Billy Dodds says Scottish Cup final 'should never be moved' to suit anybody

Billy Dodds has hit out the decision to move the Scottish Cup final to a 5.30pm kick-off so it doesn’t clash with the English version.

The Inverness manager insists the showpiece game should never be moved from its traditional 3pm slot to suit anybody else and says he feels for fans travelling from as far as Ireland and the Highlands for the game at Hampden.

The Championship club will face Celtic in Glasgow for the oldest trophy in world football in the 138th final that will be played in Glasgow on June 3.

Both clubs won their semi-final ties at the weekend before it was announced on Wednesday that the game would be kicking off later than usual.

It is believed the decision was made after the FA Cup final at Wembley between Manchester United and Manchester City was moved to 3pm on the same day.

Speaking on Thursday, Dodds said: “It’s not ideal. I don’t think we should ever move our showpiece final to suit anybody. But I can only imagine it’s for TV rights or something and we don’t want to clash.

“It’s not ideal for me. But it is what it is and I’m just glad we’re are, but I would rather, like everybody else, 3pm on a Saturday should be when a showpiece final is played, but it’s not to be.

“I mean, if it’s early, then, the fans would probably have to go down the night before or struggle to go in the morning or get there and up and down in the one day, If it’s later then they can’t get home.

“So you’re damned if you do, you’re damned if you don’t. That’s the way I feel for them.

“And it’s the ones who are travelling the furthest, Celtic fans will be coming over from Ireland, we are coming down from Inverness.

“It’s a shame on them, it really is because they’ve got a long way to travel and then they’re getting moved about with the kick off and some simply just won’t be able to get there.”