Basketball: Falkirk furious after seeding is scrapped

Scottish basketball Cup holders Falkirk Fury are raging at having to play league rivals Glasgow University in their first game in defence of their trophy while beaten finalists Edinburgh Kings are kicking their heels this weekend.

Fury play the students at the Mariner Sports Centre in a first-round tie tonight at 8.00pm and, while they are still clear favourites, the West side pushed them close in their opening national league fixture there at the end of September.

Traditionally, the holders have been the top seeds in the Scottish Cup, with the runners-up second seeds, but basketballscotland has controversially changed the format this season and no seeds were created.

Kings, meanwhile, do not even know who their first opponents are as they await the result of a preliminary tie.

"We've been left without a game at all this weekend and it's now going to be very difficult to fit it in," said coach Danny Costello.

There are two other all-National league first-round ties this weekend, with East Lothian Peregrines facing a tricky trip to the Peak Centre tomorrow (4.00pm) to play Stirling Knights and Troon Tornadoes locking horns again with St Mirren at Ayr tonight (8.00pm).

Peregrines will have to be at their best to cope with the Knights, whose winning streak narrowly came to an end against St Mirren last weekend.

Home advantage and their proud cup tradition may give Troon the edge against Saints.

Kings and Fury do have one big clash this weekend when they meet at Portobello tomorrow (1.00pm) in the first round of the Scottish Junior Men's Cup. Although neither team is as strong as last season, there will still be plenty of edge to what is a repeat of last season's final.