The Scottish Cup is a romantic competition. Even more so if you follow Hibs and their tragic attempts to win back the cup for over 100 years with no joy.
Surely a team like Hibs are made for cup competitions; unpredictable, keen to attack, a match for anybody on their day. Alas this competition has produced only heartache now for a long time. My own personal, Hibs Scottish Cup heartaches started in 1979 with a long drive clad in green and white from Inverness to Hampden to watch a goal-less draw with Glasgow Rangers. I say drive, actually a travel sick punctuated journey in the back of an old Ford, down the Great Glen. Replays for finals in those days so not even extra time and penalties!
But to the present day and Hibs have been at least getting to the latter stages of SC in recent years. Maybe not a good idea to dwell on details here! However a semi-final against Falkirk was surely worth the trip to Glasgow?
As it turned out a lovely, sunny April day, almost too hot in the North Stand for a noon kick off, sun beating down
Anyway long ( and painful) story Hibs played some lovely football but had no real penetration in final quarter. Time ticked by and on 75 mins Falkirk delivered the sucker punch. Hibs went out 1-0, lots of huffing and puffing....no goals!
I should have headed for home but sucker that I am I set off in a slow and sad convoy to Edinburgh. Not to drown my sorrows in a Leith hostelry but to head to the (other) national stadium. Of the oval ball variety; Murrayfield
This time cup final day for the club game with Hawick and Burghmuir competing at the end of a long day of finals for The Final! A large support of a few thousand had travelled up from Hawick, met by an equally impressive Edinburgh crowd of supporters, all fairly well oiled after a sunny day with plenty of refreshment. Amongst the Hawick fans ( very sober), my father in law, whom I was polite enough to accompany on this sporting Saturday!
Oh dear two early power-tries to Burghmuir and things were looking ominous and indeed a faster stronger Edinburgh side were well out of sight by half time. A Hawick team playing old-fashioned, fun, attractive rubgy were out done by a modern show of power and clever running lines. That said Hawick held on well in the second half but still came away 55-17 down and once again greens trooped home heads down.
A blue day!
The crowd of 10,000 all around us in West Stand, East Stand, majestic and empty in the sun!
Caiplie House in Crail, KY10 3RA is two hours drive from Hampden, Glasgow. 90 minutes drive to Murrayfield and Easter Road, Edinburgh and 75 minutes to Edinburgh Airport