Cup Final Diary.

WHAT A DAY! People ask me what this Cup win means, well I'll tell you. I've been waiting for this since I was BORN.

I went through every emotion at Parkhead yesterday. From the dejection of missing out to elation when we were two up and then the utter misery of waiting for that full-time whistle after Ally McCoist scored.

But the celebrations at the end - after the SFA eventually let me on - and lifting the Cup alongside Stevie Fulton made it all worthwhile.

I couldn't believe it when they weren't going to let me on the pitch to celebrate.

If they'd gone through the week I'd gone through they'd never have dreamed of doing that.

I mean I'm a true Jambo. Don't they know how much it hurt me not to play?

To be honest the whole day whizzed past.

Apparently, I SWORE on radio but I don't remember I was too busy looking for my dad in the stand.

It all started when I woke up in my room at Dunblane Hydro all alone. I had no room- mate because I wasn't playing.

And while some of the players went for a walk after breakfast this was perhaps the hardest part of my day.

All I could think about was that there was a Cup Final against Rangers looming and for the third time in two years I was missing out.

As I sat at lunch with the players I felt the disappointment welling up.

As we boarded the team bus to head for Parkhead you started to get that sense you were involved in a special occasion.

My mind drifted away to my pals from the pub at home.

Two double-deckers full of Jambos were leaving from Lasswade Rugby club.

I'm sure the boss included me in the official party to keep me out of trouble!

Nothing will do that. Let's just say that by the time you read this I may well have had a couple of orange juices.

GARY LOCKE has been cursed ever since he lasted just six minutes before a horror knee injury counted him out of the 5-1 1996 Scottish Cup Final defeat from Rangers.

Yesterday knee trouble KO'd the Jambos-daft skipper again. Here he opens his Heart to Mailsport on how he got through the day.

Taken from the Daily Record