Nightmare scenario: Ex-Hibs midfielder Stuart Lovell on the pain of cup final loss

MOIRA GORODN
Published on Sunday 29 April 2012 02:23

Believing that Hibs’ best opportunity for years had arrived, Stuart Lovell then spent 80 minutes on the bench watching his side crumble against Celtic

IT WAS supposed to be their year. It was meant to be the season Hibs called time on their decades of Scottish Cup neglect. Success would have given the Easter Road players legendary status but instead of ending the drought before it reached the century mark, the whole event turned into a living nightmare, and not just for the long-suffering fans. “I don’t even know where my loser’s medal is,” says Stuart Lovell, who started the game on the bench but concedes he was by no means the most telling omission. “As far as I’m concerned that final is just one big bad memory for me.”

That was in 2001 and the last occasion Hibs reached the finale of a tournament that continues to torture.

“You are never in any doubt as a Hibs player about how much it would mean to the supporters and the club if you could win the Scottish Cup. In my first season we were too busy trying to win promotion back from the First Division so it wasn’t actually a big issue then. I think even the fans knew that it was unlikely that a First Division team could come through the rounds and win, especially us, with our Scottish Cup record, so that first season it wasn’t really mentioned. That changed as soon as we went up!

“We were told the focus was on consolidating our place in the SPL, ‘Oh and if you could win us the Scottish Cup as well, that would be great!’”

They made it to the semi-finals in that 1999-2000 season where they came up against a mediocre Aberdeen side. Giving their different standings and the comparative merits of the personnel, many were convinced the capital side would progress.

“We thought that ourselves,” remembers Lovell. “But we failed to follow through. Russell [Latapy] opened the scoring for us but after that we flattered to deceive. We were pretty down after that. It was hugely frustrating because we felt we would rarely have a better opportunity to reach the final.”

It was merely a fraction of the misery he would feel 12 months later, although they did surpass that achievement and make it through to the culmination of that term’s competition.

“There was far more pressure on us that season. From early on, we were one of the favourites and we had been challenging in the top three in the league all season. I remember people saying that it could be our year and it wasn’t just the fans saying it. We had been lucky with the draw, especially getting First Division Livingston in the semi-final. People took that as a sign.”

The players were unable to plead ignorance of the expectations. Team outings saw them mingling with the punters. “And that was all they talked about. Not how well we were doing in the league, but how much they wanted the Scottish Cup. I think that comes with the territory if you’re a Hibs player.”

But, looking around the dressing room, Lovell knew there was certainly a good chance they could finally deliver. A mix of quality and hard work, of experience and youth, the ingredients were there. “The only problem was coming up against Celtic in the final. People thought it was a good team even then, looking back it was even better than that. But we still felt we could match them if we were all at our peak.

“I recall we were well-beaten by Celtic just a few weeks before the final, which served as a reminder that we would need our marquee players, guys like Franck [Sauzee] and Russell to be at their best.”

That’s where the plan fell down. As the days to the final ticked down, Latapy could not curtail his lust for partying and incurred the wrath of manager Alex McLeish, who dropped him for the Hampden showdown.

“We knew right away that it would hamper our chances. Franck was a calming influence and good at helping build from the back but wee Russell was the player who could open doors and against Celtic we knew we would need him. But the decision wasn’t ours to make. Unfortunately Russell loved his social life. We all thought he should have waited another couple of weeks but you couldn’t stay angry at him for long. If the manager had asked the players, I think the vast majority of us would have wanted him playing, in fact I think that would have been unanimous.”

But, come the final, he wasn’t the only one missing and Lovell had bigger traumas to deal with. Having been one of the regulars, he was informed the Wednesday before the game that he wasn’t going to start.

“We had gone to Cameron House on Loch Lomond to prepare that week and after Alex McLeish told me, I was just numb for the next 48 hours. He explained he wanted to go with Ian Murray because he thought he was better defensively, and he was, but I still think he was wrong. But I had to accept his decision. After that everything was sullied for me and it would have been whether we had won or not.”

He says that is something the current Hearts and Hibs teams need to be wary of. Both teams have places up for grabs and he says those omitted will be left gutted.

“I got on with ten minutes to go but by then the game was over, we had already lost and I think I only got a handful of touches. It was all pretty depressing and even if we had won and I’d only got a few minutes, I don’t think my memories would be much fonder.”

But for those going to Hampden on 19 May, the stakes are even higher and the disappointment felt by the losers will only be magnified.

“I know what it was like not to win the cup at Hibs but to lose to Hearts would be even worse. On the other hand, if Hearts lose it will be agony for them. It’s not just losing, it is seeing your rivals win.

“Whoever loses won’t care about their medals, they won’t care about anything for most of the summer, they will be too busy trying to dig a big hole to bury themselves in.”

Taken from the Scotsman