JEFF'S AIMING FOR A REPEAT OF THE BEST MOMENT OF HIS LIFE

Feb 4 2005

By Neil Cameron

JIM JEFFERIES doesn't have to rack his brain much to relive the greatest moment of his career - the day he masterminded Hearts to Scottish Cup glory.

Even after he finishes with football, all the hype, tension, relief and sheer delight of that famous victory over Rangers in 1998 will stay with him.

Now Jefferies would love to do the same with Kilmarnock. But first he would have to knock out the Jambos at Tynecastle in one of the ties of the fourth round. He said: 'Winning the Cup was my best day in football.

'Being a Hearts fans and a player, I knew what it meant to the supporters.

'When we drove back along theM8we were met by a police escort and the policemen were dancing on their motorbikes. Even the firemen were dancing on their engines - I'm just glad there wasn't a fire.

'That was the last time a team outwith the Old Firm won the Cup and over the past 15 years it has become a lot harder for the rest of us to do that.

'It's why I would love to do the same with Kilmarnock. They did it under Bobby Williamson in 1997 and it was fantastic.

'And the Kilmarnock fans know I now want to beat Hearts because we want to win the Cup.'

Jefferies knows all about the man who is now in charge of Hearts, John Robertson, and revealed that the Tynecastle legend put the team before his own glory on that memorable day.

He said: 'There were a few minutes to go and I was going to put John on but he told me not to bother because the team was the most important thing.

'For me, that sums him up because it was to be his last game for Hearts.'

But now Jeffries wants Killie to end Hearts' Cup hopes for this season, days after their CIS Cup heartache.

He said: 'Hearts did well against Motherwell on Tuesday and will be devastated not to go through. But that could push them on and it's a difficult game for us.'

Killie received good news before the tie when teenager striker Steven Naismith signed on until 2008.

The18-year-old is eligible to play for Wales but has pledged his future to Scotland.

Taken from the Daily Record