Raith dance away with points

RAY HEPBURN

20 Dec 1993

ONE stunning moment of adventure and opportunism by Raith Rovers' David Sinclair at Tynecastle on Saturday created a contrast as stark as night and day.

Behind Scott Thomson's goal Rovers' faithful 500 jigged their way out of the stadium, celebrating only their second away victory of their first premier division season. At the other end, a similar number of Hearts devotees were chanting for the blood of those who have been their partners in sport for over a decade.

The expectancy level of both groups is the key to their behaviour, and for the Edinburgh club and their custodians that will be forever a leaden legacy. Listening to the barrage of insults directed at anyone within screeching distance of the terracings gives an unsavoury insight into some of those who pay to enter through the Tynecastle turnstiles.

The indelible pictures of Dens Park in 1986, when the championship was wrestled from Hearts by Albert Kidd, flood back. But the tears and pride in red eyes have turned to bitterness.

Bitterness was hurled at players who worked tirelessly to appease their paymasters; venom was directed at fledgling manager Sandy Clark, who was a hero in a maroon jersey across Europe a few years ago; hatred was bellowed at chairman Wallace Mercer, who for personal fiscal reasons chooses to live 1200 miles away in France.

If all that sounds a rather bizarre scenario for an afternoon's relaxation and entertainment, the Fife lot in their joy reminded us that football is indeed a leisure activity. Nothing is expected of them, of course.

From the moment Maurice Johnston rattled a post after 14 minutes, there was an inevitable feel about the match, and the anger from the sidelines started to build.

There is no doubt that Hearts, with their injuries to key players and a fragile mix of youth and seasoned men, have problems aplenty.

It also is undeniable that their followers have the customers' right to voice their disapproval when they feel that scarce supplies of money are being badly spent. They are, however, generally described as supporters. Subjecting teenagers to Saturday's level of vitriol can in no way be recognised as support.

Perhaps they should have watched Raith's 500 and recalled the days in the early years of Hearts' rebirth 10 years ago, when they enjoyed Saturday afternoons, win, lose, or draw.

Taken from the Herald