Stevie ful of faith in strong Hearts

FORMER Hearts star Stevie Fulton knows what it's like to have a footballing dream die at the home of your fiercest rivals - but reckons the current crop of players have what it takes to realise theirs this weekend.

The Gorgie club travel across the city to face Hibs on Saturday knowing that a victory would leave them within touching distance of a shot at the lucrative Champions League while Hibs are desperate for the points to boost their UEFA Cup chances.

Fulton, who was recently appointed as a part-time youth coach with the Jambos, was part of the Hearts team that faced Hibs in Leith near the end of the 1998 season as they challenged the Old Firm for the league title while their opponents were battling to avoid relegation - a fight they would eventually lose.

Jim Jefferies' side, that went on to write their way into Gorgie folklore by lifting the Tennent's Scottish Cup, knew that anything less than a win would see them all but ruled out of the championship battle.

But, after substitute John Robertson, below right, had cancelled out a Barry Lavety strike with a stunning free-kick, the visitors were hit on the counter-attack as they pushed for a winner with Kevin Harper delivering a knock-out blow to their title chances as Hibs triumphed 2-1.

This weekend it isn't the title that Hearts are vying for of course but rather they are trying to hold off the challenge of Rangers as they bid to win a place in Europe's premier club competition.

And Fulton, now 35, is confident that the class of 2006 can succeed where his side faltered.

"I suppose there are parallels because both games are near the end of the season and in both games there was an awful lot at stake," said Fulton.

"This time though both teams are trying to get into Europe and the weekend's result could go a long way to deciding what happens. I think the main difference for Hearts is that we were running on empty by that stage of the season and virtually everyone at the club was carrying some sort of injury or another but we just didn't have a big enough squad to rest people.

"That certainly isn't the case for the current Hearts side who could field a couple of teams no problem.

"We were a reasonably experienced team but not as experienced as this lot and I can't see them holding any fears about going to Easter Road.

"We were a couple of points behind going into that game and because we lost that was us really snookered for the league. We just ran out of legs.

"Because we were behind we knew that we had to win that game so there was probably more pressure on us than there is now on the current guys.

"They know that a draw would be a good result as Rangers have to go to Celtic Park the next day which will be very difficult for them.

"I reckon a draw would see Hearts virtually secure that second place and they definitely have the players capable of doing that as they have shown with their displays already this season.

"Hearts are in the driving seat and the way things have gone against Hibs they must be confident that they can go there and take at least a point, if not all three."

Fulton's displays from the centre of the park eight years ago were one of the main reasons behind his side exceeding all expectations and taking the title race down to the wire and the Jambos lifting the Scottish Cup.

And the player nicknamed 'Baggio' reckons another midfield man has been instrumental in this season's success.

"I've seen quite a lot of the Hearts games on television this season and they seem to blow teams away in the opening stages of matches," he said.

"They had a wee blip when Graham Rix came in and results suffered a wee bit but they seem to be back on course and they are playing well again.

"It's been a great season for them and one of the main reasons for that has been Paul Hartley who has been outstanding. He has so much energy and particularly recently he has been weighing in with some really important goals for the club.

"He's in the form of his life as Hibs found out in the last derby and if he is at the top of his game this weekend that will have a major say on who comes out on top at Easter Road." Fulton's playing days are now behind him after he hung up his boots at the end of last season and called time on a career that saw him turn out for Celtic, Falkirk, Hearts and more recently Kilmarnock and Partick Thistle.

He's now concentrating on trying to help the next batch of Tynecastle stars to come through the ranks while forging a career for himself as a coach.

And he admitted that while it's not something he ever envisaged doing, he's loving every minute of it.

"I hadn't ever really though about becoming a coach and it all just happened out the blue," he said. "I was in limbo really with my playing career over and then John Murray (Director of Hearts' Youth Academy) phoned me and asked if I would like to help out. At the moment I'm working with the under-12s two nights a week and I take them for a game while studying for my coaching badges. As an ex-pro I could have skipped a few of them but I wanted to do things right and started right from the bottom and have my first two now.

"Hopefully once I've finished them all I'll be able to become a coach full-time although whether that's with Hearts or somewhere else we'll have to see.

"I'm out at Riccarton where the facilities are great. We actually used to train there although back then it was just big open pitches so it's changed just a bit!

"But it's great to be back in the game, particularly with Hearts, and I'm grateful for the opportunity they've given me to return to Tynecastle."

Taken from the Scotsman