Kevin Kyle's Scottish Cup Final Diary: Team spirit can lead Hearts to Hampden glory

MY colours are nailed to the mast ahead of the Edinburgh derby Scottish Cup Final – and they are maroon.

But there is one guy in the green corner of the city who I’d be happy to see with a big smile on his face on Saturday night and that is Billy Brown.

If Hibs win, Billy will have made history by being the only man who has been assistant manager when both Hearts and Hibs have won the trophy.

What an achievement that would be for a guy who is one of the most down to earth, honest fellas in football.

When I left Hearts a couple of months ago to concentrate on getting myself fit, the first person on the phone to me was Billy.

And although I was just leaving Hearts he was offering me training and fitness facilities at the Hibs’ training ground in Tranent.

I thought that was a fantastic gesture.

I first came across him when I joined Billy and Jim Jefferies at Kilmarnock and as well as being a top- class coach, he was great in the dressing room.

He knows how to have a laugh but he could kick your backside when he needed to.

I know how much he loved his two spells at Hearts and it must be weird for him working across the city but I’m sure he’s determined to bring silverware to Easter Road.

Hopefully I’ll get the chance to speak to Billy about the Final in a couple of weeks because I’ve invited him and Jim to my wedding.

They’ve played a big part in my career, taking me to Kilmarnock and then signing me for Hearts when they went back to Tynecastle.

I’d like to think they wanted me at Hearts for what I could do on the pitch but I suspect they knew I could unify a dressing room.

When I arrived for pre-season training in June 2010, I was amazed to find all the foreign players doing their warm-ups on one side of the pitch and the Scottish boys all doing their own thing on the other side.

The foreign lads were playing keepy-uppy and stuff like that so the first thing I did was wander in among them and start joining in.

They didn’t all speak great English and some lads like Suso Santana were quiet but I was determined to get everyone feeling they were part of a team.

Gradually, as the days went past, more and more of the Scottish lads started joining me in that keepy-uppy exercise and before long we were all warming up together.

It took a while but we created a bond and I think there is a really good team spirit at Tynecastle these days.

You’ve got guys like Ian Black, who are born and bred Jambos, and they will be drumming into the other lads that Hearts simply cannot lose this match.

This will be Blacky’s last game for Hearts and he will be desperate to go out on the highest of highs.

If he keeps his head he can drive Hearts towards the trophy. I’m sure the wee man will do just that.

Taken from the Daily Record