EDINBURGH city centre came to a virtual standstill yesterday as 100,000 people lined the streets to cheer the Scottish Cup-winning Hearts team.

The players, backroom staff, chief shareholder Vladimir Romanov and supporters were jubilant - but also mightily relieved.

They had to endure a Hampden penalty shootout after Second Division champs Gretna battled for a 1 - 1 draw.

The Tennent's Cup victors arrived at the council HQ on the Royal Mile just after 1.30pm for a civic reception.

Lithuanian multi-millionaire Romanov was first off the bus.

As he walked into the City Chambers, he could not resist vaulting on to the back of one of the 94 brightly coloured fibreglass cows scattered across Edinburgh for the Festival.

If the Hearts fans had been partying hard, the T-shirt printers had been burning the midnight oil. Many supporters sported tops boasting of their team's success less than 24 hours before.

Some said: "Romanov Revolution phase one, Scottish Cup 2006."

Heroes

The open-top bus carrying the Hearts party from the City Chambers to Tynecastle took more than an hour to crawl the two miles down the Mound, along Princes Street and Gorgie Road.

The crowds in Princes Street rivalled in size those of the Hogmanay street party.

Fans were on top of I walls, bus stops, embankments, any-where they could get a better view of their heroes, led by captain Stephen "Elvis" Pressley.

At Tynecastle, players were individually introduced to the adoring support to huge cheers.

But a wall of sound erupted as Pressley strode out clutching the cup.

He told them: "It was a very special day, not just for me, but for my family and supporters and everyone connected with the club.

"I'm looking at the stand and I saw my mother was crying.

"Her little boy has lifted the trophy. Thank you, everyone."

Special guests Romanov were Russian sailors who tackled an explosion on a nuclear submarine in 1961. In 1968, Romanov - then a Soviet navy conscript - served on the same vessel.

As the faithful trooped out of the ground, it was clear an early night was the last thing they had on their mind.

Still wearing his Elvis wig, outrageous sunglasses and medallion, Bob Burnett, 51, from Dalkeith, Midlothian, said: "I think the secret of keeping going is not to stop.

"It was a scary and difficult game and all credit to Gretna. A few vodkas helped relieve the tension."

Gordon Hay, 43, who waited outside the City Chambers with his three-year-old daughter Sarah, summed up the mood of the crowd:

He said: "I felt that Hearts were pretty poor compared with the way they've played earlier in the season.

"Gretna were well up for it and put up a great show. Fair play to them, and our players looked tired.

"Aside from Hearts supporters, everyone else in the country was praying for a Gretna win."

For Mike Shorts, 47, the one member of the Shrewsbury Hearts Supporters Club, the penalty shootout was not the only' nightmare.

He said: "I missed ! my flight by five I minutes so I had to pay for another.

"It's cost me hun-I dreds but I'll gladly shell out that every year I we get into a final."

Meanwhile, it was children's day in Gretna yesterday - and club owner' Brook Mileson was guest of honour at a post-match party for more than 100 youngsters.

It was a fitting end to a top weekend for the mini Gretna FC supporters, who had attended the cup final as guests of the millionaire . As he arrived at the town's social club, next to Raydale Park, he was given a tumultuous welcome .

There were more cheers as the auctioned i his official cup final I jacket, his Hampden pass and his ticket for the match in aid of a youth project.

Taken from the Daily Record