First Minister Alex Salmond has urged fans to have a “great time” at Saturday’s Scottish Cup final.
Dundee United and St Johnstone meet in the season finale at Celtic Park at 3pm, with tens of thousands of fans heading west in the hope of seeing their heroes lift the famous old trophy.
Speaking to The Courier, Mr Salmond said: “It’s great to have a Tayside derby as a Scottish Cup final. And for Scotland it’s great we have a sellout at Celtic Park for Dundee United and St Johnstone.
“It means that, whatever happens, there will be a different name on each of the three major Scottish trophies this year, which I think is a fundamentally good thing for Scottish football.”
United manager Jackie McNamara is aiming to claim the trophy for the third time in their history. United expect to be watched by a record crowd in Tangerine, with around 28,000 fans of the Tannadice men going to the game.
For Saints, manager Tommy Wright has the chance to lift the trophy in the Perth club’s first-ever appearance in the final. They will be backed by a bumper crowd in blue of around 15,000.
For comprehensive coverage see Saturday’s Courier, which includes a special eight-page guide to the game.
We will also be covering the day live at www.thecourier.co.uk. Reporters Andrew Liddle and Kirsty Topping will be posting updates as they enjoy the fan experience with supporters of both clubs, while sports reporters Eric Nicolson, Ian Roache and Neil Robertson will be inside Celtic Park describing the key moments of the game.
May the best team win!