Jim Spence on Saturday

Cup upsets can make or break careers

The Hindu Kush Mountains won’t be remote enough for the big team which is knocked out of the Scottish Cup by a minnow this weekend.

No valley will be deep enough to hide the shame and embarrassment of defeat of pampered fulltimers by men who lay bricks for 40 hours a week on a building site in sub-zero temperatures, or plumbers who spend their days battling with U-bends and ball-cocks.

I love the romance of the cup, but for the big teams it is hard-hat time with serious business to take care of.

Fairytale endings may allow lower-league players to dine out on the story for years to come, but they can mean a brutal ending for full-time careers.

Former Celtic manager John Barnes found that out in February 2000 when he was sacked after an ignominious defeat to First Division Inverness Caley Thistle.

For the full-time sides in this area, a good cup run is a lifeline in running businesses where cashflow is tight and finance a constant worry. Dundee, United, Dunfermline and St Johnstone are all expensive shows to keep on the road. Every penny counts.

Tumbling out of the cup early isn’t good for the health of club treasurers.

This round of the cup is when the top players must remind themselves why they strut their stuff at Dens or McDiarmid Park and not at a part-time club, where combining a love of the game means holding down a full-time job and juggling training two nights a week with other work commitments.

Dundee face a tough tie against rapidly improving Championship side Inverness Caley Thistle who, as a full-time side, have strength and pace aplenty. Connor Bell’s trickery, George Oakley’s physical presence in attack and Jake Mulraney’s lightning speed on the wing pose serious threats.

However, Neil McCann’s side have sufficient quality in all areas of the pitch to win this game. If the Dens men bring the correct attitude to the match, they’ll be in the hat for the next round.

St Johnstone face a potentially awkward afternoon in Coatbridge but, like Dundee, a professional approach will remind the Perth men why they enjoy the glamour of playing in a top stadium instead of the faded glory of the ramshackle Cliftonhill.

Dunfermline could be on a sticky wicket with the visit of full-time championship opponents Morton, managed ably by the wise and capable Jim Duffy. A replay at Cappielow wouldn’t come as a shock.

Dundee United face a potentially perilous trip to Alloa. An artificial surface and a Wasps team who will know the fragility of current Tannadice confidence pose a health warning for Csaba Laszlo’s team.

United are the superior side by a long way, so the correct attitude will ensure progress.

In the Scottish Cup, though, slips, trips, and falls are only ever a misplaced pass away.

So the big boys will nervously negotiate this weekend’s ties with caution to avoid a costly and calamitous exit.

Picture: SNS. Inverness players celebrate their cup win over Celtic in February 2000 with manager Steve Paterson.

Picture: SNS. The other side of the coin: John Barnes was sacked after Celtic’s cup defeat at the hands of Inverness in 2000.