New hope for Falkirk: but no hope for Hearts

DOUGLAS CAMPBELL

3 May 1993

THE television flickered into life in Falkirk manager Jim Jefferies' room on Saturday evening, showing the Rangers people grinning from ear to ear after having again won the premier-division title.

"Walter looks pleased," the Brockville overseer said drily at the sight of his Ibrox counterpart with a microphone in his face.

But Jefferies, too, had much for which to work up a lather after having witnessed his men put six without reply past a dreadfully dreary Hearts team, a result that will send shivers down the spines of officials of the other clubs in the league's basement with the finishing post almost within touching distance.

Jefferies has gone on ad nauseam about how his team are too good to be relegated and how pleasant their play can be to the eye.

The problem has been, of course, that although Falkirk have been scoring

freely, opposing sides have had the habit of doing even better.

However, from the moment David Weir nodded his head at a corner kick to give the home side the lead in 33 minutes, it really was just a case of how many.

On the day, Hearts' defence looked to have the containing qualities of a colander and the ball hit their net at regular intervals, put there by Fraser Wishart, Brian Rice, Richard Cadette, and twice by Crawford Baptie who was making his first appearance with the big team for ages after a broken ankle.

Not surprisingly, Jefferies and his assistant, Billy Brown, were somewhat upbeat as they chatted about their men's work, claiming that Baptie was their secret weapon.

The tall one's participation, they hoped, would come as a shot in the arm to the club's players and followers as well as being a thorn in the side of Hearts, which of course, proved the case.

Falkirk impressed against Hearts -- it was just one of those days when everything their men attempted came off.

But before followers of the club cast the distasteful idea of relegation to the four winds, a little more work must be done.

Their team's splendid showing was met by a Hearts side that was a downright disgrace.

The men from the capital appeared to have no appetite whatsoever for their work and it should be looked upon with much relief that such a motley crew will not be representing the nation in European competition next season.

The Tynecastle following were in good voice, but their words were not of encouragement.

It appears that in their opinion Joe Jordan's efforts are just not good enough and the manager was yelled at with the idea that it perhaps would be best if he cleared his desk and sought employment elsewhere.

There were only vague mutterings from the normally lucid Jordan before he boarded the coach for home.

"There's not much to be said really," he claimed.

"Falkirk deserved to win, and this is certainly not the time or the place for me to give my view.

I will give my view to the players."

Rumours abound that the degree of job satisfaction that Jordan enjoys at Tynecastle is not all that it could be, but for the good of the club and supporters alike, the sooner he and chairman Wallace Mercer, holidaying at present on the Cote d'Azur, meet to plan for the future the better.

Meanwhile, Falkirk's remaining two matches fall neatly into the distinctly dangerous category.

Motherwell, also with a precarious footing on the premier-division gravy train, are to be visited on Saturday, and the men from Lanarkshire have had rather better of the exchanges in recent times.

Champions Rangers conclude Falkirk's season with a visit to Brockville.

Jefferies was at pains to emphasise that, in his mind, if Falkirk play to their potential they are a match for any side in the land.

In the following few weeks they will be given the opportunity to prove their

leader correct.

Walter Smith, the Rangers' manager, did look chuffed in the TV pictures from Broomfield, and all concerned with Falkirk will have fingers crossed that Jim Jefferies also will have something to smile about around five o'clock on Saturday week.

Taken from the Herald