Bragging rights at stake in final - Crabbe

Published on Friday 18 May 2012 13:01

SCOTT CRABBE admits Hearts will forfeit all their derby bragging rights if they lose the Scottish Cup final against Hibs.

The Tynecastle side have a proud derby record and still boast of their memorable 22-game unbeaten streak against their city rivals in the early 90s. They also glory relentlessly in the Easter Road side’s infamous 110-year struggle in the Scottish Cup.

However, as evidenced by the fact some optimistic Hibs fans have already lined up an after-match song proclaiming that “we’ve not won the big cup since quarter to five”, Crabbe knows his old club face having their superiority complex obliterated in one fell swoop if things don’t go to plan at the National Stadium tomorrow.

He said: “Hearts have bragging rights for a lot of things, 22-games-in-a-row, 110-years since Hibs won the Cup, and I think that’s where a lot of the fear comes from. Hibs have got 7-0, that’s a real hard one to take for the Hearts supporters but then you come back with the 22-in-a-row and all that.

“But with his one, this will eclipse all bragging rights, there is no comeback. If Hearts win the Cup, they won’t be able to come back with anything and vice versa. Something like the 7-0 game would be a drop in the ocean if Hibs were to win the Cup, it would mean nothing.”

Meanwhile Crabbe, a boyhood Hearts fan who played for the club in the early 90s, insists his old strike partner John Robertson – a renowned scourge of Hibs – would relish the prospect of being involved tomorrow.

He said: “Knowing Robbo, he’d definitely swap all those derby goals for the winner in this cup final.

“I spoke to him in the last few days and he’s getting excited. Whoever gets the winner will be a legend forever. That would be the ultimate goal for any player in a Hibs or Hearts jersey.”

Taken from the Scotsman