Last updated : 14 November 2016 By ed_ScottishFitba
Anglo-Scottish relations took a knock today as The New Saints knocked Livingston out of the Irn-Bru cup at the quarterfinal stage. 763 fans were there to see the Welsh side triumph in the rain including some who had travel ed up to support TNS. It would have been a long journey home without the win to remember. The Irn-Bru Cup with it's league format in the early stages was meant to bring the fans back to watch cup competition. Unfortunately, it does not appear to have fired the imagination enough to get supporters to attend in reasonable numbers.
It is the product on view that encourages apathy or is it the prospect of non-Scottish sides being involved (sides from Wales and Ireland were in the draw at the start of the cup competition) that failed to ignite the fans imagination? We may get some clues next season if the competition remains in the same format. However, just what sort of cup competition would bring out the fans? Scotland has the Scottish Cup, the League Cup and the Irn-Bru Cup for professional clubs. Should all three continue or perhaps like the SPL and Scottish League should they be amalgamated to entice the fans back? I am sure that the four clubs which made it to the Semi-finals of the Irn-Bru Cup, TNS, Dundee United, St Mirren and Queen of the South, would argue for the status quo as extra revenue - n matter how little - is always welcome.
Anglo-Scottish relations took a knock today as The New Saints knocked Livingston out of the Irn-Bru cup at the quarterfinal stage. 763 fans were there to see the Welsh side triumph in the rain including some who had travel ed up to support TNS. It would have been a long journey home without the win to remember. The Irn-Bru Cup with it's league format in the early stages was meant to bring the fans back to watch cup competition. Unfortunately, it does not appear to have fired the imagination enough to get supporters to attend in reasonable numbers.