YOGI KEPT ME SANE AFTER HANDBALL IN THE SEMI WENT GLOBAL
SCOTTISH CUP FINAL Josh hails boss after beating SFA ban bid 9 DAYS TO GO
JOSH MEEKINGS’S world was turned upside down after his Scottish Cup semi-final handball went global.
The Inverness defender can still barely get his head around that crazy week in the wake of his side’s Hampden win over Celtic last month.
Meekings got out of jail when the ball struck his arm and he dodged both a penalty and a red card – but it led to a week of mayhem that hit the headlines in Scotland and beyond.
He was blown away by the Free the Caley Thistle One campaign on social media after he was threatened with a ban by the SFA’s compliance officer Tony McGlennan.
Now the dust has settled he’s just relieved he will be able to face Falkirk in next week’s final – and the stopper has hailed boss John Hughes for helping him get through it all.
He said: “It was unbelievable. I didn’t expect all that to happen.
“There were a few sleepless nights, that’s for sure. I had it last year as well after the League Cup semi-final. The sending off in the semi against Hearts got rescinded to a yellow so I could play. I never seem to have it easy.
“It was an incredible week. Social media was going crazy. People from all over the world and fans of different clubs were getting in touch with me to offer their support.
“There were managers and coaches coming out and saying I should be able to play.
“Friends messaged me and said it was on national news all over the world. It was a handball in a semi in Scotland but it felt like it was being talked about everywhere.
“The manager was great. He just kept telling me to keep concentrating on my football. He said I couldn’t affect anything off the pitch and it would all take care of itself.”
Meekings now believes it could be written in the stars that his cup story has a happy ending. He said: “I hope that will be the case for me but I don’t want to tempt fate.”
The Englishman was thrilled to get the green light for the Final but admits his heart goes out to team-mate Gary Warren who is banned after picking up a booking in the semi.
Warren was also suspended for last year’s League Cup Final and defensive sidekick Meekings said: “It’s tough on Gary. I will definitely be going out there to win the Cup for him.”
Meekings is hoping Caley Thistle are global news again – this time for the right reasons.