Hibernian's James McPake mesmerised by stories of fans' heartache

Saturday’s William Hill Scottish Cup final is the most momentous sporting occasion for Edinburgh since Scotland’s rugby side beat England to win the Grand Slam in 1990.

By Roddy Forsyth

Of course, that feat was accomplished at Murrayfield, whereas the capital city’s great football day out will see 400 coaches throng the M8 motorway to Glasgow, more than 50 trains - with 11,000 extra seats - heading from Waverley to Queen Street and any number of cars converging on Hampden Park, where Hibernian will meet Heart of Midlothian to contest the trophy against each other for the first time since 1896.

Strathclyde Police have promised a smiling presence as they shepherd the multitude from the east and Glasgow’s fish and chip shops have swapped their customary condiments from salt and vinegar to salt and sauce out of regard for the exotic tastes of Auld Reekie. In the wider world, while the metrocentric English media has paid scarcely any attention to this exceptional event, pilgrimages have been underway from all the domains of the Scottish diaspora.

The drama of an Edinburgh derby in the final - a conjunction not witnessed for five generations - is intensified almost beyond measure by the astonishing inability of Hibs to lay hands on the trophy for 110 years. So many letters, emails and tweets have deluged the club and its players - many relating heartrending tales of grandparents who lived to ripe ages without ever seeing their team annexe the silverware – that some of the current squad have been unable to respond.

One such is the Easter Road captain, James McPake, who arrived in January on a loan from Coventry City that will expire at full-time on Saturday. “Every single day I hear it when I’m on Twitter – I’ve had to come off it as I can’t read the stories any more,” said the defender.

“That’s what’s keeping me awake, when I think of the stories. It’s weird – how can these people be living for so long and yet never seen their team win the cup when they follow such a fantastic club? It’s scary that it has been 110 years and it’s something we’re desperate to change.”

So has he indulged in a preview of his arms bearing the Cup aloft, to the rapture of a green sea of ecstatic Hibbies, massed across half of Hampden Park?

“I am trying not to think about it,” McPale confessed. “It’s like having a wee devil and an angel sitting on each shoulder - the devil is trying to show me the Cup but I am trying to keep my mind focused on the game. What happens afterwards will take care of itself. Obviously I hope it is me going up to lift it but we will cross that bridge after the 90 minutes or 120 minutes or however long it takes.”

When McPake was informed that Lawrie Reilly, the last survivor of Hibs legendary Famous Five forward line of the 1950s, had told Telegraph Sport that he would give up all the honours he won as a player just to see his former team succeed today, the current captain said: “There you go - he’s a man who has won championships, league cups, international honours and yet never won the Scottish Cup.

“I take nothing away from those players from that era, but it shows you what an achievement it could be for us. The fans have seen some fantastic football teams at Easter Road over the years and they’ve never brought the Cup home.

“The big thing is it’s there if we win it, but we’ve got to take care of that first. To be held in as high a regard and esteem as some of those boys from the past... I won’t believe it. We won’t ever be able to touch them but if we can bring the Cup back to Easter Road the fans will probably say we’re as big a group of heroes.

“We have Hibs fans in the dressing room who can’t wait for the day. It’s scary to think what will happen if we do win it.”

Most neutrals will probably urge Hibs on, if for no other reason than the romance of their quest, but recent history provides little comfort in that respect. Hearts have not lost to their city rivals in three years and, as the former Easter Road hero, Pat Stanton, pointed out in these pages, the manner of Hibs’ capitulation has frequently been close to pathetic.

McPake, a boyhood Hibs fan who was made Hibs captain on arrival from Coventry, agrees. “That was in my mind as well and a couple of months ago, when we went to Tynecastle, Hearts probably won deservedly on the day but it wasn’t as easy a game as they had had,” said the skipper. We had chances in the game and they scored their second in the 93rd minute, but I think we’re a different team from then as well.

“Maybe before at the start of the season, when things weren’t going our way, we gave up a bit and we were soft. That doesn’t happen now. I think that we’re a lot more mentally strong, tougher to beat and tougher to break down - and when we do go a goal down we’ve shown we can come back and we’ve shown a fighting spirit.”

They will need it. By almost any reckoning, Hearts are the better team - and they know it - especially in the middle of the park, where Hibs have been short of bite against their tigerish rivals. McPake, though, senses a stiffening of the spirit amongst his colleagues.

“We’ve got players back in the team and we have players fitter,” he said. “There’s no way we’ll lie down. And there’s no way that the Hibs team of nine months ago will turn up on Saturday.”

If that turns out to be true, the Hibs team of 1902 might just turn up in spectral form to be relieved of the epochal burden they long ago bore off into the hereafter.

Hibs' 110 years of pain

Hibernian have not won the trophy since 1902, when they beat Celtic 1-0 at Hampden to take home the silverware for the second time. Here are their eight final defeats in the intervening 110 years.

1914 - Celtic 4 Hibs 1

After a goalless first game, Hibs found themselves trailing to a Jim McColl double inside 11 minutes and Celtic never looked back in front of 40,000 fans at Ibrox. McColl later lost two cup finals with Hibs.

1923 - Celtic 1 Hibs 0

Joe Cassidy netted the only goal in the second half in front of 82,000 at Hampden when Hibs goalkeeper Willie Harper was caught out by a long ball.

1924 - Airdrie 2 Hibs 0

Hibs suffered more agony a year later when Willie Russell's first-half double earned Airdrie victory at Ibrox. The Lanarkshire side featured Hughie Gallacher and Bob McPhail in their forward line.

1947 - Aberdeen 2 Hibs 1

Jock Cuthbertson netted in the first minute for Hibs at Hampden but the Dons were leading by half-time. The Edinburgh side, who won the league a year later, started with three of their Famous Five frontline in Willie Ormond, Eddie Turnbull and Gordon Smith.

1958 - Clyde 1 Hibs 0

Ormond and Turnbull were on the losing side 11 years later as John Coyle's first-half strike handed Clyde the trophy. Future England and Arsenal striker Joe Baker had an equaliser ruled out for handball.

1972 - Celtic 6 Hibs 1

Another decade, another defeat for Turnbull, now manager at Easter Road. Dixie Deans struck a hat-trick and Lou Macari grabbed a double as Jock Stein's Celtic strolled to victory in front of 106,000 fans at Hampden. Alan Gordon hit Hibs' consolation and the Leith side gained revenge later in the year with a 2-1 League Cup final win.

1979 - Rangers 3 Hibs 2

Hibs have never come closer since 1902, losing a second replay to Rangers through an extra-time Arthur Duncan own goal after two goalless encounters. Hibs came closest to winning the original game but Colin Campbell stayed on his feet after being fouled by Rangers goalkeeper and, before the days of advantage rule, missed while off balance. Hibs forced extra-time in front of 30,000 fans after another stalemate with goals from Tony Higgins and Ally MacLeod but Duncan put through his own net as Derek Johnstone lined up a hat-trick.

2001 - Celtic 3 Hibs 0

Hibernian's build-up to their latest final was some way short of ideal, with manager Alex McLeish sacking playmaker Russell Latapy two weeks before the final having failed to show for training ahead of an Edinburgh derby after being arrested during a night out with Dwight Yorke. Jackie McNamara opened the scoring for Celtic before Henrik Larsson hit a second-half double.

Taken from telegraph.co.uk