Celtic connection is in full swing

BARRY ANDERSON

A TREND was bucked in 1985 when John Colquhoun defected from the east end of Glasgow and headed for the west end of Edinburgh, his move from Celtic to Hearts being somewhat against the norm of that era.

Whilst people like Alex MacDonald, Sandy Jardine, Iain Ferguson, Dave McPherson, Alan McLaren, Gordon Durie and Gordan Petric have helped in fostering the myth that there lies an unofficial link between Ibrox and Tynecastle, Colquhoun opposed the flow to an extent by blazing a trail to Gorgie from the other half of the Old Firm.

Contrary to public opinion, the intervening years have shown that several have plodded, in one direction or the other, along Colquhoun's path. Steve Fulton, via Bolton and Falkirk, found himself clad in maroon in 1995 having been formulated as a footballer at Parkhead, and wrote himself into Hearts folklore three years later with a Scottish Cup final win which ironically occurred at his former workplace.

Tosh McKinlay took the opposite route west along the M8 when Celtic paid £350,000 for a new left-back in 1994, and more recently Stephane Mahé and Mark Burchill have done their bit to maintain inter-city relations between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Paul Hartley, the ink on his new contract just about dry in Phil Anderton's filing cabinet, does not look likely to follow suit. An injury to Stilian Petrov or the big-money transfer of the influential Bulgarian in January may see that change with Celtic manager Gordon Strachan a keen admirer of the Scotland midfielder, but at the moment Colquhoun is relishing the prospect of reclining in his seat at Celtic Park on Saturday and watching Hartley set about toppling the club he supports in an arena he loves to perform in.

"Paul could not be more motivated than he is at the moment," said Colquhoun. "His improvement over the last couple of seasons has been astonishing. He won't give the fact that he is playing Celtic a second thought because he will be happy to have signed his new deal at Hearts. All that will interest him will be stretching that lead at the top of the table.

"I'd like to have a prediction for this one but, having played for both clubs, I'm going to go along and just take it all in because I'm really looking forward to the game. I can't remember having looked forward to so many Hearts games as I have this year. I'm sure the supporters are the same. Normally I'm not all that passionate at matches, but the atmosphere at this one will be fantastic.

"It's important for Hearts that [Edgaras] Jankauskas gets to hold the ball in, it's important that Paul does exactly what he's been doing all season, and it's important that the defence hold it together.

"This is the most eagerly awaited Celtic-Hearts game for a long time, in the same way that the Hearts-Rangers game at Tynecastle was because that was the first real test Hearts would get.

"They swept Hibs aside a little bit in the derby but Rangers and Celtic are the barometer for any Scottish club. Hearts have had one test at home against one of the Old Firm, passed it, now comes another one away to the other half of the Old Firm.

"If they were to get a result on Saturday, then the next examination comes when they go to Easter Road, which is as hard a place as any for a Hearts player to play."

Colquhoun has experienced precisely the emotions that both sets of players will endure on Saturday as they step out of the Parkhead dressing-rooms and head down the tunnel. He's been the confident Celtic winger eager to get the ball down and run at a full-back in front of his own support. He's also been the trepidation-filled visitor cautious of the potential for embarrassment in the heat of an Old Firm cauldron.

"Hearts will have a different mentality to what they may have had in the past because they have a confidence which you very rarely have going to Parkhead or Ibrox," continued the footballer-turned-agent. "So they will be thinking only of going to compete with Celtic and they will believe they can win.

"I've spoken to people at Tynecastle and they are full of genuine belief. A lot of times Hearts players go through to Glasgow, and we did this when I played, hoping to get a result. This time I think they will go there believing they will get a result, which is a massive difference.

"Celtic will be aware of the threat Hearts pose, but I reckon they will see that as a challenge. It would have been a different game if it had come round a month ago, but for me Celtic have improved a lot over the last month as the manager has settled down and the players have started to play in the manner he desires."

There was no necessity for an early period of composure at Tynecastle, of course, as George Burley gathered his conglomerate of new, and largely unknown, talent back in July and instructed them to attack all opposition almost at will, the result being a barrage of early-season goals. Profligacy in front of goal has no place in a side harbouring championship aspirations, and the tendency to be wasteful in front of the rigging at Parkhead or Ibrox is, as Colquhoun can testify, akin to blasphemy.

"Saturday is not the be all and end all because the league is not going to be decided in October, but from Hearts' point of view it will let people know if they are going to be real challengers. If you are away from home it's always that bit tougher, and this will be the first time a lot of the Hearts players have played at Celtic Park.

"The home fans will be keyed up for this game. With the greatest of respect, they often just go along and expect to watch a precession towards the opposition goal, but I expect them to get right behind their team because this game has an extra edge to it. There is no way Celtic can afford to slip six points behind Hearts with the power and presence at George Burley's disposal. George will know his side can match Celtic in the physical sense which, for many years whilst Celtic were under Martin O'Neill, wasn't the case.

"All it took was one great delivery into the box and one great run from Sutton, Hartson, Balde, Varga and you knew you were chasing the game. In that sense I think it's important that Takis Fyssas plays.

"He is a big player for Hearts and gives terrific balance, but physically he is an asset in both boxes. You need that when you go through to Celtic and Rangers."

You also need a smattering of temerity which wasn't always evident during Colquhoun's time in maroon. Detecting some from Hearts on Saturday would emphasise the change in times.

Taken from the Scotsman