CUP IS CUMMING BACK TO GORGIE; Hero John tips Hearts.

By SAMANTHA LEE

OLD TIMER John Cumming has seen his beloved Hearts enjoy a remarkable season.

And the ex-Jambos captain, the last man at Tynecastle to lift the league title, is sure they can end it on a victorious note.

Hearts' last meeting with Rangers in the Scottish Cup final in 1996 ended in a disastrous 5-1 mauling by the Ibrox men.

But, after seeing Jim Jefferies' revolution at Gorgie Road, 68-year-old Cumming is quietly confident for this Saturday.

He said: "Although the league passed them by, the Scottish Cup is a different matter.

It is all on the day and I believe they have the bottle to go out and grab themselves some well-deserved glory."

Cumming knew the glory days at Hearts.

The left back played 612 games for the Jambos without a single booking to his name despite his reputation as a hard tackler.

He skippered the boys in maroon to two league titles, four League Cups and a Scottish Cup between 1954 and 1962.

He lifted the Scottish Cup in 1956 when the Jambos beat Celtic 3-1 in front of a 133,399 Hampden crowd.

Ridiculous

John said: "That was a great day.

And what a crowd but in those days people got their money's worth.

"Football today is big business and the price of tickets is ridiculous.

"There is also the factor that players are on different wages.

"There were 39 professionals at the club in my time and we all got exactly the same.

"You've got to think that, if you are going to get the big money, then you have to go for glory yourself.

"We were a team who worked for each other and the name on the scoresheet didn't matter."

In fact Cumming took a cut in wages to join Hearts from his previous job as a miner.

His pounds 14-a-week down the pits was reduced to pounds 10 with a pounds 3 win bonus.

He added: "I also feel the football was far more attractive.

"We played in a W formation which meant everyone at the back knew their job and the wingers were allowed to go forward and get in the box.

"Nowadays they play 4-4-2 and the ball gets knocked up the park, by-passing the midfield.

"The old formation meant there was more space to run into which made for a more exciting and attractive game of football."

Cumming is still a Tynecastle regular and is a keen follower of football across the globe.

But he feels attractive football will not win Hearts the Cup.

He said: "Aberdeen did a good job against Rangers the other week because they stopped them playing their own game.

"It wasn't an attractive game but it was effective.

"They shut down Jorg Albertz and never gave him a chance to run at them.

Sniff

"The midfield did nothing that day and that meant Ally McCoist and Brian Laudrup didn't get a sniff of the ball."

Cumming will also be carefully monitoring Scotland's progress this summer from his home in Carluke, Lanarkshire.

He made 20 appearances for his country, including two against England, and feels Craig Brown's men have a tough task ahead.

He said: "It is going to be an interesting World Cup.

Scotland had a couple of bad games in the warm- up against Norway but I must say the Norwegians are not bad players.

They keep possession.

"Like Brazil they have a lot of movement off the ball and that is what it's about.

Keep possession and have a lot of patience and look for an opening.

Composure

"I like to watch the Germans as well.

They are a team with a lot of composure and discipline about them.

"Italy are good skill-wise but are a bit temperamental.

"But Brazil are still the team.

These lads were brought up kicking balls bare feet in the streets and that is what football is about to them - skill.

"Scotland are too slow, they will need to get themselves into a fitness routine."

Cumming knows all about gruelling regimes.

Hearts used an army trainer in his day.

He said: "The game was rarely stopped and, if there was a foul, the referee would shout 'Smith one' and we would make sure we went in hard on the next opportunity and the referee would shout 'Cumming equal' - that was how it was sorted out.

"We wouldn't roll about on the floor looking for free-kicks or moaning about bookings."

Cumming feels the young blood at Hearts will be the telling factor in the Cup final.

He added: "Hearts have great young Scots lads in Gary Naysmith and Paul Ritchie and the final will be a big occasion for them.

"But they are wise lads and have their heads screwed on right.

"They will be desperate for some sort of reward after their great season and I feel it will be the spirit and commitment from these lads which will lead Hearts to victory."

Obscene

Freddie Glidden also played in the 1956 Cup-winning side and he recalls his pounds 100 bonus worked out at exactly pounds 66 three shillings and fourpence after tax.

He said: "We played for the love of the game.

When you see what footballers earn nowadays, it's obscene and is killing football.

"The real reward for us that day was picking up the Scottish Cup.

That's what mattered."

A third member of that team, Bobby Kirk, added: "I see Neil McCann as the potential match-winner, he's good enough to cause the Rangers defence all sorts of problems."