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Football tournament season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2016–17 Scottish Challenge Cup, known as the IRN-BRU Cup[1] due to sponsorship reasons, was the 26th season of the competition. The tournament took on a different format from previous seasons with a total of 54 teams participating. It was the first season with two clubs from both Northern Ireland and Wales competing alongside the 30 members of the 2016–17 Scottish Championship, 2016–17 Scottish League One and 2016–17 Scottish League Two, four teams from the 2016–17 Highland Football League and four from the 2016–17 Lowland Football League as well as the Under-20 teams of the teams competing in the 2016–17 Scottish Premiership.[2]
 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country |  Scotland |
| Teams | 54 |
| Defending champions | Rangers |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Dundee United |
| Runner-up | St Mirren |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 53 |
| Goals scored | 207 (3.91 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Stephen Dobbie (6 goals) |
The defending champions, Rangers, who defeated Peterhead in the 2016 final,[3] did not compete in the competition due to their promotion to the Scottish Premiership.[4] Irn Bru replaced Petrofac as the main sponsor of the competition in June 2016.[1][5]
| Round | Date[6] | Fixtures | Clubs | New Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First round | 2–3 August 2016 | 14 | 54 → 40 | 12 Under-20 teams from 2016–17 Scottish Premiership 8 teams placed 3rd–10th from 2015–16 Scottish League Two 4 teams from 2015–16 Lowland Football League 4 teams from 2015–16 Highland Football League |
| Second round | 16–17 August 2016 | 12 | 40 → 28 | 2 teams placed 1st and 2nd from 2015–16 Scottish League Two 8 teams placed 3rd–10th from 2015–16 Scottish League One |
| Third round | 3–4 September 2016 | 12 | 28 → 16 | 2 teams placed 1st and 2nd from 2015–16 Scottish League One 9 teams from 2015–16 Scottish Championship plus Dundee United |
| Fourth round | 8–9 October 2016 | 8 | 16 → 8 | 2 teams from 2015–16 NIFL Premiership 2 teams from 2015–16 Welsh Premier League Note: Fourth round draw was regionalised to keep Northern Irish and Welsh teams apart.[2] |
| Quarter-finals | 12–13 November 2016 | 4 | 8 → 4 | |
| Semi-finals | 18–19 February 2017 | 2 | 4 → 2 | |
| Final | 25 or 26 March 2017 | 1 | 2 → 1 |
The draw for the first round was made on 23 June at Hampden Park.[7] The 28 teams entering at this stage were separated into 4 regional pools. This was to ensure that U20s teams were not drawn against each other and that teams from the Highland and Lowland Leagues were not drawn against each other.[7]
Teams from Pool A will be drawn against teams from Pool B. Teams in Bold qualified for the Second round.
| 2 August 2016 | Ross County U20s | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | Brora Rangers | Dingwall |
| 19:30 |
|
SPFL report |
|
Stadium: Victoria Park Attendance: 350 Referee: Ben Dempster |
| 2 August 2016 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle U20s | 0–3 | Arbroath | Inverness |
| 19:45 | SPFL report | Stadium: Caledonian Stadium Attendance: 296 Referee: Alex Shepherd |
| 2 August 2016 | East Stirlingshire | 0–3 | Montrose | Stenhousemuir |
| 19:45 | SPFL report |
|
Stadium: Ochilview Park Attendance: 149 Referee: Craig Naiper |
| 2 August 2016 | Stirling Albion | 2–3 | Heart of Midlothian U20s | Stirling |
| 19:45 | McKenzie  4', 34' |
SPFL report |
|
Stadium: Forthbank Stadium Attendance: 476 Referee: Steven Reid |
| 2 August 2016 | St Johnstone U20s | 1–2 | Turriff United | Perth |
| 19:45 | G. Hurst 19' |
SPFL report |
|
Stadium: McDiarmid Park Attendance: 320 Referee: Chris Fordyce |
| 2 August 2016 | Formartine United | 2–5 | Aberdeen U20s | Pitmedden |
| 19:45 |
|
SPFL report | Stadium: North Lodge Park Attendance: 305 Referee: Graham Beaton |
| 2 August 2016 | Cove Rangers | 2–1 | Dundee U20s | Forfar |
| 19:45 |
|
SPFL Report | Warwick 29' |
Stadium: Station Park, Forfar Attendance: 190 Referee: Mike Roncone |
Teams from Pool C will be drawn against teams from Pool D. Teams in Bold qualified for the Second round.
| 2 August 2016 | Clyde | 0–5 | Partick Thistle U20s | Cumbernauld |
| 19:30 | SPFL report | Stadium: Broadwood Stadium Attendance: 351 Referee: David Lowe |
| 2 August 2016 | Celtic U20s | 5–1 | Annan Athletic | Greenock |
| 19:45 | SPFL report | Omar 1' |
Stadium: Cappielow Attendance: 216 Referee: David Dickinson |
| 2 August 2016 | Berwick Rangers | 0–3 | Spartans | Berwick-upon-Tweed |
| 19:45 | SPFL Report |
|
Stadium: Shielfield Park Attendance: 302 Referee: Duncan Smith |
| 2 August 2016 | Motherwell U20s | 2–1 | Edinburgh City | Motherwell |
| 19:45 |
|
SPFL report | Cummings 73' |
Stadium: Fir Park Attendance: 402 Referee: Lloyd Wilson |
| 2 August 2016 | Queen's Park | 5–2 | Kilmarnock U20s | Glasgow |
| 19:45 | SPFL report |
|
Stadium: Hampden Park Attendance: 299 Referee: Greg Aitken |
| 3 August 2016 | Cumbernauld Colts | 0–3 | Hamilton Academical U20s | Cumbernauld |
| 20:00 | SPFL report |
|
Stadium: Broadwood Stadium Attendance: 119 Referee: Chris Graham |
| 10 August 2016 | Rangers U20s | 4–0 | Stirling University | Stirling |
| 19:30 | SPFL report | Stadium: Forthbank Stadium Attendance: 493 Referee: Stewart Luke |
The draw for the second round was made at 12:30pm on Thursday, 4 August at Hampden Park and streamed live on Periscope by Irn-Bru's football Twitter account.[8] The 14 teams advancing from the first round were joined by the top two teams from the 2015–16 Scottish League Two and the eight teams placed third to 10th from the 2015–16 Scottish League One.
The second round ties will take place on Tuesday 16 or Wednesday 17 August 2016.[6]
Teams from Pot A will be drawn against teams from Pot B.[9] Teams in Bold advanced to the third round.
| Pot A | Pot B |
|---|---|
|
|
| 16 August 2016 | Aberdeen U20s | 1–3 | Forfar Athletic | Pitmedden |
| 19:45 | Omolokun 89' |
SPFL report |
|
Stadium: North Lodge Park Attendance: 221 Referee: Mike Roncone |
| 16 August 2016 | Brechin City | 4–1 | Cove Rangers | Brechin |
| 19:45 | SPFL report | Milne 2' |
Stadium: Glebe Park Attendance: 242 Referee: Gavin Ross |
| 16 August 2016 | Elgin City | 2–0 | Heart of Midlothian U20s | Elgin |
| 19:45 |
|
SPFL report | Stadium: Borough Briggs Attendance: 350 Referee: Graham Beaton |
| 16 August 2016 | Peterhead | 3–2 | Brora Rangers | Peterhead |
| 19:45 |
|
SPFL report |
|
Stadium: Balmoor Stadium Attendance: 399 Referee: Mat Northcroft |
| 17 August 2016 | Turriff United | 1–0 | Montrose | Turriff |
| 19:45 | Kieczkowski 59' |
SPFL report | Stadium: The Haughs Attendance: 180 Referee: Liam Duncan |
| 17 August 2016 | Arbroath | 2–3 (a.e.t.) | East Fife | Arbroath |
| 19:45 |
|
SPFL report | Stadium: Gayfield Park Attendance: 335 Referee: Gavin Duncan |
Teams from Pot C will be drawn against teams from Pot D.[9] Teams in Italics were not known at the time of the draw. Teams in Bold advanced to the third round.
| Pot C | Pot D |
|---|---|
|
|
| 16 August 2016 | Partick Thistle U20s | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–6 p) | Queen's Park | Glasgow |
| 19:30 | McMullin 48' |
SPFL report | Carter 88' |
Stadium: Firhill Stadium Attendance: 436 Referee: David Munro |
| Penalties | ||||
|
||||
| 16 August 2016 | Stranraer | 7–1 | Spartans | Stranraer |
| 19:45 | SPFL report | Malone 86' |
Stadium: Stair Park Attendance: 326 Referee: Craig Napier |
| 16 August 2016 | Albion Rovers | 2–0 | Hamilton Academical U20s | Coatbridge |
| 19:45 |
|
SPFL report | Stadium: Exsel Group Stadium Attendance: 114 Referee: Scott Millar |
| 16 August 2016 | Motherwell U20s | 1–2 | Airdrieonians | Motherwell |
| 19:45 | Mackin 54' |
SPFL report | Stadium: Fir Park Attendance: 1,007 Referee: Mike Taylor |
| 16 August 2016 | Cowdenbeath | 1–2 | Celtic U20s | Cowdenbeath |
| 19:45 | Todorov 30' |
SPFL report | Stadium: Central Park Attendance: 449 Referee: Steven Kirkland |
| 17 August 2016 | Rangers U20s | 1–3 | Stenhousemuir | Stirling |
| 19:30 | Hardie 62' |
SPFL report | Stadium: Forthbank Stadium Attendance: 324 Referee: Grant Irvine |
The draw for the third round was made on Thursday 18 August at 1pm at The Kelpies[10] and was streamed live on Periscope by Irn-Bru's football Twitter account.[11] The 12 teams advancing from the second round will be joined by the ten teams from the 2016–17 Scottish Championship and the bottom two teams from the 2015–16 Scottish Championship.
The third round ties took place on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 September 2016.[6]
Teams from Pot A will be drawn against teams from Pot B.[12] Teams in Bold advanced to the fourth round.
| Pot A | Pot B |
|---|---|
|
|
| 3 September 2016 | Alloa Athletic | 3–0 | East Fife | Alloa |
| 15:00 |
|
SPFL report | Stadium: Recreation Park Attendance: 444 Referee: Kevin Graham |
| 3 September 2016 | Brechin City | 1–5 | Dunfermline Athletic | Brechin |
| 15:00 | Love 27' |
SPFL report | Stadium: Glebe Park Attendance: 577 Referee: Crawford Allan |
| 3 September 2016 | Dundee United | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Peterhead | Dundee |
| 15:00 |
|
SPFL report | McAllister 28', 35' |
Stadium: Tannadice Park Attendance: 3,520 Referee: Nick Walsh |
| 3 September 2016 | Falkirk | 6–1 | Elgin City | Falkirk |
| 15:00 | SPFL report | Nicolson 38' |
Stadium: Falkirk Stadium Attendance: 1,591 Referee: Mat Northcroft |
| 3 September 2016 | Forfar Athletic | 3–2 | Raith Rovers | Forfar |
| 15:00 |
|
SPFL report | Stadium: Station Park Attendance: 690 Referee: Alan Newlands |
| 4 September 2016 | Turriff United | 0–3 | Hibernian | Turriff |
| 15:00 | SPFL report | Stadium: The Haughs Attendance: 1,791 Referee: Euan Anderson |
Teams from Pot C will be drawn against teams from Pot D. Teams in Bold advanced to the fourth round.[12]
| Pot C | Pot D |
|---|---|
|
|
| 3 September 2016 | Albion Rovers | 3–4 (a.e.t.) | St Mirren | Coatbridge |
| 15:00 |
|
SPFL report | Stadium: Cliftonhill Attendance: 711 Referee: Mike Roncone |
| 3 September 2016 | Queen of the South | 7–1 | Stenhousemuir | Dumfries |
| 15:00 | SPFL report | Cook 81' |
Stadium: Palmerston Park Attendance: 1,158 Referee: Greg Aitken |
| 3 September 2016 | Queen's Park | 2–0 | Greenock Morton | Glasgow |
| 15:00 |
|
SPFL report | Stadium: Hampden Park Attendance: 1,085 Referee: Gavin Duncan |
| 3 September 2016 | Stranraer | 1–0 | Dumbarton | Stranraer |
| 15:00 | McGuigan 84' |
SPFL report | Stadium: Stair Park Attendance: 401 Referee: John McKendrick |
| 3 September 2016 | Livingston | 5–1 | Celtic U20s | Livingston |
| 17:15 | SPFL report | Hendry 43' |
Stadium: Almondvale Referee: Steven Kirkland |
| 4 September 2016 | Ayr United | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Airdrieonians | Ayr |
| 15:00 | SPFL report | Stadium: Somerset Park Attendance: 1,135 Referee: Barry Cook |
The 12 teams advancing from the third round were to be joined by the four teams that finished first and second in the 2015–16 NIFL Premiership and the 2015–16 Welsh Premier League.
The draw for the fourth round was made at the Oriam National Performance Centre, Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh on Tuesday, 6 September at 12pm.[13] The draw was made by John Hartson and IRN-BRU super fan Michael Douglas. There was no seeding for the draw however, teams for Northern Ireland and Wales could not be drawn against each other. As a result, they were placed into two separate pots (A and B) before being drawn against the remaining Scottish teams (Pot C). The Welsh teams were drawn first followed by the Northern Irish teams with one of each playing at home and one away.[14][15]
Teams in Bold advanced to the quarter-finals.
Pot A Welsh Premier League |
Pot B NIFL Premiership |
Pot C SPFL |
|---|---|---|
|
|
| 7 October 2016 | Crusaders | Void[A] | Livingston | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| 19:45 | Owens 87' |
SPFL | Stadium: Seaview Referee: David Morgan |
| 7 October 2016 | Ayr United | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Falkirk | Ayr |
| 19:45 | Harkins 114' |
SPFL | Stadium: Somerset Park Attendance: 1,247 Referee: Alan Muir |
| 8 October 2016 | Bala Town | 2–4 | Alloa Athletic | Bala, Wales |
| 13:00 |
|
SPFL Report | Stadium: Maes Tegid Attendance: 591 Referee: Steven Taylor |
| 8 October 2016 | Stranraer | 0–1 | Dundee United | Stranraer |
| 14:00 | SPFL Report | Andreu 68' |
Stadium: Stair Park Attendance: 629 Referee: Greg Aitken |
| 8 October 2016 | Forfar Athletic | 1–3 | The New Saints | Forfar |
| 15:00 | Malcolm 68' |
SPFL Report | Draper 24', 80', 87' |
Stadium: Station Park Attendance: 691 Referee: Evan Boyce |
| 8 October 2016 | Hibernian | 1–2 | St Mirren | Edinburgh |
| 15:00 | Harris 37' |
SPFL Report | Stadium: Easter Road Attendance: 4,393 Referee: Willie Collum |
| 8 October 2016 | Dunfermline Athletic | 2–1 | Queen's Park | Dunfermline |
| 15:00 | El Alagui 48', 62' |
SPFL Report | El Alagui 70' (o.g.) |
Stadium: East End Park Attendance: 1,930 Referee: Nick Walsh |
| 9 October 2016 | Queen of the South | 2–0 (a.e.t.) | Linfield | Dumfries |
| 13:00 | SPFL Report | Stadium: Palmerston Park Attendance: 2,358 Referee: Iwan Griffith |
| 1 November 2016 | Crusaders | 0–3 | Livingston | Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| 19:45 | SPFL report | Stadium: Seaview Referee: Nick Pratt |
The draw for the quarter-finals was made at the Titan Crane on the River Clyde in Clydebank on Monday, 10 October at 2pm and was streamed live on Periscope by Irn-Bru's football Twitter account. The draw was made by former Dundee United and Scotland striker Kevin Gallacher and Rio 2016 silver medallist Dan Wallace. There was no seeding for the draw however, as with the previous round, teams from Northern Ireland and Wales, should they qualify, would not be drawn against each other. The ties took place on the weekend of 12 and 13 November.[17]
Teams in Bold advanced to the semi-finals.
| Welsh Premier League |
SPFL |
|---|---|
| 01. The New Saints |
|
| 12 November 2016 | Dunfermline Athletic | 0–1 | Dundee United | Dunfermline |
| 12:30 | SPFL report | Durnan 8' |
Stadium: East End Park Attendance: 2,576 Referee: Willie Collum |
| 12 November 2016 | Queen of the South | 2–0 | Alloa Athletic | Dumfries |
| 15:00 | Dobbie 41', 76' |
SPFL report | Stadium: Palmerston Park Attendance: 1,180 Referee: Euan Anderson |
| 13 November 2016 | St Mirren | 2–1 | Ayr United | Paisley |
| 12:30 | Sutton 83', 85' |
SPFL report | O'Connell 68' |
Stadium: St Mirren Park Attendance: 2,199 Referee: Crawford Allan |
| 13 November 2016 | Livingston | 0–3 | The New Saints | Livingston |
| 16:05 | SPFL report |
|
Stadium: Almondvale Stadium Attendance: 733 Referee: Raymond Crangle |
The draw for the semi-finals was made at the Toryglen Regional Football Centre in Glasgow on Monday, 14 November and streamed live on Periscope by Irn-Bru's football Twitter account. The draw was made by former Manchester City and Scotland striker Paul Dickov and current Scotland and Hibernian striker Abi Harrison. There was no seeding for the draw and the ties are due to take place on the weekend of 18 and 19 February 2017.[18]
Teams in Bold advanced to the final.
| 18 February 2017 | Queen of the South | 2–3 | Dundee United | Dumfries |
| 17:15 | SPFL Report | Stadium: Palmerston Park Attendance: 1,526 Referee: Nick Walsh |
| 19 February 2017 | St Mirren | 4–1 | The New Saints | Paisley |
| 16:10 | SPFL Report | Brobbel 41' |
Stadium: St Mirren Park Attendance: 2,044 Referee: Keith Kennedy |
| Dundee United | 2–1 | St Mirren |
|---|---|---|
| BBC report | Loy 38' |
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Dobbie |
Queen of the South | 6 |
| 2 | Josh Peters |
Forfar Athletic | 4 |
| Liam Buchanan |
Livingston | ||
| Craig Malcolm |
Stranraer | ||
 John Sutton |
St Mirren | ||
| 6 | Scott Wright |
Aberdeen U20s | 3 |
| Ross Dunlop |
Albion Rovers | ||
| Greig Spence |
Alloa Athletic | ||
 Tony Andreu |
Dundee United | ||
| Kevin Nisbet |
Partick Thistle U20s | ||
| Rory McAllister |
Peterhead | ||
 Greg Draper |
The New Saints | ||
| Stevie Mallan |
St Mirren | ||
The Golden Ball Award is a 'Player of the Round' award given to the player who is adjudged to have had the best performance of that round out of all the players in teams left competing in that round of the competition.[19] The winner is voted for by supporters from a chosen short-list of players on the official Irn-Bru Football twitter page.[19]
| Round | Player | Club | Match | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Round | Josh Jeffries |
Rangers U20s | 4–0 v Stirling University (H) | [20] |
| Second Round | Craig Malcolm |
Stranraer | 7–1 v Spartans (H) | [19] |
| Third Round | Stephen Dobbie |
Queen of the South | 7–1 v Stenhousemuir (H) | [21] |
| Fourth Round |  Farid El Alagui |
Dunfermline Athletic | 2–1 v Queen's Park (H) | [22] |
| Quarter-finals | John Sutton |
St Mirren | 2–1 v Ayr United (H) | [23] |
| Semi-finals | Stevie Mallan |
St Mirren | 4–1 v The New Saints (H) | [24] |
The domestic broadcasting rights for the competition are held jointly by BBC Alba, S4C (for matches involving Welsh teams) and subscription channel Premier Sports. Prior to the re-format in the 2016–17 season, BBC Alba had exclusive rights.[25]
The following matches are to be broadcast live on UK television:
| Round | BBC Alba | S4C | Premier Sports |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Round | N/A | Celtic U20s v Annan Athletic | |
| Second Round | N/A | Cowdenbeath v Celtic U20s[26] | |
| Third Round | Turriff United v Hibernian[27] | N/A | Livingston v Celtic U20s[27] |
| Fourth Round | Queen of the South v Linfield[28] | Bala Town v Alloa Athletic[28] | Crusaders v Livingston (original tie)[28] |
| Quarter-Finals | Livingston v The New Saints[29] | Livingston v The New Saints[29] | Dunfermline Athletic v Dundee United St Mirren v Ayr United[29] |
| Semi-Finals | Queen of the South v Dundee United[30] St Mirren v The New Saints[30] |
St Mirren v The New Saints[30] | |
| Final | Dundee United v St Mirren[31] |
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