There will be many who recall the seven nil game at Tynecastle on Ne’erday 1973, and who like me did attend, or the six two game in October 2000, which I also attended, as their favourite game(s) involving Hibernian, primarily for the significant victories over our oldest rivals.
However, for me, personally, the most enjoyable and significant happened on a bitter December night at Tynecastle at the end of the Millennium, 1999 that is not 1899! I recall driving into the primary school car park and noticing the iced-over puddles noting mentally to be careful and avoid falling on my backside, particularly as the Hibs supporters were already massing in the stand concourses that overlook the area. I failed and to a loud cheer I tried to restore my dignity and made my way towards the main stand. Despite being well wrapped up the night was bitter and temperatures hardly rose above freezing.
I have always enjoyed going to Tynecastle as the atmosphere is always electric and the crowd on top of the action. This match was vital to me in understanding if we had managed to turn the tables on Hearts who had undoubtedly held the upper hand over the previous decade and beyond. There was a new and growing confidence at Easter Road and Alex McLeish was building a team that was breeding belief in the support.
Just to spice things up Hearts had also added a couple of big money signings, Antti Niemi and Gorden Petric, to their team to maintain, in their minds, their rightful dominance.
The Boardroom was packed and the members of the Hibs Board standing together anticipating the game. There was the normal brinkmanship which I enjoy and as ever, when asked by the opposition, I used my usual line “the game will take care of itself” not bothering to smile.
The Director’s area on the seating deck is always packed and you have Hearts supporters in front, at both sides and behind you. It was always my practice, regardless of what ground I attended as a Director, to remain standing as long as possible surveying the scene and making eye contact, still not smiling, with as many of the opposition support as possible. In a packed Tynecastle that was easy. Sometimes it works when you win and sometimes it does not, but defiance in these situations is important, not to start trouble but, to let people know that you are not afraid or intimidated.
As always a derby game is frenetic and takes time to settle down and this one was no exception, and as I recall we had the first half chance with Mixu heading just past. Playing towards the Gorgie Road end the breaks seem to be going our way. Lehmann seemed to be getting the better of Petric who appeared cumbersome and slow in the turn.
After 18 minutes, the wee magician Russell Latapy stroked a pass to Lehmann. Petric whose turning circle appeared to be just less than the Queen Mary, was beaten all ends up and Lehmann clipped the ball past Neimi into the bottom left corner of the net. Uproar. I was hoarse! Gooooooaaaaaalll.
Hearts huffed and puffed and former player Darren Jackson missed a sitter before “Le God” intervened with a drilled daisy cutter from Pressley’s deflected clearance following Grant Brebner’s low cross across the box. Uproar. Not only had he foraged from the half way line to run on to and connect with the ball perfectly, he then turned and ran the full length of the pitch to celebrate with the Hibs support! If you watch the goal on video there were three Hearts players who, for their own safety, got out the way before Sauzee rocketed, and there is no other word I can think of, the ball into the net.
As we got back to the Board Room at half time we were met by a Hearts host who, seeing that my smile was wider than the Forth, kindly stated “you will be looking forward to the second half then?” to which I rather unkindly replied “nope no need to bother going out for the second half, this game is over!”. I think it was David Forsyth who clipped me on the ear and said “now now then!”.
The second half was broadly a forgettable affair full of blood and guts and aggression and endevour, fairly typical, but the result was never in doubt. The Hibs team had a steel seldom seen in the previous few years and it was another of those rising stars that put the icing on the cake.
Kenny Miller picked up a ball knocked through to him following a poor Niemi clearance and coolly picked his spot past the Hearts keeper, at a time when both support and players were screaming to him to take the ball to the corner and run out time. It was a hammering and Hearts knew it. As I recall I struck a pose not unlike Sam Torrance when he sunk the putt to win the Ryder Cup. I was also struck by the messages of goodwill from those around me!
Why is this my favourite match? Because it marked a turning point of dominance in Edinburgh. Sure the six two match less than a year later was wonderful, it reinforced the change, but the Millennium derby put a stop to Hearts’ upper hand, perceived or otherwise, despite their spending on big named players. It was also done in their backyard.
In all my time as a Director I knew that fortunes turn quickly and a victory can easily turn into defeat and we have all been at games like that when even a draw feels like a crushing defeat, but there again, that is another story and another game.
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