The Scottish Football Association have agreed to change the dates of the final and the fourth round of next season's Scottish Cup.
The switches are to accommodate UEFA's rule about no games being broadcast on the same day as the Champions League final, but also moves within the Scottish Premier League to reintroduce a winter break.
The alterations are a break in tradition, since the final will now be played on Sunday, May 26, rather than the normal Saturday afternoon kick-off. The fourth round will take place on the weekend of December 1 and 2 rather than early January. Supporters are already dismayed at the change of date for the final, with many concerned that it will disrupt travel plans as much as the tone of the occasion.
Yet UEFA will not allow any matches to be played on the same day as their flagship game, although every European league has been allowed one season's dispensation, which is why this year's Scottish Cup final will take place on the same day as the Champions League final.
"Important to protect the media value of the William Hill Scottish Cup final. Cannot clash with UEFA CL final, hence Sunday fixture," explained Stewart Regan, the SFA chief executive, in a tweet yesterday.
Next season's Champions League final will be played on May 25, but the SFA cannot move the cup final to the previous week because of a clash with the final SPL fixtures.
Leaving a blank weekend between the end of the league campaign and the Scottish Cup final is not considered workable.
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