Hearts steal a march on rivals

For most Premierleague sides, the road to Hampden takes longer than a 90-mile round trip in mid-August, but no-one can accuse Hearts of being slow to steal a march on their rivals this season. George Burley's high-flying side may harbour ambitions to return to the national stadium for a showpiece final this season, but a second-round CIS Insurance Cup tie away to Queen's Park must first be negotiated.

Burley's side continue to go from strength to strength, with their 2-0 victory over Aberdeen at the weekend moving them three points clear at the top of the table. Sustainability is the buzzword around Tynecastle in the run-up to their meeting with Rangers on September 24.

Billy Stark, manager of their third division opponents, knows all about taking a challenge to the Old Firm. As a youngster, he was part of the St Mirren side of 1979-80 who stayed in the hunt until the final month, before finishing third.

Then at Aberdeen, under Sir Alex Ferguson in the early to mid-80s, he was part of a team who finally managed to break the Old Firm's domination in league and cup competitions. He believes the Edinburgh side's greatest asset in their bid to emulate those achievements is their huge fanbase.

"I remember the 1986 Hearts team who lost it on the last day of the season. I was at Aberdeen at the time and it proved then, as now, the advantages of a vast travelling support. That ability to outnumber home fans cannot be underestimated.

"We had someone watching them against Dundee United and he said that the Hearts players actually looked a bit surprised by the huge travelling support. They were electrified by it and look what happened, they got off to a flyer in that game. They'll hopefully bring them tonight."

The perceived vulnerability of the Old Firm this season makes the case for Hearts all the more compelling. Stark says that maximising their resources is essential. "If Hearts can keep everyone fit, and Celtic and Rangers lose one or two key players, then that will be a great advantage.

"The big thing is that the new players have gelled very quickly, but the Scottish spine of Gordon, Pressley, Webster and Hartley has been so important. You couldn't write them off for sustaining a challenge this season.

If tonight's tie goes to form and the third division side fall on their sword then, in one sense, Stark will be the architect of his own downfall. It was the former St Johnstone manager who injected life into Paul Hartley's ailing career when he signed him in the summer of 2000 for £200,000 from Hibs and switched him to a central midfield role.

"I could see in him then what we're seeing now," reflects Stark. "Everyone was using him as a winger but he didn't have the discipline, so we moved him. He could play a range of passes as well as getting forward. It was an easier decision to make because we were in the first division and he could learn how to play the position out of the glare of the Premierleague.

"He was a great offensive player, but had to learn the defensive duties. He did that, and that's what prompted Hearts to take him. His contract was up and Craig Levein phoned to say he would be offering him a contract. It was a sore one because we had paid £200,000 for him and lost him for nothing."

At Queen's Park, Stark has been making quietly impressive progress, guiding them to fourth place in the third division last year. The promotion of Gretna, and, to a lesser extent, Peterhead last season, has created a more level playing field and another top-four finish this year would reap a greater reward.

"With the play-off places for second, third and fourth positions being introduced this season, if we finish in the same position again then we will be in there," said Stark.

"Naturally, we want to improve on last year. It's only three games into the season and a couple of teams – Berwick and Stenhousemuir – have maximum points. But they are miles off Gretna last year, who just ran away with it."

Of more pressing concern to Stark is working out how to contain the current best team in Scotland. "Obviously, we're overwhelming underdogs, but we want to show people that we can pass the ball well. We have to make sure we don't let ourselves down."

Off the park, the club are keen to raise their profile in the community and tonight's tie has offered them the perfect opportunity. "We've invited a lot of local organisations. We have put posters up in local shops and are trying to attract a few neutrals," said their new president, Garry Templeman.

"We've been asked for 14 directors box tickets from Hearts because all of their Lithuanian contingent are coming over and we are opening two sections of the ground. The first section is 3500 and we have the option for opening another 3500 section."

Hope springs eternal at Hampden.

There will be a reduced pricing structure for tonight's game, kick-off 7:45pm, of £15 and £5 concession.

Taken from the Herald