Rangers and Clement must break grim Celtic cycle in Scottish Cup final
Rangers have won the Cup only twice in 15 years and fell away in the league to leave their manager needing Hampden win
Anybody who sniffily asserts that a meeting of Celtic and Rangers in a Scottish Cup final is about as remarkable as Thursday following Wednesday has not been paying attention. A Rangers victory via the odd goal in five from a Hampden epic in 2002 marks the last time the Old Firm squared off in Scottish football’s showpiece occasion. The noisy neighbours will be belatedly reunited on Saturday.
Of more concern to Rangers than fixture quirks should be the list of triumphant finalists since they lifted this trophy in 2009. The Scottish Cup has been housed at Ibrox on one more occasion during the intervening years. St Johnstone have won it twice in this period. Celtic’s seven successes in 14 seasons emphasise a period of dominance but the ribbons of Hearts, Hibs, Inverness and Dundee United have draped over the Cup as often as those of Rangers since Falkirk were narrowly seen off, 15 years ago.
