MSPs have asked the Scottish Football Association (SFA) how it will safeguard the traditional Scottish Cup kick-off time of 3pm in future years after it was shifted with just a month's notice.
The sport committee has also demanded to know how travelling fans will be compensted after kick-off was moved to 5.30pm for the match betwween Celtic and Inverness Caledonian Thistle on June 3.
Inverness fans say they have felt “betrayed” by the “totally uncaring” move by SFA.
The Holyrood sport committee has sent a second letter to the SFA after receiving a "disappointing" response to the first one it sent to chief executive Ian Maxwell last week.
The committee said he “failed to set out” what prior discussions the SFA had had with Scottish Government ministers, transport service providers and fan associations before shifting kick-off.
The sport committee is now demanding to know what steps the SFA has taken to compensate travelling fans for additional costs incurred.
The committee added it was “regrettable “ the change was made only a month before the game is scheduled to take place – on Saturday, June 3 – and has asked the SFA to “safeguard” the traditional kick-off time of 3pm for future finals.
Earlier this month, SNP MP Drew Hendry wrote to the SFA to express concerns around the reasoning for the decision, the effect it will have on travelling fans, and the message it sends about Scottish football.
We have written to the @ScottishFA again to ask how they will safeguard the Scottish Cup Final's traditional 3pm KO time in future. We are asking what steps the SFA has taken to compensate travelling fans for the KO change ⚽ Read it on our website: https://t.co/yICjNGANzR pic.twitter.com/0XbTkhqc3A
— Health, Social Care and Sport Committee (@SP_HSCS) May 17, 2023
In his original response to the committee, Maxwell said the SFA had a responsibility to ensure the game reached as wide an audience as possible and claimed keeping the match start time at 3pm would result in the game being shunned by broadcasters as it clashes with the FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United and the Women’s Champions League final.
He said: “BBC Scotland, who will broadcast the final along with Viaplay, confirmed that they would not be able to permit a BBC One UK-wide broadcast, which would greatly diminish the visibility of Scottish football’s showpiece occasion.
"During discussions with Inverness, it was clear an earlier kick-off of 12.15 would not be conducive to maximising their supporters’ enjoyment of the day and would also present public transport issues.
"The club’s preference was for a later kick– off. A 5.30pm kick-off will ensure a sold-out stadium and prime Saturday evening television that affords the widest-possible television audience."
The SFA boss said, "arrangements have been made with bus providers to ensure all fans travelling from Inverness will be able to access return transport from Hampden Park."
A second letter from committee convener Clare Haughey said: “I was disappointed that your letter failed to set out (as the Committee had requested) what prior discussions you have had with Scottish Government Ministers, with transport service providers and with fan associations to ensure any disruption to individual travel plans caused by the change of kick-off time would be kept to an acceptable minimum. The Committee would be grateful for a full response to this request.
“I would ask that, in responding to this letter, you set out what steps the SFA has taken to compensate travelling fans for the additional travel costs they will have incurred as a direct result of the change of kick-off time. If no such compensation has been put in place, I would ask that you set out the reasons behind this.
“It is regrettable that the announcement of this change was made only one calendar month before the game is scheduled to take place, following confirmation on 26 April that the FA Cup Final would kick off at 3pm that same day and in response to apparent pressure from broadcasters. It is equally regrettable that, instead of the SFA assuming responsibility, the onus for resolving the disruption caused by this decision has apparently been placed on clubs and fans.
“Given the late stage of this announcement, when a 3pm kick-off time for the Scottish Cup final had already been fixed some time earlier, the Committee would also wish to understand what lessons the SFA will draw to ensure such a situation does not arise again and that the Scottish Cup Final’s traditional 3pm kick-off time can be safeguarded in future years.”
The letter also highlighted an open letter from Inverness Caledonian Thistle Supporters Trust (ICTST) which described the decision as “totally uncaring” and states that the implications of the change of kick-off time “remain unresolved”.
It concluded: “Fans have been betrayed by those supposedly deemed to represent us, the SFA.”
Haughey said: “In responding to this letter, I would request that you address directly the points raised by the ICTST’s open letter and the steps you intend to take to rebuild trust with travelling fans and supporters’ groups.”
