Charnley envious of St Mirren's Hampden chance

Chic Charnley will keep away from Rangers coach Kenny McDowall ahead of Sunday's Co-operative Insurance Cup final at Hampden in case he jinxes St Mirren's chances of glory.

Celtic supporter Charnley was a team-mate of McDowall at the Paisley club in the early 1990s and keeps in touch via ticket requests for Old Firm games. The former Partick, Dundee and Hibernian midfielder laughed as he admitted he will not be making any phone calls this week.

"I'm a pal of Kenny McDowall and he gets me tickets for Old Firm games," he said. "Every time I call him leading up those games I always wish him all the worst. Kenny will say, 'Thanks for doing that because Rangers always go out and win'. So I'm definitely not phoning him before this cup final."

Despite a colourful career which spanned almost two decades, Charnley never managed to play in a Hampden final.

He recalled how he was subject of some teasing about that fact by another Ibrox coach, Ally McCoist.

He said: "A few former players and myself were working in the warm-up area at Hampden with kids one day.

"McCoist was assistant with Scotland at the time and looked in, seen me and said, 'I see you've got to play at Hampden then Chic'.

"So I envy these St Mirren players.

"It must be magic to play at Hampden - I don't think I even played against Queen's Park there."