SAM LEGACY BUT NOW I’LL HAUNT HIBS
HIS old man will always be a legend in Leith but Sam Stubbs will be happy to haunt Hibs with Hamilton.
The Accies defender jumped on the Hibees bandwagon when dad Alan was in charge at Easter Road and still watches reruns of the famous Scottish Cup win in 2016.
Stubbs junior was in the Hampden stands to witness the thriller but he’s out to make a name for himself when the sides meet at the Fountain of Youth Stadium today.
He said: “I was at the final with my mum and sister. I remember it like it was yesterday and still watch clips of the last eight minutes on YouTube.
“It was written in the stars if you believe that sort of thing. I was up there that week because we had a school break and my dad said he had a feeling they were going to win the Cup.
“It was a special day and the whole family will never forget it. I don’t think my dad will ever need to buy a drink in Leith ever again.
“Will it extend to me if we win? I don’t think so!
“As brilliant as it will be for the family, for me it’s another day at the office and the most important thing is the three points.
“My dad will be wanting us to do well but Hibs have a special place in his heart because they gave him the opportunity to become a manager and fulfil crazy dreams I don’t think he thought were possible.”
Stubbs didn’t just watch from the sidelines when his dad was Hibs gaffer – he was a regular at training. He had to tread carefully as the manager’s son but won’t be holding back this afternoon in Hamilton.
Stubbs said: My dad stayed in Musselburgh so I spent a bit of time there in the school holidays, went training with them, and that was brilliant.
“The ones who are still there might not remember me because I am a little bit older but possibly they’ll think back at my name.
“When I trained my dad said it was best not to put a tackle in. But it will be different on Saturday.”
Stubbs is still feeling a bit bruised after the 5-0 battering from Rangers before the international break but insists Accies are ready to bounce back.
He added: “It was a tough lesson but one I feel I have learned from. It’s never easy to lose 5-0 but you have to be realistic and understand what you’re playing against.
“If they come off having won 2-0 it’s almost looked at as a bad result for them but it’s not acceptable to lose 5-0, it’s not nice.
“We have to realise where we are and where our fights are. Next time we play Rangers it will hopefully be a different score.
“I feel I’ve done OK. There’s a lot for me to work on but I’m happy with the way it’s going for me and for the team. It has been a decent start.
“But there are areas for us to improve on over the season. Hopefully we’ll get as many points on board as quickly as possible.”