Fir park is fan-tastic!

Nov 11 2009 by Paul Behan, Paisley Daily Express

ST MIRREN last night welcomed the Scottish Football League’s decision to move the semi-final of the Co-operative Insurance Cup to Motherwell’s Fir Park.

Gus MacPherson’s Buddies will play Hearts on Tuesday, February 2, at 7.45pm with a place in the showpiece final at stake.

It had been feared that the Buddies clash with Hearts was going to be moved to Easter Road, giving the Edinburgh club an unfair advantage in terms of support – but Saints chiefs believe the venue is a good location for Paisley fans.

Buddies boss MacPherson had already warned that moving the game to the other side of Edinburgh would have been “ridiculous”.

However, last night an agreement was reached between St Mirren, Hearts and the SFL – and Buddies General Manager Brian Caldwell welcomed the news.

He said: “We are delighted that this game is going to be played at a neutral venue.

“We made a strong case to the SFL, as we felt it would not have been fair to stage the match in Edinburgh.

“We have to think about our supporters and, obviously, we’re delighted with this outcome.”

The other semi-final tie, which involves Rangers and St Johnstone, will go ahead at Hampden 24 hours later on Wednesday, February 3, and will be televised live by the BBC.

When the game does come around, one Saints player will be walking a suspension tightrope.

Defender David Barron has two cautions to his name following misdemeanours in the earlier rounds against Ayr United at Somerset Park and Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.

Under the competition rules, if a club enters at the first round, which St Mirren did back in August, then players need to receive three cautions before they are banned.

As a result, if Barron picks up another yellow card in the semi-final, he would automatically be ruled out of the Hampden final, if Saints were to reach it.

Team-mates Garry Brady and Jack Ross each have one caution to their names, but they have no danger of being banned unless they see red at Fir Park.

The last time St Mirren reached the semi-final of the League Cup competition was back in 2001 when they lost 3-0 to Kilmarnock in front of a crowd of around 10,000 at Hampden.

Buddies boss Gus MacPherson was in the Kilmarnock team that night, as was Craig Dargo – who scored the second goal – along with former Saints Ally Mitchell, Martin Baker, Kevin McGowne and Mark Reilly.