RAITH ROVERS chairman Turnbull Hutton has declared that Christmas has come early for the cash-strapped club following the news their Scottish Cup tie with Celtic will be televised, writes Neil Robertson.
The Hoops scraped through to the fifth round following their narrow win over Arbroath at Gayfield on Wednesday and were expected to face Raith on Saturday February 2.
However, the BBC announced yesterday that they will be televising the clash and the game has been put back 24 hours.
The combination of the TV cash and the revenue from a packed Stark’s Park should ensure a near six-figure windfall for the club, a prospect that has left Hutton overjoyed.
He said: “It is wonderful news, and about time. We have been waiting for this break for a decade now – probably more.
“You don’t budget for a cup run and for TV games, but we told the manager, Grant Murray, how important it could be for the club. He and the players have done magnificently to get us this far.
“Getting past Deveronvale in the last round was a bit hairy at times, then you draw Celtic and that is terrific. To now have the game on television – it is absolutely the icing on the cake.”
Raith have cut their playing budget to the bone in recent seasons but Hutton warned that fans should not expect the manager to have more cash at his disposal because of the windfall.
