Scottish Cup final: Ghost-town capital as game of a lifetime kicks off

SCOTLAND’S capital will see a massive exodus today as tens of thousands of football supporters head west for the first all-Edinburgh Scottish Cup final in 116 years.

More than 40,000 Hearts and Hibs fans will descend on Glasgow for the game at Hampden Park, with many more expected to travel without a ticket just to soak up the atmosphere.

The M8 is expected to experience high volumes of traffic from cars and coaches.

Coach tour operators from far and wide, such as A1 Minibus and Coach Services of Methil in Fife, said all their vehicles were booked up swiftly by fans. Train operator ScotRail has laid on an extra 11,000 seats for those heading through for the match.

Fans will travel together on trains leaving from Edinburgh before being segregated at Glasgow Central, and continuing on to different stations close to the national stadium.

Supporters face spot fines or could even be banned from the historic all-Edinburgh showdown if they are caught drinking on buses, trains or on the streets of Glasgow.

Those living in or visiting Edinburgh face travel disruption, starting today with a number of road closures to accommodate the victory parade tomorrow. Several bus services are being rerouted.

Hearts say Gorgie Road – from Ardmillan Terrace to Wheatfield Road – will be closed for up to 24 hours from 6pm today, regardless of whether the Tynecastle side wins or not. Dalry Road will be closed to eastbound traffic from 1pm until 6pm tomorrow.

Road closures will be in place in streets surrounding Hibs’ Easter Road stadium. St Clair Street, Hawkill Avenue and Albion Road will close from 6pm today until 5pm tomorrow while London Road will be closed from 7am until 3pm tomorrow.

Should Hearts win, a crowd of 11,000 will gather for a celebration inside the stadium tomorrow, with thousands more expected to line the streets between the city centre and Gorgie for the victory parade.

Hibs fans inside Hampden will hold up cards to create the message “Sunshine From Leith” when their team emerges for today’s momentous match. The Easter Road side has not won the Scottish Cup since 1902.

Mike Reilly, chairman of the Hibs Supporters’ Club, said: “It’s the biggest game in my life and I will be 62 next month. If we were to win, it would be indescribable – it would be absolutely unbelievable.”

“It would be for my grandad and my dad, who were Hibs supporters but never got to see us lift the Scottish cup. If we win, the atmosphere in Edinburgh will be electric. It won’t just be a one-day party, it will be a seven, 14 or even 21-day party.”

Derek Watson, of the Hearts Supporters’ Trust, added: “The statistics favour Hearts, but it’s a one-off game and a Scottish Cup final – don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched, basically.

“If we win, it will be tremendous. When Hearts beat Rangers in 1998 it was fantastic and even when we beat Gretna a few years ago. Sunday will be the same. I haven’t taken the precaution of booking a day off from work on Monday, but I’ve no doubt the party will continue on into next week for one half of the city.”

Pubs in the capital expect a bumper day, with many operating a ticket system, such is the demand from fans who plan to follow the Scottish Cup final on television, then stay on to watch the Champions League final, which is live from 7:45pm.

Scottish Cup final on scotsman.com

IF you’re not one of the lucky Hearts or Hibs fans with a ticket for Hampden, why not join in our live Scottish Cup final blog?

Sports writer Martin Dempster will be online from 2pm to 5pm reporting from Hampden where he will be providing updates on the atmosphere, a minute-by-minute account of the action and will also be reporting on the post-match celebrations.

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Our site will also be a hive of Cup Final activity with the latest news posted throughout the day, post-match reaction from both sides, alongside a final whistle match report, fan reaction videos and picture galleries pinpointing the game’s crucial points.

We’ll also be advising fans of the winning team of the final details of the open top bus celebrations.

• Listen to Moira Gordon and Stuart Bathgate discuss the match in our Scottish Cup final podcast.