Reynolds back where it began at empty Hampden
Dundee United skipper desperate to turn pain into joy this time at national stadium
JUDGING by his initial response when asked to describe his Hampden memories, it appears that Cupid’s bow may have missed its Mark with the Dundee United skipper when it comes to spreading the romance of the Scottish Cup.
“Painful, if I am being honest,” he dead-pans. It turns out though it hasn’t all been bad for Mark Reynolds at the national stadium over the years.
The former Motherwell and Aberdeen defender goes into today’s semi-final against Hibernian with a decent record at this particular stage of the domestic cup tournaments, without ever taking those final steps up to the winner’s podium. Even when he did lift the League Cup with Aberdeen in 2014, the game was at Celtic Park because of the Commonwealth Games.
“I have been around Hampden since I was a wee boy because my dad was involved with Queen’s Park,” says Reynolds. “I grew up there and got the chance to batter the ball about.
“I have also been lucky enough to play in a few semis and finals and it has just managed to elude me. I have a great record in semis managing to get to finals but I have never taken that final step and got the trophy.”
But such hoodoos are there to be buried, and Reynolds is putting woolly notions of fulfilling childhood dreams of lifting a trophy at the national stadium to one side today, so that he may get the chance to do just that.
“I think you always dream of lifting the cup,” he said. “As a player, you always want that success.
“For me, the way I’ve always been, I don’t let myself get too far ahead. You dream when you are a young boy. Once you start playing, it becomes a job and a reality that you might actually have the chance to do it. Then you remember that you really need to focus on the next game.
“Too many times I think teams and players have got caught up dream about lifting the trophy when they are so close and they fall at the last hurdle.
“So while it is a dream of mine and something I’ve always wanted to do, my focus just now is only on performing in the semi-final and getting to a final so I get closer to realising that dream.”
So, today, Reynolds will come full circle, and will be battering the ball about an empty Hampden once again as he did all those years ago. He would rather it wasn’t that way of course, but unlike the others on the pitch, at least he’ll be used to it.
“I suppose that’s one of the benefits,” he said.” I’m used to a full Hampden as well and it’s great when it’s packed.
“The last time I was involved was when I was on the bench for Scotland against England and we drew 2-2. You could feel the noise. To go from being a wee kid running about when you could hear yourself and the echoes…such is the way football is.
“Once you are on the pitch and get involved, the occasion will take care of itself. Once the whistle blows you are so involved in the game that you get caught up in that. You