2020 Scottish Challenge Cup final
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,[1][2] 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 finalThe 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.[3] 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,[4] the Republic of Ireland in 2017–18, and two teams from the English National League (fifth tier) were added from 2018–19.[5][6] Raith Rovers
Inverness
Match details and cancellationInverness player James Keatings was initially suspended for the final, having been sent off for being shown two yellow cards during the semi-final.[14] An appeal against one of those cards, and the resulting suspension, was rejected by a Scottish Football Association panel.[14] 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of the panel members advised the SFA that they had not considered all of the available evidence.[15] This second panel rescinded one of the cards, which would have made Keatings available to play in the final.[16] The match was originally scheduled for 28 March 2020,[1] but all of Scottish football was suspended on 13 March due to the coronavirus pandemic.[17] 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.[18][19] 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.[20] 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.[21] References
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