NY Tartan Day chief is up for the Cup Final

A LEADING light in New York's Tartan Day celebrations has arrived in Scotland to cheer on Hearts at today's cup clash.

Ed Collins, president of the American city's Tartan Day Committee, will be a guest of former Edinburgh Lord Provost Eric Milligan when Valdas Ivanauskas' men take on Gretna.

Mr Collins, 42, has followed the Jambos' fortunes ever since a visit to Edinburgh in 1995 when a friend took him along to a league match at Tynecastle.

The Brooklyn native saw the men from Gorgie suffer heartache at the hands of Rangers at the National Stadium the following year as the Scottish Cup reached its climax - but he returned to see Hearts finally lift the trophy at Celtic Park in 1998.

A former president of the New York St Andrew's Society, Mr Collins has even personalised his car registration plates to "Jambo 1" to reflect a Hearts' theme.

"There's about a dozen bars in New York where I can watch Hearts matches," he said today.

"I'm sure there are many other Hearts supporters in the city and they'll all be hoping for the best."

Taken from the Scotsman