Oh what a feeling

[InchHibby]

I thought about winning the cup for years and tried to imagine the type of feeling that would come over me when we actually did win it.
I was there in 72 to see us win the League cup against Celtic and the feeling then was something special.
And there have been times after that, on numerous occasions, that have surpassed those feelings. The feeling I had after beating Hearts in this years Scottish was probably the most emotional up to date. Then the semi final was up there with it.
So on thinking I had reached the place where it really couldn't get any better and my emotions couldn't be raised to a higher level, well I was highly mistaken.
The feeling I felt after we equalised in the final beat all the others hand down, then the third goal simply topped it , but the final minute and the minute after the final whistle was something I had never experienced in my entire life, it was so powerful I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
My breathing for that two minutes was like I was in a room with all the air being sucked out, then when it sank in that we really did win it, I began to calm down back to a normal state of euphoria.
I don't think I will ever feel that feeling again in my entire life, I think I would be too scared to.
Just to finish, I did feel similar feelings when my two kids were born, but in a totally different way.

[s.a.m]

It's certainly been an emotionally intense season. I'm exhausted:greengrin

[CB_NO3]

....when we're dancing on the ceiling

[Bill Milne]

I thought about winning the cup for years and tried to imagine the type of feeling that would come over me when we actually did win it.
I was there in 72 to see us win the League cup against Celtic and the feeling then was something special.
And there have been times after that, on numerous occasions, that have surpassed those feelings. The feeling I had after beating Hearts in this years Scottish was probably the most emotional up to date. Then the semi final was up there with it.
So on thinking I had reached the place where it really couldn't get any better and my emotions couldn't be raised to a higher level, well I was highly mistaken.
The feeling I felt after we equalised in the final beat all the others hand down, then the third goal simply topped it , but the final minute and the minute after the final whistle was something I had never experienced in my entire life, it was so powerful I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
My breathing for that two minutes was like I was in a room with all the air being sucked out, then when it sank in that we really did win it, I began to calm down back to a normal state of euphoria.
I don't think I will ever feel that feeling again in my entire life, I think I would be too scared to.
Just to finish, I did feel similar feelings when my two kids were born, but in a totally different way.

It really does feel strange walking about without obsessing about winning the big cup. Very pleasant to stop every so often and think, FFS we've won the Cup!!

[SlickShoes]

I had wondered for years what it would be like and like everyone had dreams about it, but this year was the only time I've not let myself do that. I had actually just come to terms with the fact we'd never win it and it'd hover over us all the time. I was so happy to be wrong and on the day it felt better than any of the dreams from years previous.

Not having this 114 year nonsense hanging over hibs is liberating, although we are still in the championship I just feel like if Hibs can win that cup then anything is possible. We have a good team now, we have a decent level of support still despite a prolonged time in this league and we have a good future ahead of us without anything hanging over us dragging us back down. When new managers and players come in, they no longer have that instant "do you think you can win the cup" thing around their neck.

[SmashinGlass]

Totally agree with all of the above. I gave my desperation a rest this year and didn't stress too much. Even when 2-0 down at tynie, I was thinking "ach well, another year it is" (in a similar vain to that now infamous tweet :greengrin ). In the weeks leading up to the final, I felt different. I dreamt 2 or 3 times that we'd score 3. I didn't have any inkling as to how many they would score. I thought a few times about winning it, but always quickly told myself off for being so stupid. It got to the point where I banned all talk of the cup. On the morning of the game itself, I still felt odd, not how I would normally feel on cup final day. Something was different. I can't quite put my finger on what, just something. And then, well, the rest is now written in history. WHAT A DAY!!!

[s.a.m]

Totally agree with all of the above. I gave my desperation a rest this year and didn't stress too much. Even when 2-0 down at tynie, I was thinking "ach well, another year it is" (in a similar vain to that now infamous tweet :greengrin ). In the weeks leading up to the final, I felt different. I dreamt 2 or 3 times that we'd score 3. I didn't have any inkling as to how many they would score. I thought a few times about winning it, but always quickly told myself off for being so stupid. It got to the point where I banned all talk of the cup. On the morning of the game itself, I still felt odd, not how I would normally feel on cup final day. Something was different. I can't quite put my finger on what, just something. And then, well, the rest is now written in history. WHAT A DAY!!!

Funnily enough, my habitual Scottish Cup pessimism was on hold in the run up as well, probably because of the emotional rollercoaster we've been on this season. I think there was a fairly low-key build up, compared to past Hampden trips, and the week of the game it felt to me like just another game in a long list of big games. When I got to Hampden, it felt winnable. When we were 2-1 down, it still felt winnable (and I'm someone who would still be anxious if we were 4-0 up in the 87th minute!) and you could see the players still felt it was winnable. It was definitely a different vibe all round. And it worked!

[Onion]

Strange that other fans (incl the OF) who were the ones that dined out on our 114 years of failure will never, ever feel the way the Hibernian fans felt on 21 May, not even close. And the media haven't got a clue.

It's good to be a Hibby 👌

[Pedantic_Hibee]

Still stop and think "ah cannae believe we won the cup". I doubt that feeling will ever leave me. Until we win it again.

[JeMeSouviens]

I had wondered for years what it would be like and like everyone had dreams about it, but this year was the only time I've not let myself do that. I had actually just come to terms with the fact we'd never win it and it'd hover over us all the time. I was so happy to be wrong and on the day it felt better than any of the dreams from years previous.

Not having this 114 year nonsense hanging over hibs is liberating, although we are still in the championship I just feel like if Hibs can win that cup then anything is possible. We have a good team now, we have a decent level of support still despite a prolonged time in this league and we have a good future ahead of us without anything hanging over us dragging us back down. When new managers and players come in, they no longer have that instant "do you think you can win the cup" thing around their neck.

Me too. I was 99.99% convinced we would lose throughout the build up. I guess it can't have quite been 100 or I wouldn't have gone at all?

I think the thing that will stay with me is the sheer disbelief on the faces of everyone around me when Sir David's header hit the net ... and then the outpouring of emotion ... more disbelief ... the longest 2 minutes of all our lives ...

Wow! :greengrin

[Onion]

Funnily enough, my habitual Scottish Cup pessimism was on hold in the run up as well, probably because of the emotional rollercoaster we've been on this season. I think there was a fairly low-key build up, compared to past Hampden trips, and the week of the game it felt to me like just another game in a long list of big games. When I got to Hampden, it felt winnable. When we were 2-1 down, it still felt winnable (and I'm someone who would still be anxious if we were 4-0 up in the 87th minute!) and you could see the players still felt it was winnable. It was definitely a different vibe all round. And it worked!

Strangely, felt the same. Lowest key Cup Final ever. Huns built themselves up to be world-beaters, esp after beating Celtic in the semi and thought it would be a stroll against a depressed Hibs team. That's why Warbs, his players and Hun management were such sore losers. Which just adds to the joy of 21 May - just a perfect day 🎶

[CallumLaidlaw]

I thought about winning the cup for years and tried to imagine the type of feeling that would come over me when we actually did win it.
I was there in 72 to see us win the League cup against Celtic and the feeling then was something special.
And there have been times after that, on numerous occasions, that have surpassed those feelings. The feeling I had after beating Hearts in this years Scottish was probably the most emotional up to date. Then the semi final was up there with it.
So on thinking I had reached the place where it really couldn't get any better and my emotions couldn't be raised to a higher level, well I was highly mistaken.
The feeling I felt after we equalised in the final beat all the others hand down, then the third goal simply topped it , but the final minute and the minute after the final whistle was something I had never experienced in my entire life, it was so powerful I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
My breathing for that two minutes was like I was in a room with all the air being sucked out, then when it sank in that we really did win it, I began to calm down back to a normal state of euphoria.
I don't think I will ever feel that feeling again in my entire life, I think I would be too scared to.
Just to finish, I did feel similar feelings when my two kids were born, but in a totally different way.

Yip, felt totally the same in the last 5 minutes. As others have said, I had a very low key build up. Shattered after the Ross County and Falkirk games, so went in convincing myself that we'd lose and it was a day out with friends and family. The early stokes goal done me no favours as it made me realise we could win it. Kenny Millers goal actually calmed me down strangely. I was pretty calm after Stokeseys 2nd weirdly, and then was expecting extra time. , but the feeling from Grays goal for the next 5 minutes was as you say, breathtaking. It was an adrenalin that if you could bottle, would be worth a lot of money. There is very few football fans who will experience that feeling - the mixture of the late goal, the comeback, the 114 years, the constant kicks in recent times, all rolled into 300 seconds. I literally didn't know what to do with myself. Would give anything to go back to that 5 minutes. These are the moments we should all wear go-pro's :greengrin I'd love to know what rubbish I was muttering. My mate says I was delirious.

[erin go bragh]

I've never felt anything like that at a football game ever .
Christ , I'm still crying every time I watch the last 15 mins .

[Thecat23]

I thought about winning the cup for years and tried to imagine the type of feeling that would come over me when we actually did win it.
I was there in 72 to see us win the League cup against Celtic and the feeling then was something special.
And there have been times after that, on numerous occasions, that have surpassed those feelings. The feeling I had after beating Hearts in this years Scottish was probably the most emotional up to date. Then the semi final was up there with it.
So on thinking I had reached the place where it really couldn't get any better and my emotions couldn't be raised to a higher level, well I was highly mistaken.
The feeling I felt after we equalised in the final beat all the others hand down, then the third goal simply topped it , but the final minute and the minute after the final whistle was something I had never experienced in my entire life, it was so powerful I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
My breathing for that two minutes was like I was in a room with all the air being sucked out, then when it sank in that we really did win it, I began to calm down back to a normal state of euphoria.
I don't think I will ever feel that feeling again in my entire life, I think I would be too scared to.
Just to finish, I did feel similar feelings when my two kids were born, but in a totally different way.

Loved reading that, and it's exactly how I felt! I couldn't have wrote it any better myself.

[Mr White]

Guys anyone who hasn't sent these stories to HibsMax then get it done. Details in the announcement at the top of the main page and the finished collection should be pretty special! :thumbsup:

[Argylehibby]

I thought about winning the cup for years and tried to imagine the type of feeling that would come over me when we actually did win it.
I was there in 72 to see us win the League cup against Celtic and the feeling then was something special.
And there have been times after that, on numerous occasions, that have surpassed those feelings. The feeling I had after beating Hearts in this years Scottish was probably the most emotional up to date. Then the semi final was up there with it.
So on thinking I had reached the place where it really couldn't get any better and my emotions couldn't be raised to a higher level, well I was highly mistaken.
The feeling I felt after we equalised in the final beat all the others hand down, then the third goal simply topped it , but the final minute and the minute after the final whistle was something I had never experienced in my entire life, it was so powerful I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
My breathing for that two minutes was like I was in a room with all the air being sucked out, then when it sank in that we really did win it, I began to calm down back to a normal state of euphoria.
I don't think I will ever feel that feeling again in my entire life, I think I would be too scared to.
Just to finish, I did feel similar feelings when my two kids were born, but in a totally different way.

I know what you mean with that statement and can only explain why I feel it this way.

As I grew up I probably expected that one day I'd settle down, get married and have kids. When I met my wife to be, we went out together for a couple of years, got engaged and a couple of years later got married. By the time wedding day arrives I know it's going to happen and I'm set for the day. When the kids come around they are planned and I know for many months near enough when the births are going to be so again you're set for the day. The cup final was different. I wasn't set for that to happen, not the way it did.

I sat in the stand that day and confess when we went 2-1 down I thought, here we go again. My eldest daughter who has cried at every knock-down Hibs have thrown at us over the years didn't have a tear in her eye this time. I just thought, she's getting used to it, just like the rest of us are. When we equalised I wen't daft, we're going to win it but as full time approached and they were on the attack all I could think was "no, not again Hibs, don't do it to us again". Then we scored. I almost cracked my daugters ribs with the hug they got but I still couldn't believe we would hang on, not really believe anyway. Then the ref blew for a foul. I thought it was for them. It's a long ball into the box, panic, equaliser and here we go again... but the ref seemed to change his mind. He pointed the other way, it was our free kick. We could'n't blow this now... could we? Then final whistle, euphoria, more hugs, shed loads of tears and an emotiotion that I had never experienced before and that I will never experience again. Iv'e wanted this to happen for decades but I really wasn't prepared for it and that's why it was different to getting married and to having kids. Each of those events were brilliant but there was not that split second release of joy, of that feeling of sheer exilleration.

If I had been given the choice years ago of you can get either married and have kids or Hibs will win the Scottish cup but not both then there would be no discussion on here about merchandise or photo's with the cup. We wouldn't have won it and I'd never have felt the way I did when that final whistle went. Thankfully I wasn't given that choice and I have had 4, very different, "highs" to enjoy.

[Aldoo]

I know what you mean with that statement and can only explain why I feel it this way.

As I grew up I probably expected that one day I'd settle down, get married and have kids. When I met my wife to be, we went out together for a couple of years, got engaged and a couple of years later got married. By the time wedding day arrives I know it's going to happen and I'm set for the day. When the kids come around they are planned and I know for many months near enough when the births are going to be so again you're set for the day. The cup final was different. I wasn't set for that to happen, not the way it did.

I sat in the stand that day and confess when we went 2-1 down I thought, here we go again. My eldest daughter who has cried at every knock-down Hibs have thrown at us over the years didn't have a tear in her eye this time. I just thought, she's getting used to it, just like the rest of us are. When we equalised I wen't daft, we're going to win it but as full time approached and they were on the attack all I could think was "no, not again Hibs, don't do it to us again". Then we scored. I almost cracked my daugters ribs with the hug they got but I still couldn't believe we would hang on, not really believe anyway. Then the ref blew for a foul. I thought it was for them. It's a long ball into the box, panic, equaliser and here we go again... but the ref seemed to change his mind. He pointed the other way, it was our free kick. We could'n't blow this now... could we? Then final whistle, euphoria, more hugs, shed loads of tears and an emotiotion that I had never experienced before and that I will never experience again. Iv'e wanted this to happen for decades but I really wasn't prepared for it and that's why it was different to getting married and to having kids. Each of those events were brilliant but there was not that split second release of joy, of that feeling of sheer exilleration.

If I had been given the choice years ago of you can get either married and have kids or Hibs will win the Scottish cup but not both then there would be no discussion on here about merchandise or photo's with the cup. We wouldn't have won it and I'd never have felt the way I did when that final whistle went. Thankfully I wasn't given that choice and I have had 4, very different, "highs" to enjoy.



Don't think I can follow something like the above so won't try, all I can say is from the moment Gray scored the winner to about 10 minutes after the full time whistle went would be as close to an out of body experience as I'll ever get.

Never experienced anything close to it before and I imagine I never will again.

[BSEJVT]

We had been on holiday right up until the day before the Cup Final and only got back from Florida at 10am on the Friday.

All I could think was another x hours and we will know for good or ill, it's the waiting for most things that's the hard bit, you learn to deal with outcomes!

I had agonised over our play off games and the Falkirk defeat was just a nightmare as I constantly flicked between Hibs Net & BBC Sportsound.

My mantra for the cup final had always been, we only need to get lucky once and god knows after all the kicks in the balls Hibs have suffered recently it was long overdue.

I was strangely calm before the game, helped no doubt by just about enough alcohol.

As we got into the ground, about to depart for all points north, an outcome of the ticket Fiasco at the start of the public sale, I began to get a bit emotional, thinking next time I see so and so we may have won the cup.

Right from the start of the game I had the sense of a different Scottish Cup Final day, we were in the game, not 3 goals behind with no chance.

Stokes scored, finally we had something to celebrate in a Scottish Cup Final.

I thought that we could have / should have been another couple up before Miller scored against the run of play, even after they did so, we were still comfortable and again should have scored a couple.

Miller missing that free header was a break we had never had before.

Having performed our now customary falling out of the game post half time piece, it didn't surprise me when Halliday scored, although the manner of the goal did!

That however was the impetus we needed to re-impose ourselves on the game.

I honestly don't believe that Tavernier ever successfully tackled Stokes in the whole 90 minutes and I always felt we were in with a chance.

I remember when Stokes scored the second not really celebrating for a while as it seemed an eternity for the referee to give it, I watched him look look and look again at the linesman, who hadn't moved either and was half expecting it to be disallowed. Clearly the not given penalty for McCloy's lunge at Colin Campbell in 1979 hasn't scarred me at all!

I don't remember being that bothered again or that conscious of whether we were going to win in normal or extra time, but by this time I felt we could.

When David Gray's header hit the back of the net I remember clearly bursting into tears and putting my hand up to my mouth and then sitting down crying.

I wasn't too worried at this point, but had a few thoughts for all the people I knew who would loved to have been there.

I stood up to watch the rest of the game and don't remember being too worried until that free kick, I was surprised and delighted to see it go to us.

I knew we had won, not because I heard the whistle, but because I saw Liam Henderson sprinting away from us, hands aloft.

After that I remember hugging my grown up son and daughter and all 3 of us crying. My brother who was sat 4 seats away told me he could hear me crying from there.

After that special few moments we hugged the folk round about us and it became relatively calm as folk wandered further afield seeing their pals etc and going on the pitch :-(

At one point there was nobody around other than a guy about my age in the row in front, he could not settle at all and was up and down crying and holding his head in his hands.

I had returned to tearful sobbing by this time, but the guy looked at me and we just hugged each other, two 50 plus guys who saw something we had dreamed off all our lives but maybe never expected to see.

Like others I have been happily married for a lot of years and have 2 wonderful children.

I have seen Hibs win other trophies, done things and seen things I never expected to, had a little sporting success and have lived a relatively blessed life.

Those few minutes especially though (despite a bloody great night out afterwards and Sunday's parade) will stay with me forever, typing this and whenever I watch the last few minutes of the game are enough to set me off again.

I posted earlier this year that although I had started going again to watch Hibs I wasn't sure I would ever get back to the levels of my past devotion.

I was wrong, those few moments, spending them with my children, other friends and the entire Hibs support that were there, have enriched my life and I will cherish them till I die.

I can just about feel the emotions of that day, just tantalisingly out of reach enough to be not quite touchable, but enough to sustain me for the rest of my days.

Thanks for reading an old man's ramblings. Although they are very long I have enjoyed reliving the moments again and getting my thoughts down.

I think I will copy and paste this into a document so that when the lights dim through old age I have a tangible reminder of how good it felt!

Thanks Hibs for making it all possible.

GGTTH

[jacomo]

Strangely, felt the same. Lowest key Cup Final ever. Huns built themselves up to be world-beaters, esp after beating Celtic in the semi and thought it would be a stroll against a depressed Hibs team. That's why Warbs, his players and Hun management were such sore losers. Which just adds to the joy of 21 May - just a perfect day 

The more I think about it, the harder it is to imagine another set of circumstances in which we would have won the cup.

Prevail against Falkirk, and the Killie tie would have been another hurdle. I think the team would not have been physically able to match the energy levels they showed in the final.

If we'd won the Championship outright, the Huns would have been desperate for revenge.

The play off disappointment (and League Cup Final) meant there was little expectation going into the Final. Just support, from the first minute.

[Postman]

We had been on holiday right up until the day before the Cup Final and only got back from Florida at 10am on the Friday.

All I could think was another x hours and we will know for good or ill, it's the waiting for most things that's the hard bit, you learn to deal with outcomes!

I had agonised over our play off games and the Falkirk defeat was just a nightmare as I constantly flicked between Hibs Net & BBC Sportsound.

My mantra for the cup final had always been, we only need to get lucky once and god knows after all the kicks in the balls Hibs have suffered recently it was long overdue.

I was strangely calm before the game, helped no doubt by just about enough alcohol.

As we got into the ground, about to depart for all points north, an outcome of the ticket Fiasco at the start of the public sale, I began to get a bit emotional, thinking next time I see so and so we may have won the cup.

Right from the start of the game I had the sense of a different Scottish Cup Final day, we were in the game, not 3 goals behind with no chance.

Stokes scored, finally we had something to celebrate in a Scottish Cup Final.

I thought that we could have / should have been another couple up before Miller scored against the run of play, even after they did so, we were still comfortable and again should have scored a couple.

Miller missing that free header was a break we had never had before.

Having performed our now customary falling out of the game post half time piece, it didn't surprise me when Halliday scored, although the manner of the goal did!

That however was the impetus we needed to re-impose ourselves on the game.

I honestly don't believe that Tavernier ever successfully tackled Stokes in the whole 90 minutes and I always felt we were in with a chance.

I remember when Stokes scored the second not really celebrating for a while as it seemed an eternity for the referee to give it, I watched him look look and look again at the linesman, who hadn't moved either and was half expecting it to be disallowed. Clearly the not given penalty for McCloy's lunge at Colin Campbell in 1979 hasn't scarred me at all!

I don't remember being that bothered again or that conscious of whether we were going to win in normal or extra time, but by this time I felt we could.

When David Gray's header hit the back of the net I remember clearly bursting into tears and putting my hand up to my mouth and then sitting down crying.

I wasn't too worried at this point, but had a few thoughts for all the people I knew who would loved to have been there.

I stood up to watch the rest of the game and don't remember being too worried until that free kick, I was surprised and delighted to see it go to us.

I knew we had won, not because I heard the whistle, but because I saw Liam Henderson sprinting away from us, hands aloft.

After that I remember hugging my grown up son and daughter and all 3 of us crying. My brother who was sat 4 seats away told me he could hear me crying from there.

After that special few moments we hugged the folk round about us and it became relatively calm as folk wandered further afield seeing their pals etc and going on the pitch :-(

At one point there was nobody around other than a guy about my age in the row in front, he could not settle at all and was up and down crying and holding his head in his hands.

I had returned to tearful sobbing by this time, but the guy looked at me and we just hugged each other, two 50 plus guys who saw something we had dreamed off all our lives but maybe never expected to see.

Like others I have been happily married for a lot of years and have 2 wonderful children.

I have seen Hibs win other trophies, done things and seen things I never expected to, had a little sporting success and have lived a relatively blessed life.

Those few minutes especially though (despite a bloody great night out afterwards and Sunday's parade) will stay with me forever, typing this and whenever I watch the last few minutes of the game are enough to set me off again.

I posted earlier this year that although I had started going again to watch Hibs I wasn't sure I would ever get back to the levels of my past devotion.

I was wrong, those few moments, spending them with my children, other friends and the entire Hibs support that were there, have enriched my life and I will cherish them till I die.

I can just about feel the emotions of that day, just tantalisingly out of reach enough to be not quite touchable, but enough to sustain me for the rest of my days.

Thanks for reading an old man's ramblings. Although they are very long I have enjoyed reliving the moments again and getting my thoughts down.

I think I will copy and paste this into a document so that when the lights dim through old age I have a tangible reminder of how good it felt!

Thanks Hibs for making it all possible.

GGTTH

Great post, really enjoyed reading that!

[h18eeynick]

We had been on holiday right up until the day before the Cup Final and only got back from Florida at 10am on the Friday.

All I could think was another x hours and we will know for good or ill, it's the waiting for most things that's the hard bit, you learn to deal with outcomes!

I had agonised over our play off games and the Falkirk defeat was just a nightmare as I constantly flicked between Hibs Net & BBC Sportsound.

My mantra for the cup final had always been, we only need to get lucky once and god knows after all the kicks in the balls Hibs have suffered recently it was long overdue.

I was strangely calm before the game, helped no doubt by just about enough alcohol.

As we got into the ground, about to depart for all points north, an outcome of the ticket Fiasco at the start of the public sale, I began to get a bit emotional, thinking next time I see so and so we may have won the cup.

Right from the start of the game I had the sense of a different Scottish Cup Final day, we were in the game, not 3 goals behind with no chance.

Stokes scored, finally we had something to celebrate in a Scottish Cup Final.

I thought that we could have / should have been another couple up before Miller scored against the run of play, even after they did so, we were still comfortable and again should have scored a couple.

Miller missing that free header was a break we had never had before.

Having performed our now customary falling out of the game post half time piece, it didn't surprise me when Halliday scored, although the manner of the goal did!

That however was the impetus we needed to re-impose ourselves on the game.

I honestly don't believe that Tavernier ever successfully tackled Stokes in the whole 90 minutes and I always felt we were in with a chance.

I remember when Stokes scored the second not really celebrating for a while as it seemed an eternity for the referee to give it, I watched him look look and look again at the linesman, who hadn't moved either and was half expecting it to be disallowed. Clearly the not given penalty for McCloy's lunge at Colin Campbell in 1979 hasn't scarred me at all!

I don't remember being that bothered again or that conscious of whether we were going to win in normal or extra time, but by this time I felt we could.

When David Gray's header hit the back of the net I remember clearly bursting into tears and putting my hand up to my mouth and then sitting down crying.

I wasn't too worried at this point, but had a few thoughts for all the people I knew who would loved to have been there.

I stood up to watch the rest of the game and don't remember being too worried until that free kick, I was surprised and delighted to see it go to us.

I knew we had won, not because I heard the whistle, but because I saw Liam Henderson sprinting away from us, hands aloft.

After that I remember hugging my grown up son and daughter and all 3 of us crying. My brother who was sat 4 seats away told me he could hear me crying from there.

After that special few moments we hugged the folk round about us and it became relatively calm as folk wandered further afield seeing their pals etc and going on the pitch :-(

At one point there was nobody around other than a guy about my age in the row in front, he could not settle at all and was up and down crying and holding his head in his hands.

I had returned to tearful sobbing by this time, but the guy looked at me and we just hugged each other, two 50 plus guys who saw something we had dreamed off all our lives but maybe never expected to see.

Like others I have been happily married for a lot of years and have 2 wonderful children.

I have seen Hibs win other trophies, done things and seen things I never expected to, had a little sporting success and have lived a relatively blessed life.

Those few minutes especially though (despite a bloody great night out afterwards and Sunday's parade) will stay with me forever, typing this and whenever I watch the last few minutes of the game are enough to set me off again.

I posted earlier this year that although I had started going again to watch Hibs I wasn't sure I would ever get back to the levels of my past devotion.

I was wrong, those few moments, spending them with my children, other friends and the entire Hibs support that were there, have enriched my life and I will cherish them till I die.

I can just about feel the emotions of that day, just tantalisingly out of reach enough to be not quite touchable, but enough to sustain me for the rest of my days.

Thanks for reading an old man's ramblings. Although they are very long I have enjoyed reliving the moments again and getting my thoughts down.

I think I will copy and paste this into a document so that when the lights dim through old age I have a tangible reminder of how good it felt!

Thanks Hibs for making it all possible.

GGTTH

Brilliant ! I am also 50 plus and son flew back from New Zealand for it 2 days before as a total surprise. Still on a high !

[mjhibby]

It's certainly been an emotionally intense season. I'm exhausted:greengrin

Can't remember a season being so drained at the finish. Hibs played a hell of a lot of games and we're sat,wed every week for it seems months so no chance to take each game in. Had a magnificent ending though and the feel good factor gets better with the ginger wonder as boss. Huge welcome here. Never been so pumped up for a season since sauzee and Latapy. Very smart move very by hibs as sky and bt sport will be covering Loads of our games and if we get decent opposition in the cup draws bound to be covered by the cameras. Very important given will will make a big loss unless we get at least one good cup run. One will do as the two great cup runs scuppered our promotion bid in the season just finished.
Ggtth.

[Jamesie]

Strangely, felt the same. Lowest key Cup Final ever. Huns built themselves up to be world-beaters, esp after beating Celtic in the semi and thought it would be a stroll against a depressed Hibs team. That's why Warbs, his players and Hun management were such sore losers. Which just adds to the joy of 21 May - just a perfect day 

I remember commenting at one stage on the walk to Hampden from our parking spot on Croftfoot Road at about 2pm as to whether the game had been cancelled, so few fans from either side were around us!

[john rossi]

Yes mate after 2 weeks or so i am getting up in the morning with the mind set just another day of the same as, then all of a sudden we actually won the Scottish cup comes into my head and the feeling is incomparable to anything in my life it's to good to be true if your a Hibby at 67 yrs.

[The Green Goblin]

Loved reading that, and it's exactly how I felt! I couldn't have wrote it any better myself.

Me too. It was totally overwhelming, almost too much to handle. I will never ever feel like that again in my life. But that's okay too, because to have felt that euphoria was a blessing and a feeling of happiness on a level most people don't ever experience in their lives. We were the lucky ones.

[LaMotta]

We had been on holiday right up until the day before the Cup Final and only got back from Florida at 10am on the Friday.

All I could think was another x hours and we will know for good or ill, it's the waiting for most things that's the hard bit, you learn to deal with outcomes!

I had agonised over our play off games and the Falkirk defeat was just a nightmare as I constantly flicked between Hibs Net & BBC Sportsound.

My mantra for the cup final had always been, we only need to get lucky once and god knows after all the kicks in the balls Hibs have suffered recently it was long overdue.

I was strangely calm before the game, helped no doubt by just about enough alcohol.

As we got into the ground, about to depart for all points north, an outcome of the ticket Fiasco at the start of the public sale, I began to get a bit emotional, thinking next time I see so and so we may have won the cup.

Right from the start of the game I had the sense of a different Scottish Cup Final day, we were in the game, not 3 goals behind with no chance.

Stokes scored, finally we had something to celebrate in a Scottish Cup Final.

I thought that we could have / should have been another couple up before Miller scored against the run of play, even after they did so, we were still comfortable and again should have scored a couple.

Miller missing that free header was a break we had never had before.

Having performed our now customary falling out of the game post half time piece, it didn't surprise me when Halliday scored, although the manner of the goal did!

That however was the impetus we needed to re-impose ourselves on the game.

I honestly don't believe that Tavernier ever successfully tackled Stokes in the whole 90 minutes and I always felt we were in with a chance.

I remember when Stokes scored the second not really celebrating for a while as it seemed an eternity for the referee to give it, I watched him look look and look again at the linesman, who hadn't moved either and was half expecting it to be disallowed. Clearly the not given penalty for McCloy's lunge at Colin Campbell in 1979 hasn't scarred me at all!

I don't remember being that bothered again or that conscious of whether we were going to win in normal or extra time, but by this time I felt we could.

When David Gray's header hit the back of the net I remember clearly bursting into tears and putting my hand up to my mouth and then sitting down crying.

I wasn't too worried at this point, but had a few thoughts for all the people I knew who would loved to have been there.

I stood up to watch the rest of the game and don't remember being too worried until that free kick, I was surprised and delighted to see it go to us.

I knew we had won, not because I heard the whistle, but because I saw Liam Henderson sprinting away from us, hands aloft.

After that I remember hugging my grown up son and daughter and all 3 of us crying. My brother who was sat 4 seats away told me he could hear me crying from there.

After that special few moments we hugged the folk round about us and it became relatively calm as folk wandered further afield seeing their pals etc and going on the pitch :-(

At one point there was nobody around other than a guy about my age in the row in front, he could not settle at all and was up and down crying and holding his head in his hands.

I had returned to tearful sobbing by this time, but the guy looked at me and we just hugged each other, two 50 plus guys who saw something we had dreamed off all our lives but maybe never expected to see.

Like others I have been happily married for a lot of years and have 2 wonderful children.

I have seen Hibs win other trophies, done things and seen things I never expected to, had a little sporting success and have lived a relatively blessed life.

Those few minutes especially though (despite a bloody great night out afterwards and Sunday's parade) will stay with me forever, typing this and whenever I watch the last few minutes of the game are enough to set me off again.

I posted earlier this year that although I had started going again to watch Hibs I wasn't sure I would ever get back to the levels of my past devotion.

I was wrong, those few moments, spending them with my children, other friends and the entire Hibs support that were there, have enriched my life and I will cherish them till I die.

I can just about feel the emotions of that day, just tantalisingly out of reach enough to be not quite touchable, but enough to sustain me for the rest of my days.

Thanks for reading an old man's ramblings. Although they are very long I have enjoyed reliving the moments again and getting my thoughts down.

I think I will copy and paste this into a document so that when the lights dim through old age I have a tangible reminder of how good it felt!

Thanks Hibs for making it all possible.

GGTTH

:top marks :boo hoo:

[poolman]

We had been on holiday right up until the day before the Cup Final and only got back from Florida at 10am on the Friday.

All I could think was another x hours and we will know for good or ill, it's the waiting for most things that's the hard bit, you learn to deal with outcomes!

I had agonised over our play off games and the Falkirk defeat was just a nightmare as I constantly flicked between Hibs Net & BBC Sportsound.

My mantra for the cup final had always been, we only need to get lucky once and god knows after all the kicks in the balls Hibs have suffered recently it was long overdue.

I was strangely calm before the game, helped no doubt by just about enough alcohol.

As we got into the ground, about to depart for all points north, an outcome of the ticket Fiasco at the start of the public sale, I began to get a bit emotional, thinking next time I see so and so we may have won the cup.

Right from the start of the game I had the sense of a different Scottish Cup Final day, we were in the game, not 3 goals behind with no chance.

Stokes scored, finally we had something to celebrate in a Scottish Cup Final.

I thought that we could have / should have been another couple up before Miller scored against the run of play, even after they did so, we were still comfortable and again should have scored a couple.

Miller missing that free header was a break we had never had before.

Having performed our now customary falling out of the game post half time piece, it didn't surprise me when Halliday scored, although the manner of the goal did!

That however was the impetus we needed to re-impose ourselves on the game.

I honestly don't believe that Tavernier ever successfully tackled Stokes in the whole 90 minutes and I always felt we were in with a chance.

I remember when Stokes scored the second not really celebrating for a while as it seemed an eternity for the referee to give it, I watched him look look and look again at the linesman, who hadn't moved either and was half expecting it to be disallowed. Clearly the not given penalty for McCloy's lunge at Colin Campbell in 1979 hasn't scarred me at all!

I don't remember being that bothered again or that conscious of whether we were going to win in normal or extra time, but by this time I felt we could.

When David Gray's header hit the back of the net I remember clearly bursting into tears and putting my hand up to my mouth and then sitting down crying.

I wasn't too worried at this point, but had a few thoughts for all the people I knew who would loved to have been there.

I stood up to watch the rest of the game and don't remember being too worried until that free kick, I was surprised and delighted to see it go to us.

I knew we had won, not because I heard the whistle, but because I saw Liam Henderson sprinting away from us, hands aloft.

After that I remember hugging my grown up son and daughter and all 3 of us crying. My brother who was sat 4 seats away told me he could hear me crying from there.

After that special few moments we hugged the folk round about us and it became relatively calm as folk wandered further afield seeing their pals etc and going on the pitch :-(

At one point there was nobody around other than a guy about my age in the row in front, he could not settle at all and was up and down crying and holding his head in his hands.

I had returned to tearful sobbing by this time, but the guy looked at me and we just hugged each other, two 50 plus guys who saw something we had dreamed off all our lives but maybe never expected to see.

Like others I have been happily married for a lot of years and have 2 wonderful children.

I have seen Hibs win other trophies, done things and seen things I never expected to, had a little sporting success and have lived a relatively blessed life.

Those few minutes especially though (despite a bloody great night out afterwards and Sunday's parade) will stay with me forever, typing this and whenever I watch the last few minutes of the game are enough to set me off again.

I posted earlier this year that although I had started going again to watch Hibs I wasn't sure I would ever get back to the levels of my past devotion.

I was wrong, those few moments, spending them with my children, other friends and the entire Hibs support that were there, have enriched my life and I will cherish them till I die.

I can just about feel the emotions of that day, just tantalisingly out of reach enough to be not quite touchable, but enough to sustain me for the rest of my days.

Thanks for reading an old man's ramblings. Although they are very long I have enjoyed reliving the moments again and getting my thoughts down.

I think I will copy and paste this into a document so that when the lights dim through old age I have a tangible reminder of how good it felt!

Thanks Hibs for making it all possible.

GGTTH

I think we all know exactly how you feel 😊

[Babyshamble]

I was an original member of the famous fife bus.my dad used to take me.met guys on that bus that I still go to the games with today.after the bus disbanded,we still go.my dad with his mates,me with mine which includes my 17'year old son.as a family we only get together for games at Hampden.when David Gray scored 'that' goal,the celebrations between me,my dad & my son will live with me forever.it might not mean a lot to youse,but its something I will never,ever forget. Best day of my life.

[monktonharp]

I was an original member of the famous fife bus.my dad used to take me.met guys on that bus that I still go to the games with today.after the bus disbanded,we still go.my dad with his mates,me with mine which includes my 17'year old son.as a family we only get together for games at Hampden.when David Gray scored 'that' goal,the celebrations between me,my dad & my son will live with me forever.it might not mean a lot to youse,but its something I will never,ever forget. Best day of my life.means a lot to me too my friend. I somehow always felt we had a good chance of winning it, law of averages and all that, added to the fact that we'd beaten that mob this season already. the very fact that me and my youngest son were seated together (through my design) with none of his mates, and none of mine with us, which was the first time we'd been together at a final, was another omen for me .I did ask my eldest boy to come up from Wales, but he would not. my boys are both in their late 30's early 40's and seen some real dissapointments like me, but when that final whistle went , I grabbed him, and hugged him and gret like a bloody bairn for ages. one of the most poignant moments in my life which I will never forget.

[JennaFletcher]

Yip, felt totally the same in the last 5 minutes. As others have said, I had a very low key build up. Shattered after the Ross County and Falkirk games, so went in convincing myself that we'd lose and it was a day out with friends and family. The early stokes goal done me no favours as it made me realise we could win it. Kenny Millers goal actually calmed me down strangely. I was pretty calm after Stokeseys 2nd weirdly, and then was expecting extra time. , but the feeling from Grays goal for the next 5 minutes was as you say, breathtaking. It was an adrenalin that if you could bottle, would be worth a lot of money. There is very few football fans who will experience that feeling - the mixture of the late goal, the comeback, the 114 years, the constant kicks in recent times, all rolled into 300 seconds. I literally didn't know what to do with myself. Would give anything to go back to that 5 minutes. These are the moments we should all wear go-pro's :greengrin I'd love to know what rubbish I was muttering. My mate says I was delirious.

I know what you mean about the Go Pros! I was delirious too, apparently after screaming 'We are gonna win the Scottish Cup' time and time again I started to say 'Is this real life?' Over and over again.

:tee hee::tee hee::tee hee:

[WeAreHibs]

My little boy has a fascination with church bells and we usually sit on YouTube looking and listening to various clangers around the world. On that special morning, around 7am, he wanted to go out to hear "bells". He's only 2 and a half. The only place I could think of was St Giles so into the car we went and quickly realised on our way that I could also take part in the tradition with "the heart".

So there we were, father and son at 7.30am, listening to the chimes and decorating the stone work in the cobbles in the hope of it actually bringing us good luck.

When he gets older and asks about that day, I'm going to love telling him about the part he played.