stenhousemuir v Cove Rangers. Apart from forcing a fixture postponement because of the re-arranged (not replayed) game being played on a Saturday this also had the knock-on effect of forcing East Stirling into a Sunday fixture and of playing two matches in 24 hours on an already less than pristine Ochilview pitch.

The query on abandoned ties has been asked (but yet to be answered) here

[LLD]

The game which arguably had the worst impact was Stenhousemuir v Cove Rangers. Apart from forcing a fixture postponement because of the re-arranged (not replayed) game being played on a Saturday this also had the knock-on effect of forcing East Stirling into a Sunday fixture and of playing two matches in 24 hours on an already less than pristine Ochilview pitch.

The artificial Ochilview pitch?

[Scottish]

The artificial Ochilview pitch?

They must have done that while I was asleep.