SFA chiefs are still determined to finish this season’s Scottish Cup by May - despite being two rounds behind schedule and more than half the sides remaining out of action.
This weekend should have marked the last 16 of the competition.
But 46 sides involved in the third round draw on January 10 are still awaiting the green light for those ties after the lower leagues were brought to a halt on January 11.
Despite this, Record Sport understands SFA chiefs still intend to finish the sponsor-less competition this season and discussions are ongoing about rescheduling fixtures.
But with no restart date for clubs below the Championship and Hampden due to be handed over for the European Championships in May, time is fast running out.
And ominously two Premiership fixtures - Livingston v Hamilton and Ross County v Hibs - were this week rearranged for March 13 which was the original date for quarter finals ties.
Clubs remain in the dark over a solution. But a source said: “Ian Maxwell has been very, very clear he wants the competition finished this season. How it’s done is anyone’s guess.”
Record Sport revealed earlier this month how radical options were being examined to salvage the cup - including a ‘Scottish Cup festival of football’, with as many as three rounds of matches being crammed into a ten day window ahead of the planned semi final dates on April 10 and 11.
A worst case scenario would see this season’s competition being postponed until after the summer.
St Mirren boss Jim Goodwin reckons that’s a non-starter and that the pile-up of fixtures is beyond salvaging. He said earlier this month: “I think is there won’t be a Scottish Cup this season – they’ll just have to write it off, it’s as simple as that.”
However the SFA are desperate to avoid pulling the plug on their own crown jewel competition, which is worth around £5m in prize-pot money, shared out between all competing clubs across the country.
Remaining Scottish Cup Third Round ties
Camelon or Brora Rangers or Heart of Midlothian v Stranraer
Celtic v Arbroath or Falkirk
Dumbarton or Huntly v Aberdeen
Dundee United v Partick Thistle or Cowdenbeath
Dundee v St Johnstone
East Fife v Greenock Morton or Dunfermline Athletic
Elgin City or Ayr United v Keith or Clyde
Forfar Athletic v Airdrieonians or Edinburgh City
Formartine United or Annan Athletic v Motherwell
Fraserburgh v Nairn County or Montrose
Hamilton Academical v St Mirren
Livingston v Stirling Albion or Raith Rovers
Peterhead or Stenhousemuir v Kilmarnock
Queen of the South v Hibernian
Rangers v Cove Rangers
Ross County v Buckie Thistle or Inverness Caledonian Thistle
