Scottish Cup final: Hibs have more to lose, says Darren Jackson

By STUART BATHGATE
Published on Tuesday 15 May 2012 00:00

THE popular belief is that in a big match the favourites are under more pressure - and in the case of Saturday’s Scottish Cup final, Hearts are definitely favourites.

But according to Darren Jackson, who played for both capital clubs and now as an agent has players in both camps, it is Hibernian who have more to lose, and are therefore more likely to feel the pressure.

Having begun his career at Meadowbank Thistle, Jackson, now 45, moved on to Newcastle and Dundee United – where he lost the 1991 cup final to Motherwell – before signing for Hibs in 1992. After five years at Easter Road, the man of many clubs spent another couple of years with Celtic before returning to the capital in 1999 to spend a season and a half with Hearts.

Counting supporters of both capital clubs among his friends, Jackson knows that many are looking forward to the big day more in dread than hope. But, while both sets of fans might feel identical despair if their team were to lose, the former Scotland international thinks the effect of defeat would not be the same for the clubs themselves. The reason for that, he reckons, lies in Hibs’ failure to win the competition since 1902, while Hearts have lifted the cup twice in the last 14 years.

“With Hibs, I think it will be the greatest day of a Hibs fan’s life and of a player’s life if they win it – but it could be the worst day of their life if they lose it,” Jackson said yesterday. “I don’t see that with Hearts, because they’ve been there.

“A lot of people have seen them win it twice in the last wee while. [But] it will be a bad day if they are beaten by Hibs, don’t get me wrong.

“It’s going to be very hard to take for the eventual losers. It will be a great summer or a really bad summer. I’m sure they are so looking forward to it.

“Both sides will believe, although I think Hearts are stronger: they’ve had a better season. Hibs have struggled this season and player-wise you would take Hearts, but you just have to look at the Kilmarnock-Celtic game [in the League Cup final, which Kenny Shiels’ team won 1-0] . Hibs need to have the belief that they can go and win it.”

Gordon Smith of Hearts and Hibs pair Lewis Stevenson and Leigh Griffiths are all represented by Jackson, and while Smith’s hopes of a place in Paul Sergio’s 16-man squad do not look great, the other two should be in Hibs’ starting line-up. Jackson, of course, would like all three to be involved, but above all he wishes he were playing himself.

“I can honestly say I’m so jealous,” he said. “I would love to be playing in the final. It will be amazing.

“Edinburgh’s buzzing. It’s great because Celtic and Rangers get all the attention but for one day the capital is getting it and I think it’s brilliant. It wouldn’t actually bother me which team I was playing for. I would just love to be playing.”

With a foot in both camps, Jackson hopes he will be pleased whatever the outcome. If forced to favour one team, however, he would opt for Hibs.

“My dad brought me up a Hearts fan, and I was a mascot for Hearts. I had five unbelievable years at Hibs, fantastic years. And then I went to Hearts and had an unbelievable year and a half at Hearts.

“Now I’ve got Gordon at Hearts, Lewis and Leigh at Hibs, so I’m really caught in the middle. I’m going to be happy either way.

“If I was pushed I’d probably go Hibs, because I had five years there. My dad will not be too happy with me and he’ll be up there going mad, but I had the five years at Hibs and it’s the longest time I’ve had in my career.”

But wanting Hibs to win if pushed is not the same as thinking that they will win, Jackson explained. And he certainly does not accept that they are fated to win it this year, as some have liked to suggest.

“You can buy into that, but you have to turn up and play. It’s who turns up. I think Hearts are the stronger side, but if they don’t turn up and Hibs do, Hibs will win the cup.

“You need a bit of luck, there is a lot of pressure, and it’s who handles it the best, because it’s against your rivals. If Hibs were going against another team, it does make it different. Even if it was against the Old Firm.”

Having pushed himself off the fence in the direction of Leith, Jackson redressed the balance somewhat by reminiscing about how well he was treated by the Hearts support - both during his stay at Tynecastle and subsequently. “I went to Hearts when it wasn’t a great time for Hearts, but it was probably the best time for me.

“I was obviously disliked by the Hearts fans [because he had played for Hibs]. But they were bottom of the league and if they had maybe turned on me things might have been different. But thankfully they got behind me, and I have to say it’s the only ground I’ve gone back to with another team - I went back with St Johnstone - and got a fantastic reception. It’s the only time I’ve had that.”

Taken from the Scotsman