Key events
Route to the final …
Celtic: Auchinleck Talbot, Dundee, Rangers and St Mirren.
Dunfermline: Queen of the South, Hibernian, Kelty Hearts, Aberdeen and Falkirk.
Celtic have won the Scottish Cup 42 times, but lost last year’s final to Aberdeen. Their most recent success was in 2024 under Brendan Rodgers, when Adam Idah’s late strike propelled them to victory over Rangers.
Dunfermline have two Scottish Cup final wins to their name and lost 1-0 against Celtic in their last appearance 19 years ago. Both Dundfermline’s Cup wins came in the swinging sixties: 1961 and 1968.
Martin O’Neill: “The pleasing thing for me if I truly reflect on it, is there is still a place in this game for older gentlemen,” said O’Neill, 74, in an interview with BBC Scotland. “Despite the tactics that are involved now in the game, I do believe someone with some sort of experience can still play a part in proceedings.
“When I first stepped in way back in October, that was my main concern. Not having managed for some time, there are different ways of playing the game. That was my concern, not about destroying anything I might have done 20-odd years ago but being too old to be in this game. That is certainly a great sense of pride for me now.”
Those teams: Martin O’Neill makes one change to the side that beat Hearts last weekend, with James Forrest coming into midfield in place of Sebastian Tounekti, who starts on the bench. The 34-year-old winger could win the Scottish Cup for the ninth time with Celtic this afternoon.
Aston Boxborough starts in goal for Dunfermline, with Billy Terrell among the substitutes following last weekend’s playoff semi-final defeat at the hands of Partick. Swtiching to five at the back, Neil Lennon also hands starts to Andy Tod (who lines up alongside his brother John) and Tashan Oakley-Boothe. In an extremely Tod(d)-heavy line-up, Matty Todd also starts for the Pars.
Celtic v Dunfermline line-ups
Celtic: Sinisalo, Johnston, Trusty, Scales, Tierney, McGregor, Engels, Nygren, Yang, Maeda, Forrest
Subs: Doohan, McCowan, Iheanacho, Osmand, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Saracchi, Murray, Tounekti, Ralston
Dunfermline: Oxborough, Chilokoa-Mullen, Ngwenya, Gilmour, M. Todd, Aboulai, A. Todd, J. Tod, Oakley-Boothe, Morrison, Fraser
Subs: Terrell, Benedictus, Hamilton, Rudden, Kearney, Amade, Kane, Cooper, Fyfe.
Early team news
Long-term absentees Kasper Schmeichel and Cameron Carter-Vickers remain sidelined for Celtic, who emerged from last weekend’s dramatic title-decider against Hearts with a clean bill of health.
Dunfermline striker Zak Rudden is available for selection after three months out with a shoulder injury he sustained in an earlier round of the Cup, a Fife derby against Kelty Hearts. Goalkeeper Aston Oxborough has returned on loan from Motherwell after being briefly recalled by his parent club. The Pars are without the Irish duo of Graham Carey and Freddie Turley, while striker Olly Thomas and centre-back Ewan Otoo are also unavailable through injury.
Scottish Cup final: Celtic v Dunfermline Athletic
Master and apprentice will stand in adjacent technical areas this afternoon as Martin O’Neill and Neil Lennon prepare to lead Celtic and Dunfermline out at Hampden Park for the Scottish Cup final. A Championship side whose hopes of promotion ended in playoff semi-final defeat last week, Dunfermline Athletic arrive at Hampden Park hoping to win their first major trophy since 1968. The Scottish Premiership champions pitch up hoping to win their first silverware since this day last week.
Having spent the best part of 10 years of his career as O’Neill midfield lieutenant at Leicester City and Celtic before taking the reins at Celtic Park himself in 2010, Lennon has been in charge of the Pars for 14 months. He has bristled at descriptions of him as O’Neill’s apprentice, pointing out that at 54, he’s a bit old to fit that particular bill but admitted today’s occasion will “be surreal considering how long I’ve known [Martin], what he’s done for my career and what influence he’s had on me”.
Celtic are overwhelming favourties, Dunfermline will be hoping to upset the odds and kick-off in Glasgow is at 3pm (BST). We’ll have team news and build-up and the meantime.