TODAY'S Sky Sports Cup final at Tynecastle is a landmark occasion for the game in Scotland. Broadcast live by the sponsor, it is likely to attract a record television audience for a domestic match in this country.
Given the expected weather in Edinburgh, it's a bonus that the game will kick off at 12.30pm and be played entirely in daylight. Whether the temperature (and economic climate) affects the attendance remains to be seen, but hopefully there will be a crowd and atmosphere to do justice to the occasion.
Rangers, obviously, will start favourites against a Hibernian side which would have gone into the final in the bottom half of the table – seventh – had Motherwell held on to take three points against Partick Thistle on Friday night. Even sixth place is a far cry from the 2003-2019 glory years when they won three league titles, a record seven League Cups and eight Scottish Cups.
