Monday was the draw for the fourth round match-ups in the 125th Active Nation Scottish Cup. After a 5-1 victory over Berwick Rangers F.C. in the third round of the cup Staggies supporters were hoping for one of two things: an away tie against the Old Firm (or at least against Hearts or Hibernian) or a home tie against a “beatable” opponent.
The logic behind the first option is that County’s share of the revenue generated by an away match against Rangers or Celtic would more than make up for the likelihood of County being bounced out of the cup by one of these sides. Basically, supporters were willing to trade a long term financial benefit for the short term benefit of moving on to the fifth round. Perhaps this is not the most romantic notion in the world, but such are the realities of First Division football in Scotland.
The second option is a version of the first. A home match against a beatable opponent provides the club with revenue from an extra home date (or, conversely prevents them from having to play an away match against a lower level team that would likely cost them money rather than generating any), gives the club a chance to “run out” some fringe or youth players in order to give them some experience, and should they be victorious, they are even more likely (barring a string of unlikely upsets) to be matched against a lucrative opponent in the fifth round draw.
If you haven’s surmised as much from the logos above, the fourth round draw handed County “option B”- a home date against Inverurie Loco Works F.C. of the Highland League. Inverurie currently sit sixth in the eighteen team Highland League and, while they are sure to get “stuck in” in the manner that is typical of Highland League teams, County should be expected to win this match handily. The match will be held at Victoria Park in Dingwall on January 9th, something upon which I’d like to comment.
I have slept in unheated, uninsulated AMC hut (Carter Notch- for those of you who may be familiar with it) in the White Mountains in February and been warmer than I was on a 40 degree March day in Dingwall when I watched County during their weekly training sessions. Perhaps that is because the training pitch (which is behind the North End of the stadium) is only a soft pitching wedge from the shores of Cromarty Firth and the wind blows so steadily that the trees that line the waterside edge of the training pitch all lean permanently to one side!
