Want the latest Scottish sport news sent straight to your inbox? Join thousands of others who have signed up to our Record Sport newsletter. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

THREE of this weekend’s four Scottish Cup semi-finalists face losing their historic club crests over a bonkers ancient law that bans badges.

Rangers, Hibs and Dundee United will be striving to write another chapter in their history at Hampden today and tomorrow - but it’s off the park where the battle to preserve one of their most cherished traditions will be fought.

A 16th Century law gave the Court of the Lord Lyon responsibility for prosecuting anyone who uses unauthorised arms.

The ancient society has declared war on Scottish football clubs that use heraldic symbols on their crests such as crowns, a lion rampant, bricks (castellation) which look like a turret above a shield or flag. The Saltire and a town’s Coat of Arms are also forbidden.

In Rangers’ case that would outlaw the Lion Rampant on their familiar Aye Ready crest, but the blended RFC letters on the shirts is ok. United would face the same issue with the Lion on their badge.

While Hibs could be flouting the archaic rules on a number of scores with their Coat of Arms-style depiction of a castle on top of a shield.

Airdionians have already changed their club badge last year to avoid legal action and Ayr United will follow suit from the 2017 season after agreement was reached on short term dispensation.

But now a string of other SPFL clubs are understood to be in the sights of the Court of Lord Lyon - which has its own Procurator Fiscal - including the three cup semi-finalists plus Dundee, Hamilton Accies, St Johstone and East Fife.

Last year fans group Supporters Direct Scotland launched a petition that gained 1500 signatures calling for the historic legal loophole to be changed.

But that has fallen on deaf ears withing the Scottish Parliament and yesterday the organisation spoke out calling for action to be taken before countless clubs are targeted.

Andrew Jenkin, head of Supporters Direct Scotland, said: “We’re at a floodgates point at which this could easily spiral out of control.

(Image: Paul Devlin/SNS)

“Some of the best known and easily identifiable symbols of football in Scotland could be lost forever because of an archaic rule which serves to protect nobody.

“Our clubs deliver thousands of hours of community support across the country each year. Our league is one of the best attended per head of population in Europe and Scotland supporters are regarded across the world.

“We’ve seen time after time that Scottish football can be a real force for good.

“We recognise that this is a complicated issue, and strictly speaking is not devolved to the Scottish Government.

“But we hope after the election this is a matter that a future administration will take extremely seriously and support our efforts to find a resolution.

“This may include assessing the viability of introducing legislation to protect the identity of clubs and their assets such as crests, colours and stadiums as they are really important to community identity.”