We had the Scottish Police Federation's general secretary saying the SPFL proposal was "idiotic".

Hearts owner Ann Budge chimed in with "almost a disaster waiting to happen", while Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes said a planned kick-off in Glasgow before the first train arrived from the north east was "really unfair" on Dons fans.

The mood was mutinous and something had to give.

That's when Hampden Park Ltd waived their right to stage both games and the Hearts v Celtic tie was moved to Murrayfield and both kick-off times were changed.

Everyone happy? Not really. Celtic thought a ballot was the best way to decide which game moved to the home of Scottish rugby, describing the process as "irrational and discriminatory".

But that was that.

Image source, SNS

Scottish football loves a good old kerfuffle and a brouhaha... And we had merry bedlam when plans to play both of the semi-finals at Hampden a few hours apart were announced.

It's just as well clubs don't use paper for statements these days of we may have had a new deforestation crisis on our hands.

So, just how did the SPFL come to such an unprecedented solution?

With Celtic and Rangers both playing in the Europa League on Thursday, a Saturday game was not an option. Then there was a contractual obligation to play the games at the national stadium. And we were told a congested fixture list meant playing at Hampden in successive weekends couldn't happen.

The clubs met to discuss the matter, while the police and broadcasters were consulted.

And how did that meeting go?

SPFL chief exec Neil Doncaster: "Can we see a show of hands from all in favour of two games in the same place on the same day? No one? Okay."

Next day...

SPFL chief exec Neil Doncaster: "We are pleased to have come to an arrangement that suits everyone."

Every football fan and his/her dog: "What the what now?"

Craig Levein: "Bleep, bleep, bleep, absolute madness, bleep, bleep."

Image source, SNS

Hearts: Zlamal, Smith, Dikamona, Dunne, Mitchell, Bozanic Haring, Lee, Djoum, Naismith, MacLean.

Substitutes: Doyle, Clare, Hughes, Cochrane, Garrucio, Morrison, Amankwaa.

Celtic: Bain, Lustig, Ajer, Benkovic, Tierney, Kouassi, Ntcham, Forrest, Rogic, McGregor, Edouard.

Substitutes: Gordon, Sinclair, Hendry, Hayes, Morgan, Christie, Ralston.

The big news for Hearts is the return of Peter Haring, who has missed the past three matches with a hernia problem.

Olly Lee is back in the side to partner the Austrian in central midfield, as Harry Cochrane and Callumn Morrison drop out from the side that beat Dundee on Tuesday.

Christophe Berra, Jamie Brandon, Uche Ikpeazu and John Souttar remain sidelined and Craig Wighton is ineligible.

Celtic playmaker Tom Rogic is fit after missing Thursday's 2-0 loss at RB Leipzig, while James Forrest is back from a European ban.

Goalkeeper Scott Bain keeps his League Cup place and Kristoffer Ajer and Filip Benkovic start in central defence with Dedryck Boyata suspended.

Celtic are without injured captain Scott Brown and ill striker Leigh Griffiths.

Image source, SNS

Despite the success of the League Cup's fab four, this is the first time since season 1976-77 that they've all reached this stage.

Back then, eventual winners Aberdeen hammered Rangers 5-1 and Celtic beat Hearts 2-1.

In tennis, it's Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray...

We're down to four in the League Cup and the teams left standing are the most successful in the history of the tournament.

Rangers lead the way with 27 wins, with Celtic on 17, Aberdeen have lifted the trophy on six occasions and Hearts have done it four times.

That tally accounts for 54 of the 72 competitions there have been since it began in season 1946-47.

British Summer Time has gone and we welcome the Scottish winter with a couple of crackers to warm your cockles.

We've reached the semi-final stage of the League Cup and holders Celtic face Premiership leaders Hearts, while Aberdeen and Rangers go head-to-head.

Sundays don't get much more super than this...