BowenBoys Posted September 5 Report Share Posted September 5 As this is a tumbleweed weekend on the forum, Â I thought I would kick this off now. The draw for the ever popular, bumper Men's first round has been made and the competition starts on the weekend of 27 September. At the moment I'm planning to go with the usual format. However, this is for your enjoyment and I'm open to changes of format or rules. So let me know what you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partickthedog Posted September 5 Report Share Posted September 5 1 hour ago, BowenBoys said: As this is a tumbleweed weekend on the forum, Â I thought I would kick this off now. The draw for the ever popular, bumper Men's first round has been made and the competition starts on the weekend of 27 September. At the moment I'm planning to go with the usual format. However, this is for your enjoyment and I'm open to changes of format or rules. So let me know what you think. Many thanks, BB. This is going to be my year!? Your competition is excellent and I am grateful for the tweaks and bonuses introduced to assist those who are bold enough to predict an underdog victory against a team in a higher league. My only small question would be the lack of reward for those who predict a non-OF Premier League team to beat the OF (and consequently the over-reward for those to take the easy option of relying on the points for an OF win). I appreciate that they are in the same league, but the other team has so much to overcome in terms of the disparity of resources, not to mention various ingrained cultural biases. Is there the possibility of a tweak there, which might encourage some daring predictions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowenBoys Posted September 5 Author Report Share Posted September 5 5 hours ago, partickthedog said: Many thanks, BB. This is going to be my year!? Your competition is excellent and I am grateful for the tweaks and bonuses introduced to assist those who are bold enough to predict an underdog victory against a team in a higher league. My only small question would be the lack of reward for those who predict a non-OF Premier League team to beat the OF (and consequently the over-reward for those to take the easy option of relying on the points for an OF win). I appreciate that they are in the same league, but the other team has so much to overcome in terms of the disparity of resources, not to mention various ingrained cultural biases. Is there the possibility of a tweak there, which might encourage some daring predictions? This could easily be done by adding an extra seeding group, below the OF, so that an extra point would be awarded when any team (non-OF Premier League team or below) beats them. The question is, though, should it? Looking at the men's competition, there are 101 matches played. With the Premiership teams joining in the fourth round, there are a maximum of 9 ties where this rule would be in effect. If one of the OF fail to win the cup (like last season) then this rule change would mean that a player might gain an extra 2 points. They may, however, have missed out on 26 points by supporting all the underdogs, in hope, along the way. Regarding your assertion that the current structure over-rewards those taking 'the easy option of relying on the points for an OF win', surely that's the point of playing. Players (usually) pick the teams that will get them points. So, I'm not sold on this one. But if it proves to be a popular idea then I will happily implement it. Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auld Jag Posted September 5 Report Share Posted September 5 Thanks for doing this again @BowenBoys. I am happy to go with whatever rules makes it easiest for yourself. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partickthedog Posted September 6 Report Share Posted September 6 17 hours ago, BowenBoys said: This could easily be done by adding an extra seeding group, below the OF, so that an extra point would be awarded when any team (non-OF Premier League team or below) beats them. The question is, though, should it? Looking at the men's competition, there are 101 matches played. With the Premiership teams joining in the fourth round, there are a maximum of 9 ties where this rule would be in effect. If one of the OF fail to win the cup (like last season) then this rule change would mean that a player might gain an extra 2 points. They may, however, have missed out on 26 points by supporting all the underdogs, in hope, along the way. Regarding your assertion that the current structure over-rewards those taking 'the easy option of relying on the points for an OF win', surely that's the point of playing. Players (usually) pick the teams that will get them points. So, I'm not sold on this one. But if it proves to be a popular idea then I will happily implement it. Â Agree with @Auld Jag. It's your party, so you set the rules, and we are all grateful to be invited. Anyway, my suggested change will become academic once Thistle dump both halves of the OF out of the Scottish Cup in the first two rounds. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fawlty Towers Posted September 6 Report Share Posted September 6 I might be biased but lets keep everything the same as last year! 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagfox Posted September 7 Report Share Posted September 7 One suggestion to keep things more involved until the end could be a correct score for the later rounds say from the round when Thistle join so 3 points for a correct score on top of the in place scoring methods @BowenBoys? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elevenone Posted September 7 Report Share Posted September 7 Thanks for running this again BB.  Happy with any format you decide 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partickthedog Posted September 7 Report Share Posted September 7 8 hours ago, jagfox said: One suggestion to keep things more involved until the end could be a correct score for the later rounds say from the round when Thistle join so 3 points for a correct score on top of the in place scoring methods @BowenBoys? I think that this is a good idea. If full implementation from Thistle entry stage is too burdensome for BB (and that would be fully understood), even bringing it in from (say) the quarter finals onwards would introduce an extra element of excitement/jeopardy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagfox Posted September 7 Report Share Posted September 7 6 minutes ago, partickthedog said: I think that this is a good idea. If full implementation from Thistle entry stage is too burdensome for BB (and that would be fully understood), even bringing it in from (say) the quarter finals onwards would introduce an extra element of excitement/jeopardy. Yeah, I have usually lost interest (no chance of winning) by the start of the later rounds 😅 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowenBoys Posted September 7 Author Report Share Posted September 7 Yes, I think this is a good idea. As well as increasing interest for those less pointed (and I don't mean Oblio), it would add excitement to the conclusion of the competition (sorry FT).       Rather than adding 3 points for a correct score, I suggest the points for that tie are doubled.             The rule kicks in at the Fifth Round? That means 8 scores to predict and potentially an extra 40 points.             Prediction is for the score at 90ish minutes.             If anyone can't be bothered they can still enter HAHAs       Any thoughts?   2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagfox Posted September 7 Report Share Posted September 7 So double points if you guess the score and result correctly? Sounds good to me, Phil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowenBoys Posted September 7 Author Report Share Posted September 7 Hmm... Not so sure about this now. Glad I'm not working Monday. This is going round and round my head and I can't sleep. If a player is behind in the competition because they have not done very well at simply guessing the winner, how will adding the burden of guessing the correct score make any difference? Conversely, a player that is adept at picking the winner will obviously have more chances of gaining double points. The correct score at 90mins could be a draw so it would be possible to get the correct score but not the correct result. so the correct score bonus would need to separated from the correct result. Unless the correct score was the final score in the tie. After penalties this could be 11-10. Help... Â Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowenBoys Posted September 7 Author Report Share Posted September 7 5 minutes ago, BowenBoys said: The correct score at 90mins could be a draw so it would be possible to get the correct score but not the correct result. so the correct score bonus would need to separated from the correct result. Don't have a problem with having two ways to score points. Should regulate, though, against a score prediction of 2-1 and a result prediction of A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagfox Posted September 8 Report Share Posted September 8 Yeah, would be an additional scoring cell and players scores should match their 90 minute prediction. So no saying a draw and 3- 1. No score production gets a null score in that cell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Dastardly Posted September 8 Report Share Posted September 8 Overly complex. Keep it simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lady-isobel-barnett Posted September 8 Report Share Posted September 8 I suggest, BB, you submit two proposals to Neil Doncaster. Let him select his favoured option and you go with the other. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowenBoys Posted September 12 Author Report Share Posted September 12 Have got my head around this now (I know, it's an age thing). If H or A prediction is correct, check scores and double points if correct. I think this change would improve the competition. I'm mindful, as DD says, of keeping things simple. Introducing this in the latter stages (where I believe it has most benefit), reduces the burden on the players. From the Men's 5th and Women's 4th rounds, instead of sending HAHAHA etc. you would input H10A21H11 etc.. Maximum  8 games. At no point would the string of characters exceed 24. Currently for the Men's 1st round, the string of characters required is 30. So, hopefully, not too onerous. Spreadsheet has been adapted and the first round draws are done. Will kick this off later today.  1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fawlty Towers Posted September 12 Report Share Posted September 12 2 minutes ago, BowenBoys said: Have got my head around this now (I know, it's an age thing). If H or A prediction is correct, check scores and double points if correct. I think this change would improve the competition. I'm mindful, as DD says, of keeping things simple. Introducing this in the latter stages (where I believe it has most benefit), reduces the burden on the players. From the Men's 5th and Women's 4th rounds, instead of sending HAHAHA etc. you would input H10A21H11 etc.. Maximum  8 games. At no point would the string of characters exceed 24. Currently for the Men's 1st round, the string of characters required is 30. So, hopefully, not too onerous. Spreadsheet has been adapted and the first round draws are done. Will kick this off later today.  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowenBoys Posted September 12 Author Report Share Posted September 12 Scottish Cup Pop Up 2025-26 How to play Select the winning team in each Scottish Cup tie. Seeding For scoring purposes, teams are seeded as shown below       MEN         Premiership         Championship         League One         League Two         Highland League / Lowland League         EoSFL / WoSFL / SoSFL / Others         Unlicensed Clubs       WOMEN         SPFL 1         SPFL 2         Championship         League One         SWFL / Highlands & Islands League Scoring One point awarded for each correct prediction in the First Rounds. This increases by one point in each subsequent round. Therefore, predicting the winner in the Men's Final is worth 8 points; in the Women's Final, 7 points. If your chosen team beats a team with a higher seeding, additional points will be awarded commensurate with the difference in seeding level. Should the victory be away from home, one further point will be awarded. As an aid, the seeding points available in each tie will be shown in the published fixtures. From the Women's 4th Round & Men's 5th Round a double points bonus will be available. Full details to follow. Logistics The fixtures for each round will be published here shortly after each draw takes place. Post your entries on this thread. "H" for home win, "A" for away win. Post your entries before the deadline stated alongside each set of fixtures. Late entries are usually tolerated but it's very rude!. Should your entry arrive after any matches have kicked off, entries for those games will be void. League table will be published after the completion of each round.  1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowenBoys Posted September 12 Author Report Share Posted September 12 Plenty of space for players. Be good to have a bumper comp. this season. Let's go. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowenBoys Posted September 12 Author Report Share Posted September 12 Men's First Round fixtures             Auchinleck Talbot  v  Cumnock Juniors             Berwick Rangers  v  Nairn County             Bo’ness Athletic  v  Keith  -  H1             Bo’ness United  v  Banks O’Dee             Bonnyrigg Rose  v  Broxburn Athletic             Brora Rangers  v  Fraserburgh             Carluke Rovers  v  Gretna 2008  -  H1             Civil Service Strollers  v  Dundonald Bluebell  -  A2             Clachnacuddin  v  Kilwinning Rangers  -  A2             Coldstream  v  Tayport             Cowdenbeath  v  Benburb  -  A2             Cumbernauld Colts  v  Glasgow University  -  A2             Darvel  v  Deveronvale  -  H1             Forres Mechanics  v  Caledonian Braves             Glenafton Athletic  v  Invergordon  -  A2             Huntly  v  Buckie Thistle             Inverurie Loco Works  v  Sauchie Juniors  -  A2             Jeanfield Swifts  v  Clydebank  -  H1             Johnstone Burgh  v  Threave Rovers  -  H1             Linlithgow Rose  v  Gala Fairydean Rovers             Lochee United  v  Brechin City  -  H1             Lossiemouth  v  Formartine United             Musselburgh Athletic  v  Bonnyton Thistle             Newtongrange Star  v  East Stirlingshire  -  H1             Strathspey Thistle  v  Dundee North End  -  A3             Tranent  v  Pollok  -  A2             Turriff United  v  Hill of Beath Hawthorn  -  A2             University of Stirling  v  Burntisland Shipyard  -  A2             Wick Academy  v  Rothes             Camelon Juniors  v  Albion Rovers  -  H1             Matches to be played on weekend of 27 September. Correct predictions worth 1 point each. Deadline for predictions 1pm, Friday 26 September.  1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partickthedog Posted September 12 Report Share Posted September 12 HAHHA AHAAH AAHHA AAHHA HHAHA AAAHH Many thanks as always BB. I am jumping in early and targetting my Bo'ness points! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowenBoys Posted September 12 Author Report Share Posted September 12 😀 All Aboard!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fawlty Towers Posted September 13 Report Share Posted September 13 Thanks for organising this again BB. Here we go. H H A H H H H H H A H H A A H H H A A A A A H H A A H H H H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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