Gary Locke wants derby bragging rights over old Hearts pal Billy Brown

STUART BATHGATE
Published on Friday 16 March 2012 00:00

FOR many Hearts fans, a win in Sunday’s Edinburgh derby would mean a chance to celebrate at the expense of Hibs-supporting friends or colleagues. For Gary Locke, the Tynecastle club’s first-team coach, victory would mean something more personal – the opportunity to get one over on one of his biggest footballing influences, Billy Brown.

Former Hearts captain Locke spent much of his career working with Brown, and still keeps in regular touch with the man who was assistant manager to Jim Jefferies at the club. He hopes that the next time he makes contact, it will be to boast about the result of a match which will see the two in opposite dugouts at Tynecastle for the first time.

“Billy has been a big influence on my career, and I consider him as a close friend,” Locke said yesterday. “I speak to him regularly. Certainly most weeks I’ll phone him at some stage or Billy will phone me. I know his wife, Anne, very well as well. Hopefully, if I phone him next week, it’ll be me that’s got the bragging rights.”

Brown joined the Easter Road club last September, shortly after the first Edinburgh derby of the season. Six months on, Locke still struggles to get used to the sight of his friend in a Hibs tracksuit.

“It’s strange,” he said. “But he is a fantastic coach, fantastic assistant manager. “His knowledge is unbelievable, especially in the Scottish game. It certainly doesn’t surprise me that Hibs picked Billy to be their assistant.”

Initially assistant under Colin Calderwood, Brown now works with Pat Fenlon and the latter’s first-team coach Liam O’Brien. Locke believes Hibs have steadily improved since Fenlon was able to bring in a host of players on loan in the January transfer window, and expects Hearts will face a tougher game than they did at New Year, when they won 3-1 at Easter Road.

“Over the last few weeks Hibs have certainly looked a lot stronger. It’s no surprise to me, because as soon as I knew Billy was getting the job there I knew he would turn things around. Hibs have picked up under Pat and Billy. They’ve had a few good results recently, so this will be a different derby from the last couple.”

Hibs are four points clear of Dunfermline at the bottom of the SPL but a loss at Tynecastle on Sunday would harm their survival hopes. For Locke, however, any thought of adding to his rivals’ worries is secondary to his desire to pick up points which would take Hearts closer to securing a place in the top six.

“We don’t think about that,” he said when asked if Hibs position at the foot of the table was a motivating factor. “At the end of the day it’s most important that we try to win the game. The only thing that we’re thinking about is trying to get the three points to try to move ourselves up the table.”

Hearts are defending a nine-game unbeaten run in the fixture and, as a player, Locke enjoyed similar superiority over Hibs. There was a time when, as a lifelong Hearts supporter, he would take delight in that record, but these days he prefers to live in the present.

“I don’t really like speaking about that. It all happened years ago. The most important derby is this Sunday and that’s the only thing I’m concentrating on.

“Everything that’s happened is in the past. There’s no point in looking back the way – we’ve got to look forward.

“Pat and Billy have certainly made Hibs a stronger proposition. They’ve brought in a lot of players, a lot of good players at that. We have watched their last couple of performances and they are an improving side. They’re definitely a lot stronger defensively. It will be a really difficult game.

“They have a lot of quality. When you have a player of Garry O’Connor’s quality on the bench, you know you’ve got quality there. Leigh Griffiths has done very well in the last few games. He’s looking quite sharp. And he’s scored goals, so we’ll have to be wary of him.

“But we’re not going into too much depth with them. It’s more important that we concentrate on what Hearts do. If we can play to our capabilities then hopefully we can get a win.

“It’s a big game for us because if we can get three points then hopefully that will take us a step closer to consolidating a place in the top six. That’s what we’re aiming for.

“It’s three points at the end of the day but, just for my phone call to Billy through the week, it would be pleasing if we can manage to win.

“It will be a difficult game. We all know what’s at stake. Hopefully we can come out on top.”

Taken from the Scotsman