Phil out to Stamp his authority
PHIL STAMP may have been around football for some time but the Hearts midfielder continues to be impressed by the passionate nature of the Edinburgh derby.
Before his arrival at Tynecastle 18 months ago, the Englishman had spent his entire career at Middlesbrough where he experienced his fare share of the north-east rivalry against Newcastle United and Sunderland.
But while football followers in the north of England may be renowned for their enthusiasm for the game, as far as Stamp is concerned they don’t come close to the punters whose passion makes the Capital showdown such a special occasion.
Stamp, of course, had a sensational introduction to the Hibs clash when he scored a dramatic late winner at Easter Road in November 2002 on his derby debut - and was then promptly sent off after picking up a second yellow card for celebrating with his own Hearts supporters!
It was a ridiculous decision by referee Willie Young and took the edge off what should have been a momentous occasion for the 28-year-old.
He was still able to savour the special atmosphere that day, however, and is hoping the winter sunshine on Leith will again cast the Jambos in a favourable light.
"The derbies up here are certainly different to the ones I was used to in England and are certainly a massive game for the supporters," he said.
"It is definitely more of a fans thing here and it’s all about them being able to go into work the next with their heads held high. There is certainly a lot more passion towards the derby. It is us against them, our fans against the Hibs’ fans and the players going at it for the 90 minutes.
"I enjoyed my first Edinburgh derby when I scored the winner and the target is to do it again on Sunday."
Stamp will be a key player in the middle of the park for the Gorgie outfit, with the Jambos keen to continue where they left off on Wednesday against Aberdeen when Steven Pressley’s late penalty secured three vital points for the home side at Tynecastle.
The victory helped Hearts edge five points clear of fourth-placed Dunfermline with a game in hand and Stamp believes the opportunity is there during the month of February to go on and make that third spot their own. After the Hibs game, Dundee United visit the Capital before the rearranged match against Livingston and a visit to East End Park to tackle the Pars.
It’s a period which could certainly shape the destiny of European qualification and Stamp said: "It was a massive win for us against Aberdeen as it put us five points clear of Dunfermline with a game in hand.
"We started off quite well but just couldn’t get a goal. The fans then got a bit frustrated and, to be honest, I started to think as if the goal wasn’t going to come.
"We had made lots of chances but spurned them all. I’d have put the mortgage on Mark de Vries scoring with a first-half header and there were a few other half chances which didn’t go in, either, and it was then you start to wonder if it’s going to be one of those days. But we stuck at it and got the three points in the end which was very important.
"The main thing against Aberdeen was the result and it was important that we responded after not playing well against Celtic in the Scottish Cup tie a few days earlier.
"The victory sets us up nicely for the Hibs game now. We defeated them last time we played them and we will be going out there trying to do it again.
"Our target is to close out that third place in the league and with another four games to come this month we will be looking to do ourselves a few favours by taking as many points as we can."
Stamp was disappointed to hear sections of the Hearts support turn on Robert Sloan during the Dons clash in midweek, the young winger having to endure a miserable 90 minutes. But the midfielder has echoed the sentiments expressed by his manager in yesterday’s Evening News, Levein having urged the fans to demonstrate a bit more tolerance when it comes to the performances of the club’s less-experienced players.
"Robert Sloan is a young lad with loads of ability," he said. "He is very talented but the fans have got to be more patient. It was a difficult game against Aberdeen, who had come to sit in and frustrate us for the most part but the bottom line was we won the game.
"The young guys won’t play every week and will be inconsistent when they do get a game. But the more they are criticised then the less confident they will be to try things.
"It is important they are allowed to play and express themselves."
Taken from the Scotsman
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