Hearts have chance to make amends for Dens Park flop in all-Edinburgh Scottish Cup final, says Kenny Black
On May 3, 1986, Kenny Black and his Hearts team-mates travelled to Dens Park needing a solitary point against Dundee in order to become champions.
Ewing Grahame

10:30PM BST 16 Apr 2012

Unbeaten in all competitions since the previous September, the Edinburgh club were odds-on favourites to take the title for the first time since 1960.

However, two goals from Celtic-supporting midfielder Albert Kidd (the first coming just seven minutes from time) gave the home side a 2-0 victory and allowed Celtic, who won 5-0 away to St Mirren, to pip them for the championship on goal difference.

Supporters and players alike wept on the touchline at the final whistle and Black, now assistant-manager of Motherwell, argues that next month’s Scottish Cup final against city rivals Hibernian will be the most significant 90 minutes the Jambos will have faced since that fateful afternoon over quarter of a century ago.

“This is easily the biggest game Hearts will have played since that day at Dens,” he said.

“So much will be at stake. The very fact it’s a derby and that there’s a trophy up for grabs guarantees that.

“Hibs can win the Scottish Cup for the first time since 1902 but it would mean so much to those Hearts supporters to stop them from doing it and then parade the Cup themselves down Gorgie way.

“Just reaching the final was a marvellous achievement for Hearts because I think that everyone fancied Celtic to beat them on Sunday.

“Personally, I always feel that it’s a breath of fresh air for Scottish football when you have two clubs from outside the Old Firm in a final.”

Black, however, hopes that his former club appreciate that they need to do more than simply show up at Hampden on May 19 in order to prevail.

“For Pat Fenlon to reach a final in his first season in this country – and not even a full season – is a major feat,” he said.

“Hibs have had a poor season but no-one will remember the long battle against relegation if they win the Cup.

“First and foremost, Pat will want to ensure that they stay in the SPL but I don’t think there’s enough time left for Dunfermline to catch them.

“In any case, in the five matches that are left there will be Cup final places up for grabs at both clubs and that should guarantee that the performances are at a high level between now and Hampden.

“When Motherwell reached the final last year we just didn’t turn up and that made it easy for Celtic. That was a huge disappointment for Stuart McCall and myself but maybe the fact this is a derby will make that less likely to happen to either side this time.”

Meanwhile, Hearts deprived Celtic of a six-figure payday when they defeated Neil Lennon’s side in Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden but owner Vladimir Romanov could hit financially-challenged Rangers significantly harder by effectively wiping out the near £1 million placement money they are expecting to receive from the Scottish Premier League for finishing second in the table.

Romanov can lay claim to the vast majority of that sum by registering an official complaint with the SPL board concerning the £800,000 Rangers owe to the Edinburgh club for Lee Wallace.

The Scotland full-back moved to Ibrox for £1.5 million nine months ago but less than half of the fee was paid up front. Rangers’ other SPL creditors include Celtic (£40,337) and Inverness Caledonian Thistle (£39,805).

Under SPL rules the ruling body can divert any money they are due to pay to defaulting clubs straight to the members who are owed by them.

Rangers currently stand to collect £900,000 in placement money for being runners-up this season.

“Of course that’s vital,” said manager Ally McCoist. “In the current climate to everybody it’s worth a lot of money but because we’re in administration we need that £900,000.”

However, that placement money could be effectively taken from them if Romanov demands that the remainder of the Wallace fee is paid in full. The SPL would then be forced to act under Rule C9.1.

It states: “If any Club defaults in making payment of any sum or sums due to the Company and/or to another Club the Board shall be entitled to apply any sums which, under these Rules, would otherwise be payable to the defaulting Club by the Company indischarge of any debt due by such Club in default to the Company and/or such other Club in such manner as the Board shall determine.”

“A club would need to bring a complaint forward to the SPL, the SPL board would then consider this and come to a decision,” said SPL communications director Natalie Duncan.

“The only complaint so far to my knowledge was the one from Dundee United the other week [for £65,981], which has since been resolved.”

Taken from telegraph.co.uk