All SPL clash looks like the tie of the round.
Outside of Celtic and Rangers, Aberdeen and Hearts are two teams you would expect to be involved at the latter stages of the cup competitions in Scotland. This season, one of them is going out in early January which may cast a dampener on the rest of the season for the unfortunate side.
Aberdeen fans may be breathing a sigh of relief at facing an SPL team in the Active Nation Scottish Cup. All too often in recent years, the Dons have been embarrassed by a lower league club.
This was a key factor in the removal of Jimmy Calderwood from the club but if fans thought their luck was due to change with Mark McGhee in charge, they found out differently.
Aberdeen were humbled by Dundee in the League Cup earlier this season as the Dons dismal record against lower league teams continued. Mark McGhee is a Scottish Cup legend with Aberdeen though as he was part of the squad which won three Scottish Cups in a row between 1982 and 1984.
If McGhee could at least get Aberdeen to the final, his stock would be high and his legendary status assured. If he could actually win the cup, they may as well give him the keys to the city. Its a long road to Hampden though and the first stop is particularly troublesome.
With Hearts facing an Edinburgh derby as their first game of the New Year, it is the sort of start to the year that may leave many Jambos facing a headache. And for once, not just because they overdid it at the Princes Street celebrations at Hogmanay.
With the ties still being over a month away, there has to be an assumption that Csaba Laszlo will still be in charge but the outcome of these games may play a role in that.
Not just that two defeats would seriously curtail Hearts season (bear in mind they are still in the semi-final of the League Cup) but the negative financial aspect a defeat would have.
Laszlo has made it very clear he needs some money to strengthen his squad in January and the manager is keen to meet with Vladimir Romanov soon to iron out the budget. If Hearts can negotiate their Pittodrie trip, there may be a bit of extra cash in the budget to play with.
Therefore, in more ways than one, Laszlo may be sending his team to Aberdeen with his future riding upon it.
With the ties scheduled for the weekend of the 9th and 10th of January 2010, it is an early New Year present for both fans to get excited about.
The Active Nation Scottish Cup Fourth-Round draw in full:
Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Motherwell
Hamilton v Rangers
Morton or Dumbarton v Celtic
Hibernian v Irvine Meadow
St Mirren v Cowdenbeath or Alloa Athletic
Raith Rovers or Peterhead v Airdrie United
Dunfermline v Stenhousemuir or Cove Rangers
Forfar v St Johnstone
Clyde or Livingston v Dundee
Albion Rovers v Stirling Albion
Aberdeen v Hearts
Edinburgh City v Montrose
Partick Thistle v Dundee United
Ross County v Inverurie Loco Works
Ayr United v Wick Academy or Brechin
Kilmarnock v Falkirk
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