Ex-Hearts + Hibs ace eyes lucrative Scottish Cup payday as Tynecastle and Easter Road return potential remains

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The 48-year-old wants to his Scottish League One side challenge some of the best teams in the country.

Former Hearts and Hibs midfielder Paul Hartley is eyeing a potential money spinner after his Cove Rangers side progressed in the Scottish Cup.

Cove avoided an upset as they defeated Forfar Athletic 2-0 at Balmoral Stadium on Saturday. Adam Emslie and Myles Gaffney were on target in either half as they knocked Forfar out, who are a division below them.

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Hibs and Hearts both booked their place in the next round over the weekend. A brace from Martin Boyle and an effort from Rudi Molotnikov saw Hibs beat Clydebank 3-0 at Easter Road. On Friday, Hearts survived an early scare after falling behind to Brechin City. Yan Dhanda equalised after Scott Bright opened the scoring, and then a Kevin McHattie own goal put them in front before Elton Kabangu opened his account with a brace.

Hartley, a winner of the competition with both Hearts and Celtic wants to see his side compete against sides from the Scottish Premiership again. With any potential tie against the teams from the top-flight, there is of course the opportunity to get a big pay day against ex-teams with big fanbases.

“I would like to draw a big team away from home,” said Hartley. “We didn't make any money out of Hibs or Rangers because we had them in Covid. The Hibs game was also a Thursday night, and we've had Hearts when the crowds were limited as well.”

Rangers beat Cove Rangers 4-0 in the Scottish Cup back in April 2021. The match was played with no spectators because of the Coronavirus pandemic.Rangers beat Cove Rangers 4-0 in the Scottish Cup back in April 2021. The match was played with no spectators because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Rangers beat Cove Rangers 4-0 in the Scottish Cup back in April 2021. The match was played with no spectators because of the Coronavirus pandemic. | Getty Images

Cove Rangers meetings with Hearts, Hibs and Rangers

Their previous meetings with the likes of Hearts, Hibs, and Rangers came during the COVID-19 pandemic. There was a crowd of only 1,873 when Hearts and Cove Rangers last played.

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In 2022, Hibs beat Cove in front of 5,849 supporters, and that was played on a Thursday night. Against Rangers when they reached the third round in April 2021, they lost 4-0 at Ibrox with the match being played in front of no fans. Cove's Balmoral home has a capacity of 3,023. A draw against a team with a much bigger stadium that could attract a larger crowd could see them make some money from the tie with the proceeds split.

"It would be nice to get more finances into the club,” he added. "You always look for a wee boost financially. We can't always rely on the crowds here, so if we can make more money elsewhere then it always helps the club. We'll see where we are on Monday night, there's some big teams left in the draw. "When you're in the Cup, it's to try and get as far as you can. It's just another wee journey that we're on and we just keep making progress."

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