Celtic Park and Ibrox Stadium announced as William Hill Scottish Cup venues
The Scottish FA can confirm Celtic Park as the venue for the 2013/14 William Hill Scottish Cup Final.
Ibrox Stadium will also stage both of this season’s semi-final matches.
The traditional final and semi-final venue, Hampden Park, is unavailable due to redevelopment work in preparation for the 2014 Commonwealth Games taking place in Glasgow.
Celtic Park is the country’s largest football stadium with a capacity of 60,355 and will host the showpiece event on Saturday, 17th May.
This season’s semi-final matches will be played on the weekend of 12th and 13th April at Ibrox Stadium which has a capacity of 51,082.
As a result, the SPFL League One match between Rangers and Ayr United scheduled for Saturday, 12th April will be rescheduled and a new date will be announced by the SPFL in due course.
Celtic Park played host to the 1998 Scottish Cup Final between Heart of Midlothian and Rangers.
Celtic are the current holders of the William Hill Scottish Cup following their 3-0 victory over Hibernian at Hampden Park in May.
Scottish FA president, Campbell Ogilvie, said: “We are fortunate in Scotland to have three world-class football stadia and, with Hampden Park due to undergo redevelopment work ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, it is natural that we would seek to utilise both Celtic Park and Ibrox Stadium as venues for Scottish football's premier cup competition.
"We are delighted to stage both semi-finals at Ibrox and the final at Celtic Park and on behalf of the Scottish FA, I would like to thank both Celtic and Rangers, as well as the SPFL, for their support in hosting these matches.”
Celtic chief executive, Peter Lawwell, said: “We are delighted that Celtic Park has been chosen to host the William Hill Scottish Cup Final. As we have seen this season, Celtic Park
continues to be one of the finest stadia in European football, producing an occasion and an atmosphere like no other - we are sure our stadium will provide a brilliant setting for our national cup final.
"Clearly, Celtic are cup holders and I am sure Neil and the team will be doing all they can to ensure that we go as far as we can in the competition and hopefully be part of this great final at the end of the season.”
Rangers finance director, Brian Stockbridge, said: "We are delighted Ibrox Stadium has been chosen to host the Scottish Cup semi-finals in April.
"The Scottish FA’s decision to play these ties at the home of Scotland’s most successful club underlines the fact that Ibrox remains one of European football’s elite arenas.
"Of course we hope to travel far in this competition ourselves but no matter who plays at Ibrox they can be certain of the warmest of welcomes."