Murrayfield is the common sense venue
MIKE AITKEN

ALTHOUGH the luck of the draw last night terminated the possibility of the first all-Edinburgh final of the Scottish Cup in 110 years - a turn of events which the supporters of Gretna, Dundee and Hamilton must have greeted with glee - there still needs to be a debate about where the compelling semi-final between Hearts and Hibernian should be staged.

If the football argument for the national stadium at Hampden is persuasive, the truth is the Scottish Football Association cannot ignore the potential for social conflict surrounding such a choice. The SFA would have to be able to reassure the public, after consultations with the police, that inviting tens of thousands of emotional supporters from Edinburgh to make the trip to Glasgow wasn't fraught with an unnecessary level of risk.

In my experience, the rivalry between supporters of the Edinburgh clubs is, for the most part, friendly. But even the best of pals are going to feel tetchy about the chance of beating old rivals and reaching a final for which they would be hot favourites. While Gretna, Dundee and Hamilton may be dreaming of improbable glory, the expectations surrounding Hearts and Hibs could hardly be more tense or demanding.

If there's unlikely to be trouble inside the ground at Hampden, it could be a different story outside. When the game is over, both sets of supporters will be heading in the same direction back to Edinburgh. Since whichever side loses the game is going to feel pretty sore (and the winners unlikely to celebrate with restraint), you don't have to be a Jeremiah to be concerned about the scope for friction.

Even before such a match, a minority are capable of spoiling the big day for everyone else if they don't behave themselves. The possibility of rival fans being ferried by train from Waverley to Queen Street is alarming, as is the capacity for trouble on the M8 should supporters' buses halt at the same locations when nature calls. Had Hearts and Hibs been kept apart in the semis, there was already sufficient concern amongst former players at both clubs that around 30 former Easter Road and Tynecastle professionals planned to travel to the game together by coach in an effort to set the right example. An even better idea would be to welcome the stars of yesteryear on to the pitch at half-time in Edinburgh.

Although Murrayfield, with its towering stands, is far from the ideal location to watch football - those of us who saw Hearts play in Europe there last season were struck by the flatness of the atmosphere as well as the bumpiness of the pitch - the ground does at least present a viable alternative to Hampden as the venue for a Hearts v Hibs semi-final. For a start, there's plenty of room and the supporters of the two clubs wouldn't have to travel to Glasgow, thus eliminating the potential for trouble en route. Secondly, the fans could be dispersed in different directions afterwards. While it goes without saying a high police presence would be required to maintain order in the capital afterwards, the likelihood of an all Edinburgh semi-final being besmirched by violence or disorder would be reduced.

Admittedly, the emotions surrounding the outcome of a semi-final may not be quite as intense as the final itself. This is as true for the supporters as it is for the players. Derek Riordan noted the other week that while he could just about handle Hibs losing to Hearts in a semi-final (who, after all, remembers beaten semi-finalists?), he would have found a final loss all but unbearable. Even so, it will still be one helluva game.

Back in 1896 Hearts and Hibs didn't need to leave Edinburgh and met at Logie Green in what was the only final to be held outside Glasgow.

While Hampden is the natural home of Scottish football's showpiece occasion, it would be folly to pretend, 110 years later, there aren't a few extenuating circumstances in favour of another one-off switch to the east. Of course, the final itself belongs at the national stadium. But the SFA would show commendable prudence if Murrayfield was selected to cheer the winners and console the losers of Edinburgh's semi-final.

Taken from the Scotsman