A year ago
Billy Dodds, the manager of Inverness, has advocated against changing the start time of the Scottish Cup final to accommodate someone else.
After it was revealed that their Hampden match on June 3 would begin at 5.30pm in defiance of a long-standing tradition, Caley Thistle and Celtic both expressed profound disappointment.
The game's evening kick-off, which will be broadcast live on the BBC and Viaplay, seems to have been changed to avoid conflicting with the Manchester derby FA Cup final, which begins at 3pm and will be shown on both the BBC and STV in Scotland.
After the Scottish Football Association made the announcement, Celtic criticized a lack of consultation, and Dodds thinks the situation is unfair.
The former Rangers striker was quoted by BBC Scotland as saying: "You can not beat three of the clock on a Saturday for your showpiece whenever I have been involved in Scottish Cup finals as a player or a coach, but suddenly it is gone to 5.30 which is a shame for our game up here because, for me, others are getting better care."It is not the best. We should never, in my opinion, move our championship game to accommodate someone.
We do not wish to compete, therefore I can only assume it is for TV rights or something.Though it is not ideal for me, I am just happy that we are there. I, along with everyone else, would prefer that your championship game be at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
While not overly concerned, Celtic midfielder Matt O'Riley expressed sympathy for the majority of Inverness supporters who will be spending their post-game Saturday night out on buses.
I do not mind, O'Riley said. We can probably sleep a little bit more because it is later, so that is one benefit.The essential thing is that it is a separate game at a different time of day where, if you win, you get a trophy.
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