2008–09 Scottish Cup

2008–09 Homecoming Scottish Cup

Country	Scotland
Teams	82
Champions	Rangers
Runners-up	Falkirk
Matches played	95
Goals scored	297 (3.13 per match)
← 2007–08 2009–10 →

The 2008–09 Scottish Cup was the 124th season of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. The winners were Rangers, who defeated Falkirk in the 2009 final on 30 May 2009.^[1]

The competition was under new sponsorship. While the SFA sponsored the tournament last season,^[2] the new sponsor was Homecoming Scotland 2009, a project from the Scottish Government to encourage Scots from all over the world to visit the country. The tournament itself was known as The Homecoming Scottish Cup

Banks o' Dee, Bathgate Thistle, Lochee United and Pollok were the four junior clubs that entered this season.

Calendar

Round	First match date[3]	Fixtures		Clubs
		Original	Replays
First Round	27 September 2008	18	4	82 → 64
Second Round	25 October 2008	16	2	64 → 48
Third Round	29 November 2008	16	4	48 → 32
Fourth Round	10 January 2009	16	2	32 → 16
Fifth Round	7 February 2009	8	1	16 → 80
Quarter-finals	7 March 2009	4	1	8 → 4
Semi-finals	25 April 2009	2	0	4 → 2
Final	30 May 2009	1	0	2 → 1

First round

The First Round draw was conducted at Castlehead High School, Paisley on 8 September 2008.^[4]

Home team	Score	Away team	Additional information
Banks O' Dee 10 – 0 Fort William
Clachnacuddin 4 – 0 Burntisland Shipyard
Dalbeattie Star 5 – 1 Lossiemouth
Edinburgh City 2 – 0 Nairn County
Edinburgh University 1 – 2 Civil Service Strollers
Fraserburgh 6 – 3 Hawick Royal Albert
Glasgow University 0 – 1 Vale of Leithen
Golspie Sutherland 0 – 3 Threave Rovers
Huntly 1 – 0 Girvan
Inverurie Loco Works 5 – 2 Deveronvale
Lochee United 3 – 1 Bathgate Thistle
Newton Stewart 1 – 1 Brora Rangers
Pollok 1 – 1 Spartans
Preston Athletic 3 – 1 Gala Fairydean
Rothes 1 – 4 Buckie Thistle
Selkirk 1 – 1 Coldstream
St Cuthbert Wanderers 0 – 3 Wick Academy
Wigtown & Bladnoch 2 – 2 Forres Mechanics

Source: ESPN Soccernet
a.e.t. = after extra time; agg. = aggregation score; pen. = decision by penalties.

Replays

Home team	Score	Away team	Additional information
Brora Rangers 2 – 1 (a.e.t.) Newton Stewart
Coldstream 2 – 2 (a.e.t.) 2 – 3 (pen.) Selkirk
Forres Mechanics 2 – 0 Wigtown & Bladnoch
Spartans 1 – 0 Pollok

Source: ESPN Soccernet
a.e.t. = after extra time; agg. = aggregation score; pen. = decision by penalties.

Second round

The Second Round draw was conducted at Lochee United's Thomson Park, Dundee on 27 September 2008.^[5]

Home team	Score	Away team	Additional information
Berwick Rangers 1 – 2 Albion Rovers
Brora Rangers 1 – 3 Forfar Athletic
Clachnacuddin 1 – 0 Crichton
Cove Rangers 1 – 0 Whitehill Welfare
Cowdenbeath 1 – 2 Elgin City
Dalbeattie Star 6 – 0 Selkirk
Edinburgh City 0 – 0 Wick Academy
Forres Mechanics 1 – 1 Keith
Fraserburgh 0 – 1 Dumbarton
Inverurie Loco Works 5 – 1 Banks O' Dee
Lochee United 3 – 0 Buckie Thistle
Montrose 2 – 0 Huntly
Stenhousemuir 5 – 0 Threave Rovers
East Stirlingshire 4 – 2 Preston Athletic
Annan Athletic 1 – 2 Spartans
Civil Service Strollers 0 – 1 Vale of Leithen

Source: ESPN Soccernet: , ,
a.e.t. = after extra time; agg. = aggregation score; pen. = decision by penalties.

Replays

Home team	Score	Away team	Additional information
Keith 1 – 1 (a.e.t.) 0 – 3 (pen.) Forres Mechanics
Wick Academy 1 – 4 Edinburgh City

Source: ESPN Soccernet
a.e.t. = after extra time; agg. = aggregation score; pen. = decision by penalties.

Third round

The Third Round draw was conducted on 27 October 2008.^[6] Six matches were postponed, all because of frozen pitches. They were rescheduled for the following Saturday.^[7] However, only two of those matches were played on that day, Elgin City v Spartans^[8] and Forres Mechanics v Dalbeattie Star. The other matches were repeatedly postponed because of poor weather.^{[9][10][11][12]} The Edinburgh City v Brechin City tie was eventually played on 8 December 2008^[13] and the Inverurie Loco Works v Vale of Leithen tie on 13 December 2008. The Lochee United v Ayr United match was played on Tuesday, 23 December 2008.

On 11 December 2008, the match between Elgin City and Spartans was ordered to be replayed after Elgin had fielded Joe Malin, a loanee from Ross County, in a 2–1 win. Malin was not registered in time for the original tie, but played in the rescheduled tie. The match was ordered to be played on 15 December.^[14] It later emerged that Spartans had also fielded an ineligible player, Dean Hoskins, after an administrative error.^[15]

Home team	Score	Away team	Additional information
Airdrie United 3 – 0 Cove Rangers
Albion Rovers 1 – 2 Queen's Park
Clachnacuddin 0 – 5 Stenhousemuir
Clyde 2 – 0 Montrose
East Fife 2 – 0 Arbroath
East Stirlingshire 2 – 1 Livingston
Peterhead 2 – 1 Greenock Morton
Raith Rovers 0 – 0 Alloa Athletic
Ross County 2 – 2 Dumbarton
Stirling Albion 2 – 3 Partick Thistle
Forres Mechanics 2 – 2 Dalbeattie Star
Edinburgh City 0 – 3 Brechin City
Inverurie Loco Works 4 – 0 Vale of Leithen
Elgin City 1 – 2 Spartans
Forfar Athletic 2 – 0 Stranraer
Lochee United 1 – 1 Ayr United

Source: ESPN Soccernet:, , ,
a.e.t. = after extra time; agg. = aggregation score; pen. = decision by penalties.

Replays

Home team	Score	Away team	Additional information
Alloa Athletic 2 – 1 Raith Rovers
Dalbeattie Star 2 – 4 (a.e.t.) Forres Mechanics
Dumbarton 1 – 2 Ross County
Ayr United 3 – 1 Lochee United

Source: ESPN Soccernet: , ,
a.e.t. = after extra time; agg. = aggregation score; pen. = decision by penalties.

Fourth round

The Fourth Round Draw was conducted on 1 December 2008.^[16] Three matches were postponed due to failed pitch inspections, The first postponement, Inverurie Loco Works v Motherwell was rescheduled for 21 January but was not played (following 2 further postponements) until 2 February, whereas the Brechin City v St Mirren and Forfar Athletic v Forres Mechanics fixtures were both scheduled and played on 13 January.^[17]

Home team	Score	Away team	Additional information
Airdrie United 2 – 1 Spartans
Alloa Athletic 1 – 2 Aberdeen
Ayr United 2 – 2 Kilmarnock
Celtic 2 – 1 Dundee
Dunfermline Athletic 2 – 0 Clyde
Falkirk 4 – 2 Queen of the South
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3 – 0 Partick Thistle
Peterhead 2 – 2 Queen's Park
Ross County 0 – 1 Hamilton Academical
Stenhousemuir 0 – 1 East Fife
Hibernian 0 – 2 Heart of Midlothian
East Stirlingshire 0 – 4 Dundee United
Brechin City 1 – 3 St Mirren
Forfar Athletic 6 – 1 Forres Mechanics
St Johnstone 0 – 2 Rangers
Inverurie Loco Works 0 – 3 Motherwell

Source: ESPN Soccernet: , , ,
a.e.t. = after extra time; agg. = aggregation score; pen. = decision by penalties.

Replays

Home team	Score	Away team	Additional information
Queen's Park 1 – 0 Peterhead
Kilmarnock 3 – 1 Ayr United

Source: ESPN Soccernet: ,
a.e.t. = after extra time; agg. = aggregation score; pen. = decision by penalties.

Fifth round

The Fifth Round Draw was conducted on 11 January 2009 at Hibernian’s Easter Road.^[18] Three matches were postponed, the Aberdeen v East Fife match because of adverse weather in and around the city,^[19] and the Airdrie United v Dunfermline Athletic and Forfar Athletic v Rangers because of frozen pitches.^[20][21] All have been rescheduled for 18 February.

Home team	Score	Away team	Additional information
Celtic 2 – 1 Queen's Park
Hamilton Academical 2 – 1 Dundee United
Heart of Midlothian 0 – 1 Falkirk
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2 – 0 Kilmarnock
Motherwell 1 – 1 St Mirren
Aberdeen 5 – 0 East Fife
Airdrie United 1 – 2 Dunfermline Athletic
Forfar Athletic 0 – 4 Rangers

Source: ESPN Soccernet: , ,
a.e.t. = after extra time; agg. = aggregation score; pen. = decision by penalties.

Replay

Home team	Score	Away team	Additional information
St Mirren 1 – 0 Motherwell

Source: ESPN Soccernet
a.e.t. = after extra time; agg. = aggregation score; pen. = decision by penalties.

Quarter-Finals

The Quarter-Final Draw was conducted on 9 February 2009 at Hampden Park.^[22]

St Mirren v Celtic

7 March 2009 12:15

St Mirren	1 – 0	Celtic
Mehmet  55' (pen.)	Report

New St Mirren Park, Paisley Attendance: 5,925 Referee: C Richmond

---

Dunfermline Athletic v Aberdeen

7 March 2009 15:00

Dunfermline Athletic	1 – 1	Aberdeen
Phinn  82'	Report	Aluko  61'

East End Park, Dunfermline Attendance: 9,696 Referee: C Thomson

---

Inverness CT v Falkirk

7 March 2009 15:00

Inverness CT	0 – 1	Falkirk
	Report	Finnigan  31' (pen.)

Caledonian Stadium, Inverness Attendance: 3,024 Referee: S Conroy

---

Rangers v Hamilton Academical

8 March 2009 15:00

Rangers	5 – 1	Hamilton Academical
Whittaker  15' Lafferty  35', 81' Ñíguez  45' (pen.) Davis  53'	Report	Quinn  26'

Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow Attendance: 27,588 Referee: I Brines

Replay

Aberdeen v Dunfermline Athletic

18 March 2009 19:45

Aberdeen	0 – 0 (a.e.t.) (2 – 4 pen.)	Dunfermline Athletic
	Report
	Penalties
Duff Severin Mulgrew Foster	2 – 4 Aberdeen went first	Glass Woods Burke Bayne

Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen Attendance: 13,567 Referee: E Smith

Semi-Finals

The Semi-Final Draw was conducted on 8 March 2009 at Ibrox Stadium.^[23]

Rangers v St Mirren

25 April 2009 12:15

Rangers	3 – 0	St Mirren
Velička  2' Boyd  66' Miller  70'	Report

Hampden Park, Glasgow Attendance: 32,431 Referee: C Murray

---

Falkirk v Dunfermline Athletic

26 April 2009 15:00

Falkirk	2 – 0	Dunfermline Athletic
Scobbie  54' Arfield  89'(pen.)	Report

Hampden Park, Glasgow Attendance: 17,124 Referee: D McDonald

Final

Rangers v Falkirk

30 May 2009 15:00

Rangers	1 – 0	Falkirk
Novo  46'	Report

Hampden Park, Glasgow Attendance: 50,956 Referee: Craig Thomson

Media coverage

• Domestically, both Sky Sports and BBC Sport Scotland broadcast selected live games, with both showing the final. Both also carry highlights of all games in every round.
• BBC Radio Scotland has exclusive domestic radio rights to the tournament.
• Through the SFA's international media partner IMG, the Scottish Cup is broadcast in various territories around the world. In Australia, for example, the Scottish Cup is currently available on Setanta Sports.

References

1. "Rangers 1-0 Falkirk". BBC Sport. 30 May 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
2. "Smith takes things personally in search for new Scottish Cup sponsorship". The Scotsman. 28 May 2008. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
3. "Fixture dates". Scottish Football Association. 4 July 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2008.
4. "Scottish Cup First Round draw". Scottish Football Association. 8 September 2008. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
5. "Scottish Cup 2nd Round draw". Scottish Football Association. 27 September 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2008.
6. "Scottish Cup 3rd Round draw". Scottish Football Association. 27 October 2008. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
7. "Cold snap claims six cup games". BBC Sport. 29 November 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
8. "Elgin City 2-1 Spartans". BBC Sport. 6 December 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
9. "Edinburgh City P-P Brechin City". BBC Sport. 29 November 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
10. "Lochee United P-P Airdrie United". BBC Sport. 9 December 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
11. "Forfar Athletic P-P Stranraer". BBC Sport. 10 December 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
12. "Inverurie Locos v Vale of Leithen". BBC Sport. 12 December 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
13. "Edinburgh City 0-3 Brechin City". BBC Sport. 8 December 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
14. "Elgin forced to replay Spartans". BBC Sport. 11 December 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
15. "Spartans drawn into player row". BBC Sport. 13 December 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2008.
16. "Scottish Cup 4th Round draw". Scottish Football Association. 1 December 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2008.
17. "Scottish fixtures hit by weather". BBC Sport. 10 January 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2009.
18. "Scottish Cup 5th Round draw". BBC Sport. 11 January 2009. Retrieved 11 January 2009.
19. "Aberdeen P-P East Fife". BBC Sport. 7 February 2009. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
20. "Airdrie Utd P-P Dunfermline". BBC Sport. 7 February 2009. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
21. "Rangers angry over cup call-off". BBC Sport. 8 February 2009. Retrieved 8 February 2009.
22. "Scottish Cup Quarter-Final draw". BBC Sport. 9 February 2009. Retrieved 9 February 2009.
23. "Scottish Cup Semi-Final Draw". BBC Sport. 8 March 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2009.