Humble Gretna out to capture the Hearts

A Biblical flavour to Saturday's Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park should not surprise. In the maroon corner are Hearts, born again under Vladimir Romanov, the Russian-Lithuanian banker who used the club's match programme to deliver a Christmas encyclical on the subject of "agents, journalists, jealous hangers-on or other wunderkinds," driven on by "the Devil…on their road to Hell."

In the black and white corner - certainly at Hampden Park, where he prefers to spectate with the fans rather than lounge in the VIP seats - is the equally evangelical Gretna owner, Brooks Mileson, who also preaches the gospel.

"We have got good people at Gretna. There is quite a powerful Christian ethic about the club because there are a few of us who have strong faiths," he said.

All of which constitutes a significant contrast to the customary presence of one or other - or both - of the Old Firm clubs in Scottish football's showpiece game.

True, when Rangers and Celtic are involved, the names of the Pope and the Head of the Church of England are frequently invoked, but usually in tandem with an impossible reproductive function.

The early departure of the Glasgow pair was mourned by few outside their own ranks. Instead a parable of the talents emerged - as well as a study in differing styles. Of course, it is easier for a rich man to enter football heaven than it is for a camel to do its thing with the needle, and Romanov and Mileson have each laid up a fair store of earthly treasure, but both men have seen prophecies fulfilled.

"We will rival the Old Firm," said Romanov when he arrived at Tynecastle. Hearts have done a Red Sea number on the Glasgow duopoly, parting it to arrive dryshod on the shores of Champions League qualification.

Gretna are more your humble labourers in the vineyard, although envious teams in the lower Scottish divisions covet their neighbours' riches - and denounce them, in a fashion which provokes multi-millionaire Mileson into a reaction which is anything but divinely forgiving.

"People think that Rowan Alexander [the Gretna manager] has only achieved what he has because of my money - well, excuse me, but that's a lot of f***ing sh**e!" he exclaims. "There isn't a player here whose salary is remotely near £1,000 a week.

"We've done it mainly on free transfers. Steve Tosh is the only one who cost a transfer fee. What we did was to offer security in the form of three-year contracts to players who were not getting those sort of deals anywhere else."

Like Romanov, who this week railed against the British fixation with work rate and the 4-4-2 formation, Mileson wants to banish orthodoxy. "Not one of the players we signed was at a level of fitness that satisfied us - if you look at them now, they're a different shape."

As are both clubs. At Hampden, however the drama unfolds, the presence of Romanov and Mileson will guarantee one certainty.

A Passion Play.

Taken from telegraph.co.uk