St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin is convinced that this season’s Scottish Cup will be the first not to have a winner since 1909*.
Goodwin, whose side were due to travel to Hamilton Accies in the third round last weekend when the draw was made on January 10, believes that it will be logistically impossible for the Scottish Football Association to find dates for the outstanding ties in a season which will end early in order to accommodate the Euro 2020 finals, postponed from last summer.
And, although the semi-finals and finals of last year’s tournament were held over and concluded this season – and even though the SFA have abandoned replays, with extra time and penalties deciding the outcome of drawn matches – there are 43 ties still to be played.
The lower and non-league clubs have also been shut down by the SFA since January 11, a decision taken for health reasons in an attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19. That was recently extended until February 14.
Partick Thistle, whose second round tie at Cowdenbeath was postponed, haven’t played a competitive match since Boxing Day and the extreme weather conditions Scotland has been experiencing has led to Premiership and Championship fixtures being postponed.
Consequently, Goodwin believes it would be better for all concerned to halt the competition now.
“The Scottish Cup is one we all really enjoy and of course we would love to be able to get it played but, just thinking with my sensible hat on, I don’t see where we can squeeze that competition into the calendar,” he said.
“We already have eight games in the month of February and there’s nowhere to fit it in this month so I just can’t see how we can do it “Unless we do it without some of the lower-league teams but I don’t think that would be fair either, would it?
“Personally, I can’t see it happening and I think the competition will be postponed and we’ll start it again next season.
“If SFA decide that we can fit it in then great, let’s do it. But what I think is there won’t be a Scottish Cup this season. They’ll just have to write it off: it’s as simple as that.”
Doubts had already been expressed about the wisdom of allowing part-time clubs, who do not test their players for the Coronavirus, to compete with full-time clubs who test twice-weekly.
Only eight of the 20 second-round ties have been decided but five clubs who don’t test their players have already progressed to compete with clubs who do in the third round, and there is the possibility of them being joined by another four.
The third-round draw also guaranteed that two non-testing clubs will qualify for the fourth round (with the potential of two others being added to the mix), prompting concerns of the possibility of increased transmission of the virus.
Goodwin also claimed that the SPFL should explain themselves after Dundee United were allowed to field a player who had delivered a false positive Covid test in their 2-1 defeat at Motherwell on Wednesday.
St Mirren had been forced to cancel their final pre-season friendly when several members of their coaching staff returned false positives while Hamilton Academical and Hibernian had earlier been forced to isolate players who had similar results earlier in the season.
“If the player in question had scored the winner against Motherwell then of course it would have been big news,” said Goodwin. “The fact Motherwell went on to win means there wasn’t a big song and dance about it.
“But I do think there needs to be an inquiry into it and I think we all need to be made aware of the procedure.
“My understanding and my medical team’s understanding of it is that if you test positive, whether it’s through the NHS or our own programme, then you have to self-isolate.”
*The Scottish Football Association withheld the trophy following a riot involving Celtic and Rangers supporters, who had watched their teams draw 1-1 in the replayed final, following an initial 2-2 draw. When the SFA announced there would be no extra time and that a second replay would take place, both sets of fans (believing they were being fleeced by the authorities) invaded the Hampden pitch, setting fire to wooden barricades and tearing up the goalposts, which were used to fend off mounted police.
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