The 2012–13 Scottish Youth Cup was the 30th season of the Scottish Youth Cup, the national knockout tournament at youth level organised by the Scottish Football Association for its full and associate member clubs. The tournament is now for the under-20 age group to complement current youth development strategies, having formerly been an under-19 competition.
Celtic won the competition for the fourth year in succession, defeating Dunfermline Athletic, 3–1 in the final at Hampden Park.
Calendar The final of the competition was brought forward by one day to 1 May 2013 after a request by Dunfermline Athletic, as a number of their youth squad had stepped up to the first-team after the club entered administration.
Round Match date Fixtures Clubs First Round Sunday 26 August 2012 3 50 → 47 Second Round Sunday 23 September 2012 15 47 → 32 Third Round Sunday 21 October 2012 16 32 → 16 Fourth Round Sunday 25 November 2012 8 16 → 8 Quarter-finals Sunday 24 February 2013 4 8 → 4 Semi-finals Sunday 24 March 2013 2 4 → 2 Final Wednesday 1 May 2013 1 2 → 1
Format The sixteen clubs who reached the Fourth round of the 2011–12 competition receive a bye to the third round of this season's tournament. The remaining thirty four clubs enter the first round and are initially divided into three regional groups to reduce travelling. The tournament becomes an all-in national competition from the third round onwards.
First round The draws for the First and Second Rounds were conducted on 31 July 2012.
Central Group
Three ties were drawn in this group with the following clubs receiving a bye to the second round:
Alloa Athletic Arbroath Berwick Rangers Cowdenbeath Dumbarton East Fife Edinburgh City Heart of Midlothian Motherwell Partick Thistle Preston Athletic Queen's Park Raith Rovers Spartans Stirling Albion
Home team Score Away teamEast Stirlingshire w/oCivil Service StrollersRangers2 – 1St JohnstoneClyde5 – 2 Dundee
North Group
No First Round ties were drawn in this group with all the following clubs receiving byes to the Second round. Brora Rangers Clachnacuddin Cove Rangers Formartine United Fort William Fraserburgh, Huntly Ross County
South Group
No First Round ties were drawn in this group with all the following clubs receiving byes to the Second round. Annan Athletic Gala Fairydean Kilmarnock Stranraer Threave Rovers
Second round The second round ties are due to be played on or around 23 September 2012.
Central Group
Home team Score Away teamArbroath4 – 0Preston AthleticAlloa Athletic2 – 7Queen's ParkRangers3 – 0DumbartonPartick Thistle3 – 1SpartansRaith Rovers3 – 0 Berwick RangersHeart of Midlothian2 – 1ClydeEast Fife1 – 0 MotherwellCowdenbeath6 – 3East StirlingshireEdinburgh City3 – 2 Stirling Albion
North Group
Home team Score Away teamHuntly1 – 2Fort WilliamRoss County6 – 0ClachnacuddinBrora Rangers1 – 8Formartine UnitedFraserburgh5 – 2Cove Rangers
South Group
Gala Fairydean receive a bye to the third round.
Home team Score Away teamAnnan Athleticw/o Threave RoversStranraer2 – 6Kilmarnock
Third round The following sixteen clubs enter at this stage by virtue of having reached the fourth round of last season's competition:
Aberdeen Airdrie United Ayr United Celtic Dundee United Dunfermline Athletic Falkirk Greenock Morton Hamilton Academical Hibernian Inverness Caledonian Thistle Livingston Montrose Queen of the South St Mirren Stenhousemuir
The third round draw took place on 25 September 2012 at Hampden Park, Glasgow.
Annan Athletic were expelled from the tournament due to player registration errors.
Home team Score Away teamHeart of Midlothian1 – 2CelticHibernian13 – 1Fort WilliamAnnan Athleticw/oMontroseEdinburgh City1 – 3Partick ThistleGala Fairydean0 – 13KilmarnockQueen of the South1 – 5Hamilton AcademicalStenhousemuir1 – 3 St MirrenCowdenbeath2 – 1AirdrieArbroath1 – 5AberdeenQueen's Park0 – 4RangersRoss County0 – 2Dunfermline AthleticLivingston8 – 0Formartine UnitedDundee United7 – 1Greenock MortonAyr United3 – 0East FifeRaith Rovers1 – 3FalkirkFraserburgh0 – 8Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Fourth round The fourth round draw was conducted on 23 October 2012.
Home team Score Away teamPartick Thistle0 – 6Inverness Caledonian ThistleDunfermline Athletic10 – 0MontroseRangers1 – 5KilmarnockAberdeen4 – 2Hamilton AcademicalFalkirk0 – 0 (4 – 5 pens)St MirrenLivingston2 – 3CowdenbeathHibernian2 – 3 CelticAyr United1 – 2Dundee United
Quarter-finals The Quarter-final draw was conducted on 27 November 2012.
Home team Score Away teamCeltic2 – 0AberdeenDundee United1 – 3St MirrenDunfermline Athletic3 – 2Inverness Caledonian ThistleKilmarnock6 – 0Cowdenbeath
Semi-finals The semi-final draw was conducted at Hampden Park on 27 November 2012.
Final
External links Youth Cup on Scottish FA website
References