SNS GroupThe Scottish FA have confirmed the dates for the Scottish Cup semi-finals, with the Edinburgh and Glasgow derbies on consecutive days on Easter weekend.
For the first time, Hearts, Hibs, Rangers and Celtic have all reached the last four of the historic competition, and city rivals have been paired in each match.
The first of the semi-finals will see Hearts face Hibs at Hampden on Saturday, April 16 with a 12.15 kick-off.
Celtic will then clash with Rangers on Easter Sunday, April 17 at the national stadium, with the action between the Glasgow clubs starting at 2pm.
Following the announcement, Hibernian made public their concerns about the pricing of the tickets for the showpiece matches.
Adult tickets are set at £35 each for the North and South Stands, with Over-65 and Under-16 tickets at £15 each.
The Easter Road club said that they and rivals Hearts had both expressed unhappiness with the Scottish FA for the prices, which are set by the governing body.
A statement from Hibs read: “After receiving the ticket information from the SFA, there were a number of long and strong conversations regarding the price and expense to our supporters.
“Our concerns were matched by Hearts as we stressed the point of making football affordable for everyone.
“We completely understand how much it costs to be a football supporter and how expensive it is to follow your team up and down the country, especially in the current climate.
“We explained this in detail to the SFA, however, they have not moved on their decision, which is incredibly disappointing and has caused us great frustration.”
Hearts were first to put their name in the hat, sealing a dramatic 4-2 win over St Mirren. The Edinburgh side raced to a 2-0 lead through Beni Baningime and Peter Haring, before Eamonn Brophy and Connor Ronan brought the visitors level. Aaron McEneff put Hearts back in front and Ellis Simms made sure of the win.
Hibs came through a tough tie at Fir Park, where Elias Melkersen scored twice to give his side an early lead against 10-man Motherwell but the hosts pulled one back through Joe Efford and made Shaun Maloney’s side work hard for their place at Hampden.
Celtic booked the last semi-final place with a 3-0 win over Dundee United on Monday evening. A goal from Callum McGregor and a double from Giorgos Giakoumakis kept Celtic’s hopes of adding the Scottish Cup to their League Cup triumph.
Rangers made the last four with a win at Dundee on Sunday, when Connor Goldson, James Tavernier and Fashion Sakala gave them a 3-0 win at Dens Park.
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