THE four best supported clubs in Scotland just so happen to make up the two Betfred Cup semi-finals which means over 100,000 people will go to and from Hampden Park on the last Sunday in October.

They’ll have to use the same roads, public transport, motorway service stations – we could go on – and this quarrelling quartet have had their moments in the past.

So, let us consider a a far from unlikely scenario for Sunday, October 28.

Rangers and Aberdeen cannot be separated, even after extra-time, and the game goes to penalties. That’s 90-plus minutes, half-time, a half hour of extra time, some hanging about must be taken into consideration, and then the penalties.

With a noon kick-off, I have that semi-final finishing close to 3pm or thereabouts.

So, roughly 52,000 football supporters will empty Hampden Park at the same time and by car, bus, foot and train make their way home or to the pub, just as Hearts fans begin to arrive in Glasgow and the first Celtic tops will be seen in and around the city.

Of course, should Rangers win, and this goes for Aberdeen, a pint or two will be on the agenda. The Southside will be a virtual no-no; not when 52,000 others are heading to the postcode they have only just vacated.

There are Rangers bars in Rangers areas of the city. But the centre is going to be a lively place. This is, after all, where the train and bus stations are.

Incidentally, at the time of writing, no train from Aberdeen on that Sunday morning would get anyone to Hampden on time.

Oh, and should the first semi-final go on, it would give Hampden Park Ltd three and a bit hours to clean up the mess left in the stands, surrounding areas, concords, toilets, suites and repair any damage to the seats.

Even if, say, Rangers are 5-0 up at half-time, the game would be done before 2pm and most Aberdeen fans would have parted – and this is the best case scenario in terms of logistics – it will give everyone, from cleaners to the police, perhaps another hour and 15 minutes to play with.

That seems like one hell of a job but also the best and biggest ever episode of Changing Rooms. On the face of it, this is madness. There are two few hours and too many people, many of whom having had a drink or ten, in too small a space.

However, the police say they can handle it. Hampden boast it’s doable. The clubs themselves appear happy enough. And serious trouble is genuinely a rarity in Scottish football. We get all hyped up about some would-be shame game and it carries off with a few arrests of people who could get themselves lifted while returning a library book.

But did anyone think of the supporters?

Hampden is a hard enough stadium to get to and from. Now imagine what it will be like with no-go zones, a huge police presence, being unable to take that usual shortcut home because that’s where the Hearts fans are being ‘kettled’ towards the stadium. And this is without mentioning what the pitch for game two will be like.

This had better work.