Football fans will notice the last-16 ties of the Scottish Cup kicking off a minute late this weekend. The Scottish Football Association have opted to delay the fixtures by 60 seconds in a drive to promote mental health awareness.
It is all part of the ‘Heads Up’ campaign. The English Football Association used last month’s FA Cup third-round ties to promote the campaign.
The ‘Heads Up’ campaign encourages fans to ‘Take A Minute’ to think about the importance of looking after their own wellbeing. The initiative is being spearheaded by Prince William.
Rangers’ trip to Hamilton will kick off at 12.31pm. The bulk of Saturday’s ties will begin at 3.01pm, while Falkirk vs Hearts is scheduled for 7.21pm.
on Sunday, Celtic’s trip to Clyde is set to kick off at 2.01pm while BSC Glasgow vs Hibernian should start a minute after midday.
The Scottish Cup clashes will kick off a minute late (Image: GETTY)
Celtic are the reigning Scottish Cup champions (Image: GETTY)
Trending
Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
The SFA released a statement, which reads: "With support from 16 teams across eight fixtures this weekend, beginning with Rangers’ visit to Hamilton on Saturday, the delayed kick-off times are not only aimed at removing the stigma around discussing mental health but also highlighting the support available to people across the country."
Ian Maxwell, chief executive of Scottish football's governing body, added: “We are proud to support the Heads Up campaign across the Scottish Cup this weekend, using the prominent platform the competition provides to raise awareness of the importance of talking about mental health.
“Delaying kick-off times by a minute will hopefully unite fans around a common goal for a brief period and encourage open conversation about this vitally important issue.”
Research has shown that male football fans are three times more likely to discuss the sport than mental health with friends.