John Hughes

I'D LOVE TO BE FIRST TO BEAT MY OLD PAL GEORGE'S HEARTS

PLAYERS are only human and my lot would love to see Falkirk beat Hearts on live TV this Sunday so they can claim to be the first SPL side to burst the Jambos' ever-expanding bubble.

I played with George Burley for a short while when Jim Jefferies brought him to Falkirk to boost our bid for promotion from the First Division.

George had lost his job as manager at Ayr United and he was also suffering from a knee problem at the time, but what a first-class professional he was for us.

He'd be in first every morning so that he could loosen up his knee onan exercise bike before training started and everyone was impressed by his quiet demeanour.

There's a lot of talk inside the game about who really pulls the strings at Tynecastle Vladimir Romanov or the manager.

But I know there'll only be one man in charge of Hearts and that's the manager. I met George at a reserve game between Berwick Rangers and Hearts at the start of the season and I asked him how he thought his season would go.

He told me I should ask him again two weeks later By that time the foreign signings had started to flood in and Heartswereon their way.

I'd dearly love to beat them, but only for the reason that I want three points for Falkirk. It's got nothing to do with being from Leith and supporting Hibs.

I think Hibs raised the bar in Edinburgh with their style of play last season, and now Hearts have started in a way I couldn't have forecast before a ball was kicked in anger.

We're going to enjoy a game that'll take care of itself because of the media attention it'll attract.

And nobody's getting more stick than Alan Gow.

He scored against Celtic and then ripped off his shirt to reveal that rippling torso of his.

Now the photograph from Record Sport is on our dressing room wall and the rest of the players are giving him pelters about being a pin-up for the ladies.

But to my way of thinking that's the way a professional footballer's body should look if he's taking proper care of himself.

Hard work will be the recipe for any success we have at Falkirk and the players also have to remember that they have nothing to lose against Hearts at home.

My guess is Hearts will still be top of the table by Christmas.What happens after that will largely be determined by what kind of moves they make during the transfer window.

But somewhere along the way the pressure of the unknown could start to get to them.Being at the top of the table and fighting to stay there is away of life to Celtic and Rangers.

Hearts haven't had a run like this for 20 years, so they might have a wobble through lack of familiarity.

Hopefully it'll be against us on Sunday

Taken from the Daily Record