This season’s Scottish Cup offers glory, silverware and a possible pot of European cash to push the winners ahead of other clubs next season.
It’s estimated that European entry from lifting the trophy could be worth up to £3 million.
If that figure is anywhere near true then, if Dundee United and St Johnstone can book an historic return bout, winning the cup could be just the icing on the cake of European riches.
It could give both clubs the chance to compete even more strongly next season with those who are normally financially richer.
In the battle of the Saints, the Perth side has suffered a Covid-19 outbreak ahead of Sunday’s meeting with St Mirren.
But there’s still sufficient talent in Callum Davidson’s squad to potentially create history and set up a re-run with Dundee United, whom they beat in 2014 to take the cup for the first time.
That, of course, needs United to beat Hibs in the first of the semi-finals at Hampden; no easy ask against a side with the pace and trickery up top of Boyle, Nisbet and Doidge, who are all serious goal threats.
United must find the form they showed at Aberdeen recently.
In that superb 3-0 win they gave a season’s best display of slick, quick, accurate passing and movement, topped off with clinical finishing.
St Johnstone, with the League Cup already tucked in the display cabinet and a top six finish nailed, are a better all round team than St Mirren.
Jim Goodwin though is a clever manager and his Buddies side was close to a top half finish, so only a really rounded display and Saints usual organization will see them off.
Plenty at stake for Tayside’s top two then; Saints have the better chance but both teams are capable of reaching the final and also ensuring serious financial reward to accompany the medals.
Dundee FC have a great opportunity of Premiership football.
Two games against either Dunfermline or Raith and two games against the Premiership’s second bottom club stand between them and the top flight.
With Jason Cummings, Paul McMullan, Paul McGowan and Charlie Adam all bringing firepower to the party – and with Lee Ashcroft weighing in with his aerial threat – Dens could soon be a big time venue again.
James McPake has confounded his doubters and slowly built a side growing in confidence and quality.
Securing second spot proves they’re the best of the rest outside of Hearts.
They’ve beaten and lost to both the Fife sides they could face this coming week, so need to find their very best qualities to succeed in this crucial period.
The Dark Blues have struggled for consistency, the holy grail of all teams, but the side has undoubted quality in key areas.
The manager has cut a forlorn figure on occasions this season as his team has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory or drawn when a win seemed likely.
Dundee, though, appear to have the bit between their teeth. Now they must ensure they find their bite.
They have their future in their own hands; Premiership or Championship, it’s theirs to choose.
Celtic and Rangers’ prospects of playing in the Lowland League will be a non-starter if fans have their way.
However, in a world dominated by money at every level, treasurers at clubs where crowds are measured in the low hundreds may think differently.
Supporters of teams in that division will want any extension to league size to include teams from feeder leagues which have supported the pyramid system – not the big two simply parachuted in.
At Celtic Park and Ibrox they view it as a chance to give their up and coming youngsters a more serious test than they currently get at youth level – and claim there’s a blockage in the development pathway.
However, I’ve seen some fans rage that they wouldn’t go to watch their team play against the Old Firm Colts and who rightly see the move as queue jumping.
There’s a tough choice looming between potential extra income, strengthening the development of young players and greatly angering the fans who, at Lowland League level, pay the bulk of the costs of running their clubs.
I can see all sides of the argument, but as usual I suspect cash will be king.
