20 Amazing Cup Facts

May 25 2008

1 AFTER Gers' triumph yesterday you now have to go back a decade to find the last time they lost a Scottish Cup Final. Walter Smith was also in charge when they crashed 2-1 to Hearts at Celtic Park.

2 KRIS BOYD netted a hat-trick in the fourth-round win over East Stirling and only three other players have hit Scottish Cup trebles this season. Chris Mountford achieved it for Culter against Hawick Royal Albert, Roddy Hunter netted four for Albion Rovers against Burntisland Shipyard and Hibs' Dean Shiels grabbed a hat-trick against Inverness.

3 RANGERS' victory over Queens was the 94th game of a marathon Scottish Cup that increased in size this season with the introduction of Junior sides.

4 QUEEN OF THE SOUTH were competing in their first Scottish Cup Final since their formation in 1919.

5 RANGERS lifted the trophy for the first time in five years, the longest they'd gone without Scottish Cup glory for 16 years after a barren spell from 1981 to 92.

6 THE Scottish Cup is the oldest national trophy in world football yet this season was without sponsorship.

7 YESTERDAY was the first time an SPL and First Division side had met in the final since Kilmarnock beat Falkirk 1-0 in 1997.

8 RANGERS lifted the Scottish Cup for the 32nd time and are closing in on Celtic's record of 34.

9 AN incredible 349 goals were scored in this season's competition before the final.

10 YESTERDAY'S clash was the first Scottish Cup meeting between the clubs since 32 years ago whenRangerswon5-0 at Palmerston.

11 GERS picked up two red cards - Allan McGregor in the 0-0 draw at Hibs then Nacho Novo in the replay. That was asmany as any teamwith Dundee having two sent off against Motherwell.

12 LAST time holders Celtic relinquished the Cup to their Old Firm rivals was 2002 when Rangers beat them 3-2 in the final.

13 GERS are last men standing after 82 teams started out on the road to Hampden in September.

14 THE Light Blues' record wins have all come in the Scottish Cup - 13-0 victories against Possilpark and Uddingston in 1877 and Kelvinside in 1889.

15 RANGERS rattled six past East Stirling in the fourth round but highest scorers in a game were Albion Rovers who bagged eight against Burntisland Shipyard.

16 WALTER SMITH lifts the Scottish Cup for the fourth time as Gers boss. Smith's men dumped Airdrie in 92, Aberdeen the next year then Hearts in 96.

17 IBROX No.2 Ally McCoist is the club's top scorer in the league, League Cup and Europe but not Scottish Cup - that milestone goes to Jimmy Fleming with 44 goals.

18 ONLY one final in the last nine years hasn't involved either of the Old Firm. That came in 2006 when Hearts edged Gretna on penalties.

19 BARRY FERGUSON proudly skippered Rangers to glory a decade after making his debut in the competition during a 2-1 third-round win against Hamilton.

20 THE first and last Scottish Cup Finals to attract six-figure crowds both involved the Old Firm. In 1928, 118,115 watched Rangers beat Celtic 4-0 and in the Cup's centenary year 1973 a crowd of 122,714 saw Rangers win 3-2.