The Scottish FA Cup was played for the 24th time in 1896/97 . The most important Scottish football cup competition, which was directed and hosted by the Scottish Football Association, began on January 9, 1897 and ended with the final on March 20, 1897 in Hampden Park in Glasgow . Heart of Midlothian started as defending champion in the competition, which had prevailed in the previous year's final against Hibernian Edinburgh in the Edinburgh Derby and won the title for the second time since 1891 . In this year's final of the Scottish Cup, the Glasgow Rangers and the second division FC Dumbarton faced each other. With a 5-1 victory, the Rangers won the Scottish FA Cup for the second time in their third appearance in the final after 1877 and 1894 . The FC Dumbarton lost for the sixth playoff participation for the fifth time after defeats in the years 1881 , 1882 , 1887 and 1891 . Only in 1883 was the team successful. The Rangers were third in the Scottish Championship in the 1896/97 season behind Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian Edinburgh. The FC Dumbarton finished last in Division Two and also withdrew his team at the end of the season from the second-highest division and took over the amateur status. It was only in 1905 that the club returned to the professional Scottish Football League .
Jim Miller (42.)