2012–13 Scottish Youth Cup
# 2012–13 Scottish Youth Cup

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 Team |
| - | - | - |
| East Stirlingshire | w/o | Civil Service Strollers |
| Rangers | 2 – 1 | St Johnstone |
| Clyde | 5 – 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 Team |
| - | - | - |
| Arbroath | 4 – 0 | Preston Athletic |
| Alloa Athletic | 2 – 7 | Queen's Park |
| Rangers | 3 – 0 | Dumbarton |
| Partick Thistle | 3 – 1 | Spartans |
| Raith Rovers | 3 – 0 (a.e.t.) | Berwick Rangers |
| Heart of Midlothian | 2 – 1 | Clyde |
| East Fife | 1 – 0 | Motherwell |
| Cowdenbeath | 6 – 3 | East Stirlingshire |
| Edinburgh City | 3 – 2 | Stirling Albion |

### North Group

| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| - | - | - |
| Huntly | 1 – 2 | Fort William |
| Ross County | 6 – 0 | Clachnacuddin |
| Brora Rangers | 1 – 8 | Formartine United |
| Fraserburgh | 5 – 2 | Cove Rangers |

### South Group

Gala Fairydean receive a bye to the third round.

| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| - | - | - |
| Annan Athletic | w/o | Threave Rovers |
| Stranraer | 2 – 6 | Kilmarnock |

## 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 Team |
| - | - | - |
| Heart of Midlothian | 1 – 2 | Celtic |
| Hibernian | 13 – 1 | Fort William |
| Annan Athletic | w/o | Montrose |
| Edinburgh City | 1 – 3 | Partick Thistle |
| Gala Fairydean | 0 – 13 | Kilmarnock |
| Queen of the South | 1 – 5 | Hamilton Academical |
| Stenhousemuir | 1 – 3 (a.e.t.) | St Mirren |
| Cowdenbeath | 2 – 1 | Airdrie |
| Arbroath | 1 – 5 | Aberdeen |
| Queen's Park | 0 – 4 | Rangers |
| Ross County | 0 – 2 | Dunfermline Athletic |
| Livingston | 8 – 0 | Formartine United |
| Dundee United | 7 – 1 | Greenock Morton |
| Ayr United | 3 – 0 | East Fife |
| Raith Rovers | 1 – 3 | Falkirk |
| Fraserburgh | 0 – 8 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle |

## Fourth round

The fourth round draw was conducted on 23 October 2012.

| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| - | - | - |
| Partick Thistle | 0 – 6 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle |
| Dunfermline Athletic | 10 – 0 | Montrose |
| Rangers | 1 – 5 | Kilmarnock |
| Aberdeen | 4 – 2 | Hamilton Academical |
| Falkirk | 0 – 0 (a.e.t.) (4 – 5 pens) | St Mirren |
| Livingston | 2 – 3 | Cowdenbeath |
| Hibernian | 2 – 3 (a.e.t.) | Celtic |
| Ayr United | 1 – 2 | Dundee United |

## Quarter-finals

The Quarter-final draw was conducted on 27 November 2012.

| Home Team | Score | Away Team |
| - | - | - |
| Celtic | 2 – 0 | Aberdeen |
| Dundee United | 1 – 3 | St Mirren |
| Dunfermline Athletic | 3 – 2 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle |
| Kilmarnock | 6 – 0 | Cowdenbeath |

## Semi-finals

The semi-final draw was conducted at Hampden Park on 27 November 2012.

