2020 Scottish Challenge Cup Final

The 2020 Scottish Challenge Cup Final, also known as the Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup Final for sponsorship reasons, is a football match that is due to take place between Raith Rovers and Inverness Caledonian Thistle.[1][2] It will be the 29th final of the Scottish Challenge Cup since it was first organised in 1990 to celebrate the centenary of the now defunct Scottish Football League, and the seventh since the SPFL was formed. There is no date currently fixed for the final, as it has been delayed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

2020 Scottish Challenge Cup Final
Event2019–20 Scottish Challenge Cup
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Raith Rovers

Postponement

The match was originally scheduled for 28 March 2020,[1] but all of Scottish football was suspended on 13 March due to the coronavirus pandemic.[3] The Scottish Football Association confirmed on 16 March that the SPFL had postponed the match, pending further information from the Scottish Government about when and how football could be resumed.[4] When the SPFL announced in October 2020 that the 2020–21 edition of the competition had been cancelled, it also said that the 2019–20 final would "be scheduled for a date later this season", i.e. during 2020–21.[5]

Route to the final
See also: 2019–20 Scottish Challenge Cup

The competition is a knock-out tournament and was contested by 58 teams from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in 2019–20.[6] The competition was originally only contested by clubs in the Scottish football league system, but teams from Wales and Northern Ireland were added from 2016–17,[7] the Republic of Ireland in 2017–18, and two teams from the English National League (fifth tier) were added from 2018–19.[8][9]

Raith Rovers
Round Opposition Score
Second round[10] Ross County Under-21s (a) 3–2
Third round[11] Falkirk (h) 2–0
Fourth round[12] Glenavon (h) 3–1
Quarter-final[13] Elgin City (h) 3–2
Semi-final[1] Partick Thistle (a) 2–1

Inverness
Round Opposition Score
Third round[14] Greenock Morton (h) 3–1
Fourth round[15] Alloa Athletic (h) 3–0
Quarter-final[16] Clyde (h) 0–0 (a.e.t.)
4–2 (p)
Semi-final[2] Rangers Under-21s (h) 2–1

Match details

Inverness player James Keatings was initially suspended for the final, having been sent off for being shown two yellow cards during the semi-final.[17] An appeal against one of those cards, and the resulting suspension, was rejected by a Scottish Football Association panel.[17] A new appeal hearing was convened when one of the panel members advised the SFA that they had not considered all of the available evidence.[18] This second panel rescinded one of the cards, making Keatings available to play in the final.[19]

Final
Raith Rovers–Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Raith Rovers:
Manager:
John McGlynn
Inverness Caledonian Thistle:
Manager:
John Robertson
  • Man of the match:

Match rules

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary.
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.
  • Seven named substitutes.
  • Maximum of three substitutions.

References
  1. "Partick Thistle 1–2 Raith Rovers". BBC Sport. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  2. "Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2–1 Rangers". BBC Sport. 16 February 2020. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  3. "Coronavirus: Scottish football suspended until further notice". BBC Sport. BBC. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  4. "Coronavirus - Joint Response Group Update 16 March". Scottish Football Association. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
  5. "Scottish Challenge Cup cancelled for season 2020-21". BBC Sport. BBC. 2 October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  6. "IRN-BRU Cup expanded for 2017/18". www.spfl.co.uk. Scottish Professional Football League. 7 June 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  7. "Northern Irish and Welsh sides to join top flight U20s in Challenge Cup". STV Sport. STV. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  8. "Sutton United & Boreham Wood to enter Irn Bru Scottish Challenge Cup". BBC Sport. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  9. "Scottish Challenge Cup: Welsh club Wrexham representing England in Scottish Cup". BBC Sport. 26 June 2019. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  10. Elder, Matthew (13 August 2019). "Ross County Colts 2 Raith Rovers 3: As it happened". Fife Today. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  11. Elder, Matthew (8 September 2019). "Raith Rovers' spot-on performance sees off Falkirk in Challenge Cup". Fife Today. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  12. Elder, Matthew (14 October 2019). "Raith Rovers 3 Glenavon 1: John McGlynn and Gary Hamilton post-match reaction". Fife Today. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  13. Skinner, Andy (15 November 2019). "Elgin knocked out of Challenge Cup in brave 3-2 loss to Raith Rovers". The Press & Journal. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  14. Skinner, Andy (7 September 2019). "Caley Jags defeat Morton 3-1 to reach Challenge Cup last-16". The Press & Journal. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  15. Skinner, Andy (12 October 2019). "Caley Jags advance to Challenge Cup last eight with comfortable 3-0 victory over Wasps". The Press & Journal. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  16. Skinner, Andy (16 November 2019). "Caley Jags defeat Clyde on penalties to reach last four of Challenge Cup". The Press & Journal. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  17. "Inverness CT's James Keatings misses Challenge Cup final after appeal dismissed". BBC Sport. 19 February 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
  18. "James Keatings: Inverness CT striker's tribunal hearing 'rendered invalid'". BBC Sport. 21 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  19. "James Keatings: Inverness CT striker's ban revoked by Scottish FA tribunal". BBC Sport. 27 February 2020. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  20. "JOINT RESPONSE GROUP UPDATE 16/03/20". spfl.co.uk. Scottish Professional Football League. 16 March 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2020.

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