Hibs and Hearts in cup repeat
HEARTS and bitter rivals Hibs will square up in the William Hill Scottish Cup for the third season in a row. The Edinburgh derby was the plum tie of yesterday’s fourth-round draw which sees holders Celtic host Championship strugglers Brechin City. Highland League side Fraserburgh have landed a dream home clash with Rangers. There’s another derby, too, in the shape of an allLanarkshire affair between Motherwell and Hamilton. But it’s the capital showdown
between Craig Levein and Neil Lennon’s sides that whets the appetite, with Hibs looking to knock out their city rivals for the third year running in the Tynecastle clash on the weekend of January 20-21. Their encounter will be the ninth Scottish Cup meeting in the last 13 seasons. Rangers’ trip to the north east also captures the imagination, with Fraserburgh hoping little Bellslea Park can host the tie, even if it means missing out on a potential windfall by moving the match to Pittodrie. The 3,000-capacity, 480-seat Buchan ground will be subject to intense scrutiny from the police and SFA before a decision is made. Chairman Finlay Noble said: ‘It’s a wonderful draw and we want the match at Bellslea. ‘That’s the rules of the competition now, unless the police say otherwise.’ Noble, who says it will be Fraserburgh’s biggest match since beating Dundee in 1959, added: ‘Yes, there is an opportunity to make money at a big stadium like Pittodrie but we want to play at our home.’ Highland League side Brora Rangers were rewarded for knocking out Stranraer with a trip to League One’s East Fife.