Fans are the big winners at Tynecastle

Ray Hepburn

26 Dec 1992

FESTIVE football in the Capital will be enhanced today with Lothian and Borders Police welcome snoopers at Tynecastle, where Partick Thistle are the visitors.

The fans of both sides have been asked to turn up in fancy dress and, through their security cameras, the police surveillance team will select the winners.

The winners on the pitch should not be too difficult to pick if Hearts reproduce their form of last week against Celtic and add a touch of clinical steel.

"We played better than we were given credit for against Celtic, but if there is one criticism is was our failure to finish the game when we had the chances," reflected manager Joe Jordan.

"In too many games this season we've gone ahead but failed to kill off the opposition.

A second goal completely changes the nature of the game."

Fancy dress or not, Firhill fans at each end of the age spectrum can enjoy a Boxing Day bargain.

Youngsters and pensioners in both camps will be charged just £1 for admission.

Thistle, who caused Hearts so many problems when the teams met in August, will not have to face a full-strength Edinburgh team.

Ian Baird and Tosh McKinlay are both suspended and, while Peter van de Ven should have recovered from a back knock, last week's match-winner, Ian Ferguson, may find his foot problem still a little tender.

Hibernian travel to Falkirk with just three victories in 16 games to commend their form, and although that statistic may read harsh, it reflects a period of uncertainty.

Alex Miller has not been assisted by a series of injuries, although excessive wallowing in self-pity ignores the fact that most premier division teams have endured the same.

David Beaumont and Pat McGinlay are missing from today's line-up at Brockville, while Mickey Weir, Darren Jackson and Keith Wright have all been nursing injuries.

Even with that catalogue of doubt Miller prefers not to introduce youth.

"It would be unfair to our younger players to bring them in when the team is not firing," he explained.

* CRYSTAL Palace manager Steve Coppell plans to play Santa Claus by handing out a belated Christmas gift.

Coppell aims to bring Palace success so that fans flood through the Selhurst Park turnstiles and provide hard cash for a wages boost.

Chairman Ron Noades and all the Selhurst non-playing staff recently took a 10% pay cut as an economy measure.

"My ambition is to take Palace up the league and get people back the money they lost through taking a pay cut," said Coppell.

The revival has been launched with a five-match unbeaten run and four successive wins.

So Palace approach their vital relegation battle against tenants Wimbledon today with confidence.

Taken from the Herald