Martin Dempster, who covered Hearts for the Evening News during Jim Jefferies' first spell in charge, welcomes his return to Gorgie

Published Date: 30 January 2010
A MOTHERWELL fan recently told me he wouldn't welcome Jim Jefferies as their manager. I couldn't believe my ears and it made me angry to hear him say he didn't like Jefferies because he was "dour".

I've heard that said a few times since first coming across 'JJ' when he was the manager at Falkirk and nothing could really be further from the truth.

What's more important, though, from a Hearts point of view is that Jefferies is still a damn good manager and people like Walter Smith and John Hughes would be quick to add their weight to that opinion, no doubt.

It was a dream come true when the man who had supported Hearts as a boy, and then became the club captain, took over as manager at Tynecastle in 1995.

He'd initially said he wanted to stay at Falkirk but, after sitting with him in the boardroom at Brockville immediately after that announcement had been made, I could sense Jim was uneasy and, right enough, he was heading to Hearts the following day.

Over the next few seasons Jefferies and his trusty lieutenant, Billy Brown, took Hearts and their fans on an exciting journey that peaked at Parkhead on a glorious afternoon on 16 May, 1998, when the Tynecastle side ended a 36-year trophy drought by beating Rangers to lift the Scottish Cup.

What most people forget about that season was that the Jambos were also in the running for the SPL title until April, something that hasn't been managed by another club outside the Old Firm since then.

Hearts, quite simply, were a joy to watch at that time. No matter how many goals they conceded you always had the impression they could get at least one more.

Some of Jefferies' signings first time around were exceptional. He brought in the likes of David Weir, Colin Cameron, Steve Fulton and Neil McCann from other Scottish clubs and complemented them with a whole host of exceptional foreigners. Gilles Rousset, Thomas Flogel, Stefano Salvatori, Stephane Adam and, of course, Pasquale Bruno, all did outstanding jobs for Jefferies, as did the ex-Everton man, Neil Pointon.

Mixed in with all of them were young Scottish players such as Paul Ritchie, Gary Locke, Gary Naysmith and Allan Johnston, the latter surely regretting to this day his decision to leave Hearts too hastily to join French club Rennes.

Admittedly, Jefferies didn't get it right with all his signings, the likes of Gordan Petric and Fitzroy Simpson springing to mind as individuals who didn't quite reach the levels that were perhaps expected of them.

But no manager gets every decision right and, without a shadow of doubt, the majority of players 'JJ' brought to Hearts did a good job for him and, what's more, did the same for other clubs they subsequently moved to.

Unfortunately, it appears there will be little or no money for him to spend this time around but I doubt it can be worse than the conditions that he was working under at Kilmarnock.

Jefferies and Brown will have bounced back into Tynecastle like two excited young boys. They live and breathe football and I sincerely hope that that Motherwell fan is made to eat his words over the coming weeks and months.

It will be tough for them. Of course it will. But it's a challenge they'll be embracing and let's hope they are allowed to get on with the job.

In a few weeks time, a Hearts team led by Jim Jefferies could be up against Walter Smith's Rangers in a Cup Final. Now wouldn't that be interesting?

Taken from the Scotsman