BEST DAY OF OUR LIVES.

Born and bred Jambo Jim Jefferies yesterday ended his club's 36-year wait for a trophy and gasped: This is the best day of my life.

The jubilant Hearts chief got his tactics spot on as his hit and run troops sat in superbly and crafted a 2- 1 Tennents Scottish Cup Final win over Rangers.

And Jeff who has graduated from fan to player and now boss at Tynecastle said: "I knew nothing would compare to this, I told the players that and I was right.

"The last ten minutes were the longest I have ever had to endure but the final whistle? Well, like I say this is the greatest day of my life. To win a trophy with our resources is a huge achievement."

A first minute penalty from Colin Cameron and Stephane Adam's clinical second was enough for the Jambos to unleash unbridled joy among their fans at Celtic Park but the moment of triumph was almost WRECKED by stuffy SFA officials.

Crocked captain Gary Locke - who limped off after just six minutes of the 1996 Final when Gers won 5-1 - was desperate to get on the park and clutch the trophy he has longed for.

But a sickened Locke revealed: "There was a commotion in the tunnel because the SFA said the players who weren't stripped were NOT allowed on the park to celebrate.

"It was totally out of order but eventually they saw sense."

Locke strode on to accept the trophy as skipper and hoist it aloft jointly with Steve Fulton.

But he fumed afterwards: "I had to get our chairman and our manager in to help me and they still wouldn't let us on.

"I am Jambos-daft and not to get on to savour this day would have been a severe kick in the teeth. That's what happens. They don't know what it means to play the game.

"Luckily, radio guys down there like Davie Provan and Chick Young stuck up for us and we got on. It was the first time Chick has been a hero!"

Dejected outgoing Gers gaffer Walter Smith was left with tears for souvenirs as his club ended the season without a trophy for the first time in 12 YEARS.

And after being controversially denied a late penalty when sub McCoist tumbled under a David Weir tackle he groaned: "I'm sure that clears up the conspiracy theories after the campaign there was against ref Bobby Tait supposedly being biased towards us.

"TV showed Stevie Fulton was outside the box at their spot-kick but that's the way it goes. Refs like Willie Young do their job to the best of their ability and that's the way it will always be.

"I congratulate Hearts but the bad news for Scottish football is that this is as bad as it is going to get for Rangers. We will get better from here."

HEARTS will stage a massive Cup party in the streets of Edinburgh today as they parade their first trophy for 36 years in an open-top bus.

The celebrations will kick off at St Giles at 12.30 and the parade will take them from there via The Mound, along Princes Street to Haymarket.

From there they'll take the trophy home to Tynecastle and any fans looking to join the festival at the ground should be there for 2.45pm.

Taken from the Daily Record