With the possible exception of the very early weeks of the season, when Celtic and Rangers meet, it is usual for one of them to be hovering somewhere close to crisis. It is simply the nature of Scottish football, the overwhelming strength and remorseless antipathy of the Glasgow sides. When one is down, the other is presumably up.

Former Hibernian and Rangers midfielder Kevin Thomson conducted the draw with 20 ties in the next round of the competition. Clubs in the Scottish Championship and League One joined the competition at this stage, alongside the 20 clubs that progressed from the second round.