Cup venue decision shames the SFA

The issue of Scottish Cup semi final venues has often been a contentious one.

For rather a long time now, the SFA have insisted on always holding both semi-finals, as well as the final, at Hampden Park.  I believe the ticket money from the semi-finals gets split four ways regarding of who plays who, so I think it's about making sure the maximum number of people can attend...and, by extension, the maximum amount of moolah can be made.

In practice, of course, it's not that simple.  I've seen Caley Thistle play in two Scottish Cup semi-finals, which were against Dundee in 2003 and Dunfermline in 2004.  Neither attendance broke the 15,000 barrier.  Hampden's poor design, with the shallow gradient of the stands and the distance between the fans and the pitch, means that it barely counts as atmospheric when full; at less than a third capacity, we're talking quieter than a library, filled with mute people, situated in a graveyard.  McDiarmid Park, Pittodrie, Tannadice - these were all more sensible venues.  Yet they weren't considered for a moment.  Pittodrie was used for the replay of the Inverness-Dunfermline match, and just as well given that the crowd was barely 3,000.

But the SFA kept insisting on Hampden, even when it meant, for example, Dundee United and Raith Rovers travelling all the way to Glasgow instead of playing each other at a closer venue such as Tynecastle or Easter Road, which might have been close to a sell-out.  They'd have insisted on Hampden even if Ross County and Inverness were drawn to play in the semis, or one of the Highland clubs was drawn to play Aberdeen.

But for this season's competition, the SFA faced a predicament, as Hampden Park is being converted for use in the 2014 Commonwealth Games.  Still, the semi-finals alone are 6 months away.  We can see who gets knocked out early, and who is left in the latter stages.  There's no need to make a decision now.

Except in the universe that the SFA operates in, of course.

Today it was announced that Celtic Park will host the final, and Ibrox will host both semi-finals.  That's not unless Celtic make the final/Rangers make the semi finals.  That will be the case regardless of which teams make the semi-finals.  If Celtic reach the final, they will get to play at their own ground.  If Rangers make the semi-finals, they will get to play at their own ground.  If two teams who are over 100 miles from Glasgow, with relatively small supports, play against each other in a semi-final, they will have to go all the way to Ibrox and play in a two-thirds empty stadium.

So the national cup final, and possibly a semi-final, could be held with home advantage for one of the teams.  I'd have said that this was unfair.  What do the SFA say?

It is important for fixture planning schedules to announce the venues as early as possible.
— Scottish FA (@ScottishFA) October 30, 2013

Ave s/f attendances are 25k+ so only two football stadia can accommodate those numbers
— Scottish FA (@ScottishFA) October 30, 2013

Stadium rental, insurance, stewarding etc all require planning well before finals and semi-finals. More cost-effective to arrange in advance
— Scottish FA (@ScottishFA) October 30, 2013

In terms of non-football venues, the Board's view was that revenue should remain within football
— Scottish FA (@ScottishFA) October 30, 2013

Well, that's an awful lot of references to money.  Wouldn't just the slightest nod towards integrity be nice?  As regards the dates, there are no top flight fixtures scheduled for the weekend of the Scottish Cup Semi Finals. Do they really believe that Celtic Park might not be available that day?  And of course, if you need a big sports stadium, Murrayfield is the biggest one in the whole damn country.  How about using that?  I bet it's no more expensive than what the SFA are paying Celtic and Rangers for this privilege.  'Reconstruction' was supposed to be about sharing the wealth a bit more, wasn't it?  Instead, the Old Firm once again get to cash in, and with a potential footballing advantage to boot.  There's no definite reason at all to hold both semi finals at a big stadium unless there is an Old Firm club in both.  Even the Aberdeen-Hibs semi-final in April 2012 was attended by only 28,000.  That's barely half the capacity of Ibrox.

 This decision stinks to high heaven.  But, sadly, it stinks of the same odour that Scottish football's authorities have stunk of for a long time now.

On the other hand, can you imagine what it would be like if Rangers and Celtic ended up drawn against each other in a semi-final, or the final?  In that case, I'd say it was a very good idea after all.  But only because Stewart Regan and the other lunatics in charge of the asylum would be feeling rather uncomfortable...

L.