Last season, we had Rangers representing one of the two Scottish football giants in the cup final when they played minnows Falkirk.
Yet, this season the two Glasgow clubs failed to make progress and on Saturday Dundee United will be meeting First Division side Ross County in the final. The last time that a club from the second grade played in the ultimate showdown was two years ago when Queen of South lost to Rangers.
Since World War Two there were 11 other occasions when Celtic or Rangers were not present in the final of the Scottish Cup as follows:
1947 Aberdeen-Hibernian 2-1.
1952 Motherwell-Dundee 4-0.
1957 Falkirk-Kilmarnock 2-1.
1958 Clyde-Hibernian 1-0.
1959 St Mirren-Aberdeen 3-1.
1968 Dunfermline-Hearts 3-1.
1986 Aberdeen-Hearts 3-0.
1987 St Mirren-Dundee Utd 1-0.
1991 Motherwell-Dundee Utd 4-3.
1997 Kilmarnock-Falkirk 1-0.
2006 Hearts-Gretna 4-2 pens.
Dundee United are managed by Peter Houston. In addition to reaching the final of the Scottish Cup, they placed third in the Premier League.
Houston is on a part-time basis, having replaced Craig Levein, who took over the Scottish national side.
Houston, who thought he would not adapt easily, claimed he did not want the job permanently when he took over from Levein.
Yet, he is now keen to extend his contract beyond the summer, having steered the side to an 11-match undefeated run during the campaign.
On Saturday, the Tangerines will be without defender Paul Dixon, who is out for the rest of the season with a broken leg. Another defender, Lee Wilkins, had also left Dundee United after an injury-enforced retirement.
To fill this void United brought in Andy Webster, who has been made team captain, coming on a loan period from Rangers. Webster netted the winning goal in the 2-0 triumph in the semi-final at Hampden against Raith Rovers.
A boost for the Terrors has been the recovery of midfielder Scott Robertson, having returned to the squad for the first time since December 15 with a groin problem.
Euro football
Ross County can claim a place in Europe for the first time in their history if they carry the Scottish Cup. The side from Dingwall, have knocked out Premier League sides Hibernian and Celtic this season.
The Staggies, having a great determination to upset the odds and beat Dundee United, fell short in their attempt to better their fourth-placed finishes of 2004 and 2006 in the First Division when they finished fifth.
Manager Derek Adams, who had two spells as a midfielder with Ross County, took over as player-manager in November 2007.
Adams became the first manager to lead a team from the Highlands to the final of a national cup competition.
Cup honours
While as recorded above Ross County have never won the Scottish Cup, their opponents Dundee United lifted the silverware on only one occasion, in 1974 − 1-0 over Rangers at Hampden Park.
United emerged victorious through a Brewster netting two minutes after the start of the second half.
Dundee United, who were crowned Scottish champions in 1982-83, became a 'Cinderella' club in the Scottish Cup after they featured in seven other finals and finished empty handed, as follows:
2005 Celtic 0-1.
1991 Motherwell 3-4.
1988 Celtic 1-2.
1987 St Mirren 0-1.
1985 Celtic 1-2.
1981 Rangers 1-4.
1974 Celtic 0-3.
As this data shows United's biggest rivals have been Celtic, having defeated them four times in the final.
Ross County have made giant strides this season since they have never been so near to the silverware.
For the record they won the Second Division championship in 2008, the Third Division title in 1999 and the Challenge Cup (the knock-out for the clubs in the lower division) in 2007. Yet on their way to the final Ross sent their supporters into ruptures as they went goal berserk by scoring a total of 24 goals.
Head to head
Saturday's finalists have never met in the Scottish Cup. Their only meetings came in the Scottish League Cup in which Dundee United won three of the four clashes.
Ross County's victory came in 1998-99 in the third round - 2-0.
Path to the final
Dundee United
Fourth round: Away vs Livingston 1-0 (Harkins).
Fifth round: Away vs St Johnstone 1-0 (Goodwillie).
Quarter-final: Away vs Rangers 3-3 (Shala, Whittaker og, Kovacevic).
Quarter-final replay: Home vs Rangers 1-0 (Robertson D.).
Semi-final: Hampden Park vs Raith Rovers 2-0 (Goodwillie, Webster).
Ross County
Third round: Home vs Berwick Rangers 5-1 (di Giacomo 2, Lawson, Craig, Wood).
Fourth round: Home vs Inverurie Loco Works 4-0 (Craig 2, Morrison, Miller).
Fifth round: Away vs Stirling Albion 9-0 (Keddie, Gardyne 2, Wood 3, Brittain pen, Kettlewell, Morrison).
Quarter-final: Away vs Hibernian 2-2 (Murray og, Gardyne).
Quarter-final replay: Home vs Hibernian 2-1 (Wood, Boyd).
Semi-final: At Hampden vs Celtic 2-0 (Craig, Scott).
Cup top scorers
5 − Wood (Ross County)
4 − Winters (Livingston), Kirk (Dunfermline), Craig (Ross County), Keane (Celtic), MacKay (Wick Academy)