Heartsbreak as family flies in from Canada only to miss final

THE dreams of a Hearts fan who travelled all the way from Canada hoping to see three generations of his family at a Scottish Cup Final have been left in tatters.

Frank Young, 40, who moved from Penicuik, Midlothian, to Burlington, Ontario, 15 years ago, was devastated when he heard seats for the Hampden showdown had not been put on public sale and Hearts had allowed season ticket holders to buy three briefs each.

The father-of-two had already booked his family's flights to Scotland for a once-in-a-lifetime chance of attending the club's first final in eight years with his son Scott, seven, and father Frank snr, 69.

But three weeks ago he heard that Tynecastle chiefs would not be having a public sale for the match with the Second Division champions. The move, which allows the club's 12,500 season ticket holders to purchase three tickets each, has led to disappointment for hundreds of fans.

Mr Young, a lifelong Jambo who before emigrating attended every game for 15 years, arrived in Scotland yesterday with his son, wife Yvonne, 38, and daughter Rachel, three. He said: "I was totally gutted. Being a Hearts fan means there hasn't been many chances to get all three generations of our family to a cup final.

"My dad was at the final in 1956 and my son wasn't born in 1998. Because we are in Canada it will be the last chance to get all three of us along.

"My son is devastated. We had been putting off telling him because we knew how upset he would be. He's a total Jambo and his bedroom's covered in Hearts posters."

Mr Young, a retail manager, and his family have accepted they will have to watch the match at the home of his father, Frank snr, and mother Alison, 70, in Penicuik, where they are staying.

He said he had seen black market tickets selling for £130 but after paying out more than £1000 on air tickets, he can't afford them.

Mr Young added: "We only make it over every three years and manage to get to see a couple of games. My son has been to three or four, all at Tynecastle.

"Hearts was the biggest thing I missed when I moved away. I still watch them as much as possible on television."

Tickets for the Gretna end are now being sold on eBay for as much as £150 each, prompting renewed speculation that Hearts fans will buy tickets for seats among the opposition.

Hearts have sold 32,000 tickets while Gretna, which has a population of 3100, have shifted 12,000 briefs.

Andy Mitchell, of the SFA, said the issue of segregation was a "concern" and it was discussed at a meeting last night between the clubs, the police and the SFA.

He said: "Tickets for sale on eBay is a major frustration for all major matches. Partly because people are being forced to pay a lot more than the face value of the ticket, but also because of segregation issues."

But millionaire Gretna owner Brooks Mileson said he did not envisage any problems.

He said: "Some of our supporters who can't make it have brought them back but unfortunately you will always get people who want to make a profit.

"I think this will be one of the friendliest cup finals ever."

A spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police said: "Normal policing procedures will be in place."

The Evening News has been flooded with e-mails and phone calls from angry fans unable to buy tickets.

Dave Harley, of Corstorphine, who has attended Hearts games for 30 years, said: "Of course season ticket holders should get first shout but the so-called walk-up supporters are part of what is potentially a very large group of supporters."

Lifelong fan Jackie Robertson said: "My dad is now in his 70s and saw Hearts win in the 50s. I thought I'd take him to the last big match Hearts are likely to play before he's too old to go to Hampden, more fool me!"

Taken from the Scotsman