Smith remains defiant

How the managers reacted to Hearts' triumph

AN hour after Hearts had won the Scottish Cup, two grey-haired figures sat at the front of the directors box at Celtic Park, looking out across the deserted stadium. Few words were exchanged. Walter Smith and Archie Knox, his assistant, quietly contemplated the end of their reign. For the first time in 12 years, Rangers had failed to win a major trophy.

Smith, who will be succeeded as manager by Dick Advocaat on July 1, had earlier provided words of caution for anybody tempted to suggest that Rangers' domination of Scottish football is over. "The bad news for the rest of Scottish football is that this is as bad as it gets, because Rangers will be better in the next few seasons."

Smith admitted it was a disappointing way for his career at Ibrox to end: "We had the worst possible start, with Hearts scoring early, but then we dominated almost the entire match.

"We created chances, but we missed them and that was our downfall. But you have to give credit to Hearts. There was not a lot we could do about it."

Smith, having studied television pictures of the penalty Rangers conceded and the penalty claim turned down by Willie Young, the referee, when Ally McCoist was fouled late in the game, returned to a subject which has long occupied managers' of the Old Firm: "I think anybody looking at the pictures will see that there is no bias towards Rangers in any way. The referee controlled the game fairly and television pictures seemed to show McCoist was just outside the box, so you have to agree with that."

Richard Gough, the departing club captain, was struggling to cope with emotions which have seldom been a regular part of life for players at the Ibrox club: "This is the second week in a row I've found myself congratulating another team and that's not the way it has been over the last nine years, fortunately."

Gough viewed the game, which finally ended his Rangers career, as a disappointing one, but only he and Rangers fans were complaining about that. Hearts were happy just to claim the silverware.

"There are breaks you need to win a Cup and Hearts had them today, but we have had our fair share in the past. For me, it's been a terrible way to end my Rangers career, but over the years there has been so much success. I think it will be very difficult for Advocaat to match Walter Smith, but it is a new era and I just hope the new team is half as successful as we have been."

Taken from timesonline.co.uk