2020 Scottish Challenge Cup final
{{Infobox football match
| title = 2020 Scottish Challenge Cup final
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| event = 2019–20 Scottish Challenge Cup
| team2 = Raith Rovers
| team2score = –
| team1 = Inverness
Caledonian Thistle
| team1association =
| team1score = –
| details = Shared
| previous = 2019
| next = 2022
}}
The 2020 Scottish Challenge Cup final, also known as the Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup final for sponsorship reasons, was a football match that was scheduled to take place between Raith Rovers and Inverness Caledonian Thistle,{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51466144 |title=Partick Thistle 1–2 Raith Rovers |website=BBC Sport |date=14 February 2020 |access-date=14 February 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51466541 |title=Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2–1 Rangers |website=BBC Sport |date=16 February 2020 |access-date=16 February 2020}} but was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of contesting the final at a later date, the two clubs shared the cup.
Route to the final
{{See also|2019–20 Scottish Challenge Cup}}
The competition is a knock-out tournament and was contested by 58 teams from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in 2019–20.{{cite web |url=https://spfl.co.uk/news/article/irn-bru-cup-expanded-for-201718/ |title=IRN-BRU Cup expanded for 2017/18 |website=www.spfl.co.uk |publisher=Scottish Professional Football League |date=7 June 2017 |access-date=22 February 2018 |archive-date=31 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831174407/https://spfl.co.uk/news/article/irn-bru-cup-expanded-for-201718/ |url-status=dead }} The competition was originally only contested by clubs in the Scottish football league system, but teams from Wales and Northern Ireland were added from 2016–17,{{cite web |url=http://stv.tv/sport/football/1356801-northern-irish-and-welsh-sides-to-join-top-flight-u20s-in-challenge-cup/ |title=Northern Irish and Welsh sides to join top flight U20s in Challenge Cup |website=STV Sport |publisher=STV |date=8 June 2016 |access-date=22 February 2017 |archive-date=15 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161015104954/http://stv.tv/sport/football/1356801-northern-irish-and-welsh-sides-to-join-top-flight-u20s-in-challenge-cup/ |url-status=dead }} the Republic of Ireland in 2017–18, and two teams from the English National League (fifth tier) were added from 2018–19.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44412402 |title=Sutton United & Boreham Wood to enter Irn Bru Scottish Challenge Cup |website=BBC Sport |date=8 June 2018 |access-date=17 February 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48776226 |title=Scottish Challenge Cup: Welsh club Wrexham representing England in Scottish Cup |website=BBC Sport |date=26 June 2019 |access-date=14 February 2020}}
=Raith Rovers=
=Inverness=
Match details and cancellation
Inverness player James Keatings was initially suspended for the final, having been sent off for being shown two yellow cards during the semi-final.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51563277 |title=Inverness CT's James Keatings misses Challenge Cup final after appeal dismissed |website=BBC Sport |date=19 February 2020 |access-date=19 February 2020}} An appeal against one of those cards, and the resulting suspension, was rejected by a Scottish Football Association panel. A new appeal hearing was convened when one of the panel members advised the SFA that they had not considered all of the available evidence.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51599241 |title=James Keatings: Inverness CT striker's tribunal hearing 'rendered invalid' |website=BBC Sport |date=21 February 2020 |access-date=21 February 2020}} This second panel rescinded one of the cards, which would have made Keatings available to play in the final.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51658213 |title=James Keatings: Inverness CT striker's ban revoked by Scottish FA tribunal |website=BBC Sport |date=27 February 2020 |access-date=27 February 2020}}
The match was originally scheduled for 28 March 2020, but all of Scottish football was suspended on 13 March due to the coronavirus pandemic.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/51858736 |title=Coronavirus: Scottish football suspended until further notice |website=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |date=13 March 2020 |access-date=15 March 2020}} The Scottish Football Association confirmed on 16 March that the SPFL had postponed the match, pending further information from the Scottish Government about when and how football could be resumed.{{cite web |url=https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/news/coronavirus-joint-response-group-update-16-march/?rid=13929 |title=Coronavirus - Joint Response Group Update 16 March |publisher=Scottish Football Association |date=16 March 2020 |access-date=16 March 2020}}{{cite web | url=https://spfl.co.uk/news/joint-response-group-update-160320 | title=JOINT RESPONSE GROUP UPDATE 16/03/20 | publisher=Scottish Professional Football League | work=spfl.co.uk | date=16 March 2020 | access-date=16 March 2020}} When the SPFL announced in October 2020 that the 2020–21 edition of the competition had been cancelled, it also said that the 2019–20 final would "be scheduled for a date later this season", i.e. during 2020–21.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54393418 |title=Scottish Challenge Cup cancelled for season 2020-21 |website=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |date=2 October 2020 |access-date=3 October 2020}}
On 30 April 2021, it was announced that the 2019–20 final would not be played and that both clubs would share the title instead.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/56945120 |title=Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Raith Rovers share last season's Scottish Challenge Cup |website=BBC Sport |date=30 April 2021 |accessdate=30 April 2021}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Scottish Challenge Cup seasons}}
{{Raith Rovers F.C. matches}}
{{Inverness Caledonian Thistle F.C. matches}}
{{2019–20 in Scottish football}}{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
Category:Scottish Challenge Cup finals
Scottish Challenge Cup Final 2020