Jim Jefferies - Coming Home

It’s a less than a month since the man who gave me - and thousands of other Hearts fans - one of the greatest weekends of my life left a position he had held for eight years. 2010 wasn‘t even two weeks old when, Jim Jefferies left the managerial post at Kilmarnock 'by mutual consent'. It appeared the former Berwick Rangers, Falkirk, Hearts and Bradford City manager had reached an impasse with Killie chairman Michael Johnston and a parting of the ways was inevitable. Jefferies assistant and managerial right hand man Billy Brown also departed Rugby Park.
It seemed Killie fans were split about the news. When Johnston announced the news at a supporters meeting on a cold, wintry Monday evening some reacted with applause, others remained silent. I've heard the phrase 'he'd taken the club as far as he could' mentioned and there seem certain similarities between Jefferies departure from Ayrshire and his leaving Hearts a decade ago.

As a Hearts player in the 1970s, Jefferies perhaps wasn’t the most skilful player in the world although his commitment to the club he supported as well as captained was never in doubt. When his managerial career inevitably took him to Tynecastle in 1995, he instigated a five-year period that brought much yearned success for the maroons. Throughout season 1997-98, Hearts played the best football I've ever seen at Tynecastle and were very close to snatching the league title from under the noses of Celtic and Rangers. There were some stunning displays that season and perhaps only a lack of strength in depth in the squad as the campaign reached its crucial phase denied Hearts the ultimate glory.

Not only did ‘JJ’ get results, he got those results by having Hearts play some hugely entertaining football and scoring goals aplenty. When the likes of Neil McCann set off on a mazy run - and who could forget ‘Terry’s’ mesmerising performance in the Coca-Cola Cup final of 1996? - or Colin Cameron would power forward from midfield, Hearts fans were on the edge of their seats. It was Jefferies who first recognised the defensive qualities of David Weir and who was prepared to take a chance on Stevie Fulton whose career began in such memorable fashion at Celtic before he lost his way somewhat. He was not only revitalised but he flourished under Jefferies and Billy Brown.

Hearts may have fallen short in their admirable quest for their first league title in nearly forty years that season. They did, however, win the Scottish Cup in 1998 defeating Rangers 2-1 in the final to end thirty-six years of hurt. I shall never forget that season or the weekend of the cup final when thousands of Hearts fans dreams came true. Of course, Hearts were to win the famous old trophy again eight years later but the triumph of 1998 was, to me, that wee bit more special. After years of so many near misses I was convinced I would never see my team win a major trophy; thanks to Jim Jefferies building such a talented team that theory was dispelled.

When Jefferies was given some money to spend on players thanks to the ill-fated SMG 'investment' in Hearts a year later he paid £400k for goalkeeper Antti Niemi - a great piece of business - and also brought players such as Gordan Petric, Lee Makel and Leigh Jenkinson to Tynecastle. However, a year after Hearts won the Scottish Cup they flirted dangerously with relegation - they went three months without a win and several games without even scoring - before the return of injury stricken Colin Cameron and Jefferies inspired signing of Darren Jackson from Celtic turned things around.

I was in the pub on the Friday evening it was announced Jim Jefferies was coming home. At first I thought it was a mate winding me up when he sent me a text message saying Csaba Laszlo had left. I got deeply suspicious when he sent another text shortly after saying Jim Jefferies had been appointed as his replacement. I headed for a pub, which had Sky Sports News on the television, and the story was confirmed.

Such an experienced and talented football man with an eye for previously unheralded talent deserves to remain in the game. Walter Smith returned to Rangers after a few years away and has been a success second time around. That said, Hearts are now a different club to the one that Jefferies left all those years ago. It remains to be seen how his relationship with Vladimir Romanov will work.

However, for now - it's welcome home Jim!

Heart of Midlothian 0 Aberdeen 3

Clydesdale Bank SPL, Wednesday 27 January 2010 - Tynecastle

A mind-numbingly hopeless Hearts performance. Just when you think they can't play any worse. Fair play to Aberdeen though - they played well and thoroughly deserved their victory.

Nuff said!

Acceptable in the Eighties

The week between Christmas and New Year is a strange one. Many people are off work and with the frenzy of Christmas Day itself dying down before the New Year is to be welcomed, those of us who are lucky to have a few days to recharge the batteries can occasionally find ourselves at a loose end. It’s good to have some time off work but I’m a creature of habit and sitting doing nothing doesn’t sit easily with me.

One task I did without too much persuasion was clear out a box of old football programmes, which had been lying gathering dust in the loft of Chez Smith for more years than I care to remember. A fascinating couple of hours ensued as I browsed through pages of Hearts programmes from years gone by - it was like travelling back in time! One particular programme caused mild amusement. It was for the Hearts versus Clyde League Cup tie - then sponsored by the Skol brewery - at Tynecastle in August 1987. Hearts match programme had been revamped for season 1987-88 and the new format was proving very popular. In fact it was so popular that Chairman Wallace Mercer felt the need to apologise in the programme for the Clyde game for the fact that programmes for the league game with Dundee United at Tynecastle a few days earlier had sold out - meaning many people didn’t get a copy

Reading the programme ‘pen pictures’ of some of the Clyde players also brought a smile to my face. Goalkeeper Peter Latchford, for example, was described as spending twelve years with Celtic ‘before realising the error of his ways…‘ Defender Paul McDowall was said to be ‘known by his team mates as Rambo - but the resemblance was not easy to spot!’ Midfielder Jim Murphy was described as being ‘somewhat like Maradona in style and physique - although he is not a fluent Spanish speaker…’ Clearly, the programme editor had a sense of humour…

It was interesting to note in the same programme that new laws had been introduced that season, one of which was the issue of a yellow card for any player who faked injury in order to gain an unfair advantage. Or, as the programme deftly put it ‘caution any player who writhes around in mock agony or who, having been tripped, rolls over and over with grossly exaggerated impetus…’ It’s good to see that rule having such a dramatic effect on our game more than twenty years ago!

Hearts had begun season 1987-88 quite promisingly and were fresh from having put four goals past a Dundee United side who had appeared in the UEFA Cup final just a few weeks earlier and demolishing First Division Kilmarnock to the tune of 6-1 in the Skol Cup in the previous round. The remarkable statistic about that game was that Hearts scored six goals in one game yet legendary striker John Robertson didn’t get any of them - while the somewhat less than prolific Neil Berry did! To emphasise the fact Hearts were high-fliers, chairman Wallace Mercer appeared in an advert in the programme for a car phone. He was pictured holding a contraption the size of a large brick to his ear…

Midfield player Gary Mackay - who would go on that season to not only play for Scotland but also score the only goal in a rare Scots victory against Bulgaria in Sofia, thereby enabling the Republic of Ireland to qualify for the European Championships in 1988 - was pictured receiving the man of the match award for his performance against Kilmarnock. At least the caption beneath the photo says it’s Gary Mackay - I harbour my suspicions that it’s actually eighties pop idol Simon le Bon of Duran Duran fame (don’t you love those old photos, Gary?!)

It has to be said that, at just seventy pence, the Hearts programme of season 1987-88 was excellent value for money, even if the 1970s penchant for players’ profiles was still in use. In the Clyde programme, it was the turn of Hearts striker Wayne Foster to tell us his favourite food was chicken, his favourite drink was lager and he enjoyed any other sports…

I hadn’t the heart to throw the programme out - it remains in the loft with many other classic match day programmes, a fond reminder of days - and styles - gone by. It lies in a box alongside the Hearts Song of 1986. Ah, vinyl! Remember the days when…

Dundee's 1962 Championship Winning Team

Jubilant Dundee players with the 1962 League Championship trophy.

Dundee reached the semi-final stage of the European Cup the following season, losing to AC Milan the eventual winners.

At the back of the above photograph, alongside Tottenham Hotspur bound Alan Gilzean is Gordon Smith who has a unique place in Scottish football. He is the only player to have lifted the league title with three different teams - not one of them being Celtic or Rangers (Hibernian 1952, Heart of Midlothian 1960 and Dundee 1962)

Athletes All of Them...

But who are they and when was this photo taken? I suspect Ken Fitlike will know instantly!

Frank McGarvey Changed My Life!

Supporters of both teams at Tynecastle yesteday who followed their teams in the 1980s will recall St. Mirren striker Frank McGarvey. As well as being a forward of some repute, he is a player who helped changed the direction of my life. Let me explain.

In 1987, I was living in Aberdeen. Although I was in my mid twenties, I felt as though I was in my mid forties. I felt I was achieving nothing in life, stuck in a dead end job with no prospects. I still had ambition. I still wanted to do so many things. However, I felt trapped, unable to achieve anything with the shackles of life and work in Aberdeen hanging on me, dragging me into misery. My devotion to the mighty Heart of Midlothian FC was still total. Moreover, it was following a Hearts game that I made what was to prove to be a life-changing decision.

In the spring of 1987, I had joined the Granite City Hearts Supporters Club. I wasn’t the only Hearts supporter residing in Aberdeen and when I became aware of a Hearts supporters club in the city I decided to join this fine group of people who undertook the trek to see Hearts home and away every week. Having family commitments there was no way I could travel with the lads and lassies every week. Nevertheless, I went on the occasional journey, one of which was the Scottish Cup semi-final between Hearts and St. Mirren in April 1987. Hearts had knocked Celtic out of the cup earlier and with Rangers out in the first round the way was clear for an Old Firm free final for the second year in a row - and Hearts were favourites to lift their first piece of silverware since 1962. The semi-final against St. Mirren was seen as a passport to the final itself for the maroons and the Granite City Hearts Supporters Club set off for Hampden Park, Glasgow on a sunny spring afternoon full of expectation - which, as every Hearts fan knows, is always dangerous. The club, led by the inimitable figure of a fella called Charlie Brown, had a penchant for setting off from Aberdeen at 12 noon which meant getting to games before kick-off was usually a race against time - not helped by the tradition of stopping off at a pub in Forfar for a couple of pints and a game of pool en route to the Hearts game.

On the way to Hampden Park and the clash with St. Mirren, the bold Charlie considered it prudent to take the names of those fans wishing to go to the cup final a month later. When I ventured that, perhaps it might be worth thinking about this after the St. Mirren game I was almost booted off the coach at Dundee. Didn’t these fellas know anything about following Hearts? Against my better judgement, I put my name down to go with the lads to the final. However, somewhat predictably, Hearts were awful in the semi-final and proceeded to lose 2-1 with Frank McGarvey scoring the winner for the team from Paisley.

The trip back to Aberdeen was akin to travelling home from a family funeral. In a fit of pique, I blamed Charlie’s arrogance for costing us a trip to the final and promptly ceased my membership of the club. The following day, I sat in despair in my home in Aberdeen. Foolishly, I had been relying on football to deflect from the real problems of my life, thinking that as long as Hearts were winning and had a chance of winning the Scottish Cup all would be okay. That Sunday afternoon I made my mind up that something drastic was indeed required to sort my life out. Once my young daughter was in bed that evening I sat down with my wife and spoke to her about my feelings. She knew I was unhappy, knew my health was suffering and desperately wanted to help. I hated living in Aberdeen and wanted to change our lives for the better. The solution in my eyes was to move away from the Granite City - to a place I loved and had wanted to move to nearly a decade before. A place that was always in my heart. A place where I felt invigorated, at ease and at peace. That place was Edinburgh.

A little more than two years later I secured a job with Lothian Health Board and we headed to a new life in Scotland‘s capital city. The only regret I have is that I didn’t move sooner. Perhaps if Hearts had not lost to St. Mirren that day and had gone on to lift the Scottish Cup I may still be in Aberdeen to this day. So that’s why Frank McGarvey changed my life - thankfully for the better!

Heart of Midlothian 1 St. Mirren 0

Clydesdale Bank SPL, Saturday 16 January 2010 - Tynecastle

After last week's debacle at Aberdeen, I wasn't wholly confident Hearts would bounce back today. However, they did and this hard-earned victory over St. Mirren was Hearts sixth game unbeaten in the SPL.

The appearance of Jason Young, David Templeton and, ahem, Christian Nade did much to galvanise Hearts today. Honestly! I thought Nade played as well as he has done in a maroon shirt, although admittedly that's not difficult to beat. Young Scott Robinson also played well but the lack of goals is an on-going concern that won't go away until Hearts sign a new striker or two. They have now been linked with former Jambo Lee Miller, now at Aberdeen - but even if he were to return to Tynecastle it won't be until next season.

Michael Stewart's first half penalty was enough for all three points today. Hearts did show an improved work-rate and there are some bright young players making the breakthrough. St. Mirren seem to suffer from a similar affliction to Hearts - it just all falls to pieces in the final third of the field. The frustration that goes with this was perhaps behind Andy Dorman's piece of unsporting behaviour this afternoon - after Hearts put the ball out of play so an injured St. Mirren player could receive treatment, Dorman thought it smart not to give the ball back from the re-start. Which didn't endear the Buddies to some of the home support who still haven't forgotten St. Mirren's role in the last day of season 1985-86 when they lost 5-0 to Celtic thereby enabling The Hoops to win the league on goal difference - from Hearts...

Hearts have now consolidated fifth place in the SPL and are six points behind fourth placed Hibernian. Hearts and St. Mirren meet again in a couple of weeks in the semi-final of the Co-op Insurance Cup at Fir Park. Expect another tight game.

Who's the Mason in the Black...?

Not that I would have argued with Tom 'Tiny' Wharton...

Jim Jefferies Leaves Kilmarnock

So farewell then, Jim Jefferies who has left the managerial post at Kilmarnock 'by mutual consent'. It would appear the former Berwick Rangers, Falkirk, Hearts and Bradford City manager had reached an impasse with Killie chairman Michael Johnston and a parting of the ways was inevitable. Jefferies assistant and managerial right hand man Billy Brown has also departed Rugby Park.

It seems Killie fans are split about the news. When Johnston announced the news at a supporters meeting on Monday evening some reacted with applause, others remained silent. I've heard the phrase 'he'd taken the club as far as he could' mentioned and there seems certain similarities between Jefferies departure from Ayrshire and his leaving Hearts a decade ago.

As a Hearts player in the 1970s. Jefferies had somewhat limited ability although his commitment to the club he supported as well as captained was never in doubt. When his managerial career inevitably took him to Tynecastle in 1995 he instigated a five year period that brought much yearned success for the maroons. Throughout season 1997-98, Hearts played the best football I've ever seen at Tynecastle and were very close to snatching the league title from Celtic and Rangers. There were some stunning displays that season and perhaps only a lack of strength in depth in the squad as the campaign reached its crucial phase denied Hearts the ultimate glory.

They did, however, win the Scottish Cup in 1998 defeating Rangers 2-1 in the final to end thirty-six years of hurt. I shall never forget that season or the weekend of the cup final when thousands of Hearts fans dreams came true.

Ironically, it was when Jefferies was given some money to spend on players thanks to the ill-fated SMG 'investment' in Hearts a year later that doubts were raised. Jefferies paid £400k for goalkeeper Antti Neimi - a great piece of business - but also paid over-priced fees on players such as Gordan Petric, Lee Makel and Leigh Jenkinson. A year after Hearts won the Scottish Cup they flirted dangerously with relegation - they went three months without a win and several games without even scoring - before the return of injury stricken Colin Cameron and the signing of Darren Jackson turned things around.

I hope Jim Jefferies finds another managerial post soon. It won't be easy as former Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood has discovered. But Jefferies is too decent a manager to be out of the game for long. I wish him and Billy Brown all the very best.

Aberdeen 2 Heart of Midlothian 0

Active Nation Scottish Cup Fourth Round, Saturday 9 January 2010 - Pittodrie

I headed to the Granite City on the Friday evening and shared a few beers with an old mucker before staying overnight. I don't think he quite believed me when I told him how poor Hearts have been this season. What about five games in a row unbeaten? Victory over Celtic? A good draw at Hibernian? Just papering over the cracks, I told him.

And so it was proved at a chilly Pittodrie Stadium (when is it anything else up there?) The tie was one of the few that survived the adverse weather conditions (the latest entry into cliched life in this country) and the thousand or so Hearts fans who made the considerable effort to head north must have wished they hadn't bothered. In keeping with the majority of matches this season it was poor fare.

Hearts were without the likes of Andrew Driver, Jose Goncalves, Lee Wallace, Ruben Palazuelos Craig Thomson and Jason Thomson but those who did take to the field in unfamiliar blue were, quite simply, awful. I counted just one effort on goal in the first forty-five minutes while Aberdeen certainly kept visiting keeper Marian Kello busy. Hearts front two were teenagers Gordon Smith and Scott Robinson - they tried their best but they looked out of their depth. They weren't helped by the somewhat mystifying tactic of launching constant high balls to Robinson who cut a diminutive and hapless figure. What's it all about Csaba?

It was inevitable Aberdeen would eventually score - and inevitable it would be Darren Mackie, a player who apparently hasn't scored for eleven months. Why is it all the droughts are ended against Hearts? St. Mirren, for example, took eight months to win a league game at their shiny new ground. Until Hearts came a calling...

More inevitability - former Hearts striker Lee Miller scored Aberdeen's second with fourteen minutes left. What happened after that, dear reader, I'm unable to tell you as I left the ground - along with hundreds of other disgruntled Hearts supporters.

Who have East Stirlingshire got next week...?

New Year Quiz

This photo shows some happy Dundee players in the early 1980s. One of them has a link to the present Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Fellow blogger Adullamite has offered a tenner to anyone who can tell who the player is...*

*he hasn't really

Hibernian 1 Heart of Midlothian 1

Clydesdale Bank SPL, Sunday 3 January 2010 - Easter Road

It was a curious build up to the Edinburgh New Year Derby of 2010. For much of season 2009-10, Hibernian have been the team from Scotland’s capital city who have impressed. Up to Christmas, they had embarked on an unbeaten run of twelve games in the SPL and were tucked in behind the Old Firm in the league table with some wishful thinkers in Leith believing John Hughes’ men could mount a serious attempt to become the first team to split the Glasgow pair since city rivals Hearts did it four years ago. Hearts, on the other hand, had struggled all season. When Celtic visited Gorgie the week before Christmas no one could possibly see anything other than a victory for Tony Mowbray’s side - which would set up a basement battle between Hearts and Falkirk on Boxing Day. Some gloating Hibees were quick to point out that Hearts would go into the New Year Derby at Easter Road in bottom place in the SPL. However, results during December were to prove that nothing, as if Scots ever needed to be told, is certain in football.

Hearts burst many a fixed-odds coupon by defeating Celtic 2-1 five days before Christmas. Although they were helped by the dismissal of Celtic defender Gary Caldwell in the first half, Hearts defended robustly and secured a precious three points in the most unlikely of circumstances. Six days later Hearts recorded a rare victory at The Falkirk Stadium and followed this up with another hard fought single goal win against Motherwell at Tynecastle the day before Hogmanay. Suddenly, the talk was not of Hearts fighting relegation but targeting the managerless and free-falling Dundee United in fourth place.

Hibernian, meanwhile, fancied their chances of defeating Rangers at Easter Road two days after Christmas, a prospect enhanced when Anthony Stokes gave the home side the lead after just twelve seconds. However, Rangers stormed back and thrashed John Hughes’ side 4-1 to leave an air of deflation in Leith. To the extent that some Hibs fans were not as confident as before about victory over their city rivals while Hearts fans, until recently harbouring fears about the game, were beginning to look forward.

Heavy snow in Scotland’s capital city on the eve of the game caused concern. The Easter Road pitch was fine but the area surrounding the stadium was covered in snow and ice. However, common sense prevailed the game went ahead as planned. Graeme Smith made his debut for Hibernian, the former Motherwell goalkeeper being preferred to the error-prone Yves Ma-Kalambay. If that was something of a surprise for Hibs fans it was nothing to what was in store for the visiting support. With the Thomsons - Jason and Craig - both injured and Eggert Jonsson required for central defence, the right back berth was given to the forgotten man of Tynecastle - Marius Cinikas who made his first appearance in a maroon shirt since joining on loan from FC Kaunas in August.

It wasn’t a huge surprise there was little finesse in this latest Edinburgh derby. However, it was an open game with both sides keen to get forward. There was certainly no shortage of commitment, which is something one shouldn’t have to go looking in any case, but fifty-fifty balls were contested with enough vigour to warm even the most cynical on a bitterly cold Edinburgh afternoon. The first real chance fell to Hearts when Michael Stewart found himself in space on the edge of the Hibs penalty box. He opted to pass to Gordon Smith rather than have a shot himself but the youngster lacked composure and the chance was gone. At the other end, Hibs top scorer Anthony Stokes wasted arguably an even better chance when he screwed the ball wide after a long ball from Riordan fell at his feet. With half-time beckoning and the game goalless, Hearts took the lead. Christian Nade, of all people, held the ball up well and passed to Palazuelos whose cross was met on the volley by Smith whose first time effort flew past his namesake in the Hibs goal from around eighteen yards. Hearts ahead at the interval thanks to a goal from a name you normally associate with Hibernian…

After a couple of early chances for the visitors in the second half, it was Hibernian who drew level nine minutes into the second period. Derek Riordan was given the freedom of Leith to enable him to cross for Stokes to head the equaliser. Shortly afterwards with tempers rising, Darren McCormack and Ruben Palazuelos were ordered off by referee Charlie Richmond after appearing to head butt each other. Hibernian had chances near the end to win the game through Riordan and Ian Murray but they were passed up.

The gamed ended 1-1, a result that was not particularly satisfying for either team but was a fair reflection on the ninety minutes. Hibernian have now gone six Edinburgh derby league games unbeaten while Hearts extended their unbeaten run in the SPL to five games. It wasn’t pretty to watch, it wasn’t the most skilful game of football you’ll ever see but that’s Scottish football for you in 2010.

For all that they are the perceived purveyors of ‘flair football’, there was precious little of that on show from Hibernian. For much of the game, certainly, after McCormack was red-carded, they seemed to rely on the long ball to the somewhat isolated figure of Anthony Stokes. Zemmama faded from the game and the home team seemed unable to alter their game plan accordingly. John Hughes has had a decent season thus far as Hibernian manager but against Hearts his team seemed one-dimensional.

As far as Hearts are concerned, a point at Easter Road wasn’t a bad thing, particularly given the Edinburgh teams’ respective league positions. However, the soap opera that is Heart of Midlothian FC would appear to be devising another plot. Owner Vladimir Romanov clearly doesn’t rate the two strikers - Steven MacLean and Izale Macleod - manager Csaba Laszlo identified as being the solution to his team’s chronic goalscoring problem and the chances of either player coming to Tynecastle after their trial periods seems remote. Hence Laszlo appearing to spit out the dummy by throwing in eighteen year old Gordon Smith for his full league debut. Yet Romanov will surely point to the youngster’s finely taken goal as evidence he was right. Whether Laszlo sees this as his authority being undermined is open to debate.

Somewhat predictably, 2010 has begun with honours shared in Auld Reekie - but there is unfinished business for both capital sides in the months ahead.

Kilmarnock Win the League Title 1965

Jubilant Kilmarnock players celebrate the clinching of the Scottish League Championship following a dramatic last day victory over title rivals Hearts at Tynecastle in 1965. Hearts needed only to avoid losing 2-0 to the Ayrshire men to ensure they won the league for the second time in five years. However, goals from Davie Sneddon and Brian McIlroy ensured Kilmarnock got the two goal win they required to leave the Hearts fans in the near forty thousand crowd at Tynecastle stunned.

Killie had won the title at the end of season 1964-65 on goal average, something a bitter Tynecastle club sought to change two years later. Had the present day goal difference been used then Hearts would have been crowned champions.

It was perhaps typical of Hearts luck that twenty-one years later they also lost the league title on the final day of the season when they lost 2-0 at Dundee. Goal difference meant Celtic's five goal thrashing of St. Mirren the same day saw the league flag fly over Celtic Park. Had the goal average system of 1965 still been in place in 1986, Hearts would have been champions...