Every game has suffered due to a lack of fans in the ground, but the Scottish Cup Final looks set to be a strange affair where some of the joy will be lost for the winning side.
The TV broadcast will do all they can to pump in some crowd noise to give the faint impression of atmosphere at the ground, but it’s just not the same spectacle as we’re used to.
Interestingly a report from the Scotsman indicated that the SFA were contacted with a bizarre late proposal which would’ve allowed some fans to attend the game, but it was ultimately turned down.
It appears that Inverness Caledonian Thistle offered to host the game, and some fans would’ve been allowed in due to the region being in tier 1.
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Obviously that would’ve come with a host of logistical challenges to overcome in a short space of time, while the SFA also cited contractual agreements with Hampden and the TV companies that would’ve made it impossible.
It’s also not clear what tier Glasgow and Edinburgh will be in later in the month so there’s no guarantee that they would even be allowed to travel up to Inverness for the game so it was never likely to succeed.
A cup final in Inverness would’ve been interesting as Hampden is a cold and miserable place at the best of times, so at least any fans would be treated to a nice view this time round.
The game is scheduled for Hampden on December 20, and I think we can all agree that it’s a tie that Neil Lennon simply has to win.