Hearts ace Craig Beattie: I know how much Scottish Cup Final means to fans after one pledged to get my name tattooed on his bum

May 16 2012 By Gary Ralston

HEARTS fan Liam Neilson was so bummed at the thought of missing the Scottish Cup Final he offered to have Craig Beattie’s name tattooed on his behind.

The big-hearted Jambos frontman has saved the supporter from going through even more agony this week by presenting him with two gold-dust briefs for Saturday’s showdown against Hibs.

Twitter fan Neilson will no longer have to visit his local tattoo parlour but Beattie joked if he nets the winner at Hampden he expects to be written into his life forever.

Cup Final fever is gripping Edinburgh. It’s squeaky bum time for both sets of fans but Neilson was prepared to go to extraordinary lengths on his to secure a ticket before the former Scotland striker, who is winning his fitness battled, spared him the consequences of his desperation to make the game.

Beattie said: “I was stuck with two tickets the night before the semi-final with Celtic and decided to have a carry-on on Twitter.

“I said whoever makes me laugh the most wins the tickets and the boy sent me a cracking joke so I met up with him before the match and gave him the two tickets.

“Straight after the game he said, ‘I’ll get your name tattooed on my a**e if you get me two for the Final’. I said, ‘All right, as long as I get proof first’.

“He tweeted earlier this week and told me his appointment with the tattooist was booked and hoped I had the tickets ready.

“I tweeted back and asked, ‘Are you sure you want to have my name on your a**e for the rest of your life?’

“I told him I know the Final is a big deal but was he really sure he wanted this for the remainder of his days?

“He tweeted back and said, ‘Listen, this is my only chance of getting tickets. I need to do what I need to do’.

“I thought, ‘This kid’s desperate,’ so I told him to come up to the training ground at Riccarton and I’d give him the two tickets regardless.

“However, as I was handing them over I said, ‘Now, if I score the winner, I’d better see a bloody tattoo!’

“The kid’s away with his two tickets but, really, he was actually going to get the tattoo done!

“I don’t live in Edinburgh, I’m still through in the west, and we’ve been trying to concentrate on the league games, the manager has been strict on that. I’m not long on Twitter and it has been mental. I couldn’t imagine living here and supporting one or the other and losing the game.”

Now he no longer has the responsibility for a fan’s bahookie on his mind, Beattie is free to concentrate on his own body.

And he revealed he’s winning a fitness battle to face Hibs, which would give Hearts a huge boost as his big-game experience and link play with Rudi Skacel has already proved crucial since he joined the Gorgie club in March following his release from Swansea.

The former Celtic star added: “My hamstring is tight but not torn and I should be back in training in the morning.

“What would it take to put me out of the Final? The manager not selecting me. No, we’ll see later in the week.

“If I’ve not done enough or I’m not ready, he has to make that decision .We don’t have the luxury of extra subs. The manager must pick a team to win it and if he doesn’t think I’m ready he won’t do it.

“I’ll be all right. I don’t want people to wake up in the morning and read I’m this or that as it’s day to day but I think I’ll be OK. I’m pretty straight down the line. I know myself. I’ll be all right.”

Beattie, 28, has scored four goals in
12 appearances since moving to Tynecastle, two of them in the Cup – including that memorable semi-final winner from the spot in the last minute that knocked out the holders Celtic.

He played in many significant matches in four years at Parkhead but confessed the intensity of an Edinburgh derby cup final, the first since 1896, has surprised even him.

And Beattie revealed he’s never seen such widespread interest and scramble for tickets for a domestic match outside of an Old Firm battle.

He added: “It’s quite possibly a little easier living in the west. It would be the same if it was a Rangers-Celtic final for the boys who live through there.

“Ian Black and the boys who stay through here are being slaughtered every day when they go in for their newspapers.

“I was driving to training and heard ref Craig Thomson on the radio saying he has been away at meetings for Euro 2012 and everyone is talking about the Edinburgh derby final. The requests for tickets I’ve received have been through the roof, moreso even than Rangers-Celtic. It has gone mad.

“We’ve been waiting more than 100 years for this final. Lose it? I certainly don’t
want to be waiting on another one to put it right. However, we’re more relaxed than the fans.

“I was asked if I was nervous before the penalty against Celtic in the semi-final. Everyone else was sh*****g themselves but I had control of the situation.

“Fans are saying, ‘You better win’ or ‘I can’t go to work for a week if we lose this match’ but as players we are in control of the situation.

“If you win the medals and celebration come with it and history as well. But it’s important to focus on the match and your role within it.”

However, Beattie is not in control of his own future at Hearts with his contract due to expire at the end of the current campaign.

But he said: “All I’m concentrating on is this cup to win, I’m not thinking further. Nothing is lined up, nothing is signed.”

Mind you if he scores that winner against Hibs, at least one Jambo will be delighted to see an a**e being made of his signature over the summer.

Taken from the Daily Record