This just isn’t our cup of tea

By ROBERT MARTIN
Published: 24th January 2013
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IT isn’t quite as bad as Hibs’ dire record in the Scottish Cup.

But Gary Mackay admits Hearts’ history in the League Cup is nothing to be proud of.

The Jambos legend would love to see John McGlynn’s side put that right this season by ending the club’s 50-year wait to get their hands on the elusive trophy.

Hearts have won three Scottish Cups in the past 15 years, but you have go back to 1962 to find their last success in the country’s other major cup tournament.

Back then Norrie Davidson’s goal saw off Kilmarnock and gave the Gorgie outfit their third such win in six years.

But since then they’ve only been back in the final once — when they lost 4-3 to Rangers in 1996.

Mackay, who played in that game, admits that’s nowhere near good enough for a club of Hearts’ size.

He said: “For as long as I can remember Hearts have always been poor in the League Cup.

“I don’t know why that is because in the Scottish Cup we always believed in our chances.

“I know during my time it took us a while to get going each season. So when the League Cup was played through to the final in October, we struggled.

“But no matter the reason, it’s still a pretty awful record.

“I’d love to see the current team do something about it. They have a great chance.”

Mackay had hoped Hearts’ poor run would come to an end at Celtic Park in November 1996.

Jim Jefferies’ side had top young talent in Paul Ritchie, David Weir, Neil McCann and Colin Cameron.

But they fell behind to two Ally McCoist strikes inside 27 minutes and Mackay admitted it took the sight of some fans LEAVING to spur them into a response.

Steve Fulton and John Robertson pulled the Jambos level at 2-2 as the game reached the hour mark.

That’s when Paul Gascoigne took over in a way only he could.

Gazza had felt flat after a listless first-half display. So he charged up to the Parkhead boardroom at half-time to down two double whiskies.

And he went on to score twice to give Gers the trophy and render Weir’s late consolation meaningless.

Mackay said: “We went into the game confident because we’d beaten Dundee in the semi-final at Easter Road.

“The final was a wintry day and I guess we were caught cold. We found ourselves two goals down and I looked over where I knew people were sitting and I saw this gap where four guys had just got up and walked out. That fired me up and we made a fist of it.

“At 2-2, I thought we had a chance and there was controversy with their third goal because we thought we should have had a foul.

“But Gascoigne wasn’t worried about that and he inspired them in that second half.

“He later said it was because he’d had a dram or two at half-time. It was a bit of a slap in the face for us when we found out he was half-duked when he scored them!

“It remains one of the most disappointing defeats of my career.

“But the positive thing was the young boys learned from that. And when they played Rangers again in the 1998 Scottish Cup Final they used what they’d learned to beat them.

“I hope this current side use what they learned winning the Cup last year to win this trophy.”

Mackay knows that won’t be easy with high-flying Inverness first up in Saturday’s Easter Road semi-final.

But he’s confident McGlynn’s side can beat Caleyand said: “Knowing how to win trophies is a big thing and Hearts have it.

“I think Gary Locke has a very important role to play this weekend. He was around when we lost the League Cup Final in 1996, he was there when we won the Scottish Cup two years later. And he was on the staff when Hearts won the Scottish Cup last season. He knows what it takes and he’ll be stressing that to the players.

“Terry Butcher and Maurice Malpas will be doing the same with their players, given everything they won as players.

“But at Hearts I see guys with medals, like Andy Webster, Marius Zaliukas, Jamie MacDonald and Andrew Driver. Inverness don’t have that yet.

“These guys have the chance to go on and make themselves absolute legends in Hearts history.

“Beating Hibs to win the Scottish Cup will always be remembered, but if they could win the League Cup, as well they’d earn a special place in Hearts history.”