⚽ The A-Z of the 2024/25 Scottish Cup
The first additional content from The Scottish Football Kick-Off. An A-Z of this season's men's Scottish Gas Scottish Cup. The best club competition in the world.
A - AIDAN GALVIN
The Elgin City goalkeeper saved six penalties in their second-round match against Clyde. The Borough Briggs side beat Clyde 8-7 on penalties after the game finished 1-1. Aidan was on loan from Kilmarnock - a loan signing to be remembered.
B - BBC EARLY ROUND PICKS
The BBC started televising live games from rounds one to three in the 2019-20 season. They showed Dalkeith Thistle v Broxburn Athletic, Threave Rovers v Stranraer and East Kilbride v Falkirk this season.
It is worth noting they have never gone further north than Brechin in their early rounds coverage.
C - CARLUKE ROVERS AND THE BIGGEST GAP IN CUP HISTORY
Carluke Rovers travelled to Buckie Thistle in the first round. Buckie were 89 positions above them in the pyramid system, the biggest gap for a tie in Scottish Cup history.
It took a 90th-minute winner for Buckie to go through.
D - DERBIES
The Dundee derby in the fourth round was the most notable in this season’s competition. Dundee beat Dundee United 1-0 at Dens Park.
In the first round, Clachnacuddin came from one down to beat local rivals Nairn County 3-1.
E - EAST FIFE EXIT
East Fife have now lost to non-league opposition four times in the past six seasons. Highland League side Banks o’Dee were 1-0 victors in Methil this season.
The other teams to knock East Fife out were BSC Glasgow (Broomhill), Banks o’Dee (again) and Dunbar United.
F - FIRST-TIME APPEARANCES
Dundee North End and Bo’ness Athletic made their debuts in this season’s competition.
Dundee North End reached the third round beating Tayport, Tranent and Inverurie Loco Works before losing to Airdrieonians 1-0.
Bo’ness Athletic reached the second round by beating Kilwinning Rangers and Dunbar United, before losing 6-0 to Stirling Albion.
G - GIRVAN
West of Scotland Second Division side Girvan’s 9-0 win over South of Scotland League St Cuthbert Wanderers was the biggest in the cup this season including preliminary rounds.
Fraserburgh’s 8-0 win in the first round against Rothes was the biggest win in the Scottish Cup proper.
H - HIGHEST SCORING GAME
The highest-scoring game from the first round onwards was Peterhead’s 6-3 win over Midlands League side Lochee United at Balmoor in the second round.
Lochee United had gone 2-0 up in the game.
I - IRVINE MEADOW
It had been a wee while, but Irvine Meadow won a Scottish Cup match for the first time since 2012 and eventually reached the third round.
The Ayrshire side beat Preston Athletic 3-2, Burntisland Shipyard 4-1 and Civil Service Strollers 3-0 before getting knocked out by Stenhousemuir in the third round.
J - JEANFIELD SWIFTS
The Swifts are the only team in this year’s competition to begin with the letter J.
Eight other teams that have begun with the letter J have participated in the Scottish Cup - the last of these was Johnstone in 1928.
K - KEITH
The Highland League side have only won one of their last 15 Scottish Cup matches in the regulation 90 minutes. They made the second round this season, but it took a penalty shootout win over Camelon.
L - LOTS OF GOALS
Including the preliminary rounds, there were 456 goals this season - an average of 3.53 per game.
M - MAEDA
He didn’t get his hands on a winner’s medal but Daizen Maeda was this season’s top Scottish Cup goalscorer. He scored seven goals in this year’s competition.
N - NON-LEAGUE PROGRESS
Well done to the five non-league clubs who reached the fourth round this year.
They were Highland League sides Brechin City and Fraserburgh. Lowland League Broxburn Athletic. Eventual East of Scotland Premier Division winners Musselburgh Athletic and eventual West of Scotland Premier Division winners Clydebank.
O - ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY
130 clubs entered this year’s competition in the 140th season of the Scottish Cup.
P - PENALTY SHOOTOUTS
We all love a penalty shootout when it is not our club involved, don’t we? There were nine in total this year.
Elgin City 8 - 7 Clyde was the highest-scoring shootout. Dundonald Bluebell 0 - 3 Inverurie Loco Works was the lowest.
And of course, the most important of them was Aberdeen’s win in the final.
Q - QUEEN’S PARK
Rangers 0 - 1 Queen’s Park.
A staggering fifth-round result given how poor Queen’s Park were in the second half of the season.
R - ROAD TRIP
Cumnock’s first-round away day at Brora Rangers was the longest distance travelled by any club for a match this season. A 90th-minute winner for Brora would have made the journey home a bit of a sore one.
The shortest was Dundee United’s visit to Den’s Park.
S - SHOCKS
Including the preliminary rounds, 31 teams knocked out opposition from a higher tier in the Scottish football pyramid. Five of these were non-league clubs knocking out SPFL sides.
T - TOP GOALSCORERS
Celtic and Clydebank both scored 15 goals in this year’s competition - the joint most by any team.
U - UNDEFEATED NO MORE
Brendan Rodgers had never lost a Scottish Cup match until Saturday’s final. He had gone 21 games undefeated.
V - VERSUS
Saturday's final was the eighth occasion Aberdeen and Celtic have competed in the showpiece match. They have won four finals each.
W - WINNERS
It was an eighth Scottish Cup for Aberdeen. Their first Scottish Cup since 1990.
X - X-RATED
There were 26 red cards in this season’s Scottish Cup. Two of them came for Hearts in the semi-final against Aberdeen.
Y - YAWN
Only one match finished goalless after 90 minutes. Even then, that match never got to the end of extra-time without a goal.
Musselburgh Athletic beat Darvel 1-0 after extra time in the first round.
Z - ZINGER
Graham Carey’s goal for St Johnstone v Livingston in the quarter-final was nothing short of sensational.
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