Family loyalties tested as Fyvie sets out to oust boyhood heroes
For some of Fraser Fyvie’s family, this weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final represents a win-win situation.
An Aberdeen lad, many of his extended kin and friends will be in the red-and-white section of Hampden as Derek Mcinnes’ team face up to the holders.
But, while most will be cheering on the League Cup finalists as they attempt to win the silverware for the first time in 27 years, the Hibernian midfielder says they will be back in Glasgow for the final regardless and he admits that, while he obviously wants to be there with his Easter Road colleagues contesting matters, he probably will be, too.
“Most of my family and a few of my mates will be in the Aberdeen end. Pretty much all my family bar my mum and dad, who’ll be in the Hibs’ end,” said Fyvie.
“My uncle did say, ‘I’m getting to a final either way,’ but I think he’d rather Aberdeen got there. My family all came to watch me in last year’s final. They’ve experienced that and they were also at Aberdeen’s League Cup win over Inverness [in 2014], so they have enjoyed a bit of success in the last few years. Under Derek Mcinnes, everyone can see they have done a fantastic job.”
Fyvie came through the ranks at Pittodrie and, having become the youngest -ever player to play for Aberdeen, when he made his debut against Hamilton Academical in 2009, aged just 16, he made nearly 60 appearances before being lured south, by Wigan Athletic, three years later.
“It is a fantastic football club. There are some great people at the club who I still speak to. It is a team that I still actually support,” he added.
“I’ve not played against them since I’ve been away, so I’m looking forward to it. I don’t think it’ll be that odd – it’s a football match. I’ll be looking to get my name on the team sheet but we’ve got a great group of boys, so the gaffer will have his hands full picking a team for Saturday.”
If he is selected, the 24-yearold will be asked to patrol the same midfield patch Aberdeen will be asking his longterm mate and Dons captain Ryan Jack to marshall.
“I’ve played alongside Ryan since I was seven years old. We came all the way through together and he is my best pal,” said Fyvie.
“I spoke to him the other day and we have had a bit of banter
FRASER FYVIE between us and he wants to win the Scottish Cup. I want to win it, too, and, come Saturday, we will both look forward to it and both teams will be right at it.
“We are both on a good run of form and full of confidence, so it should be a really good occasion.
“He is the Aberdeen captain and that speaks for itself. He has done fantastically well in the last few seasons and he is highly regarded in Scottish football. I think he is a fantastic player and we can all see the game that he produces week to week. Ryan is one of the first names on the Aberdeen teamsheet and everything seems to go through him. He is a top player.
“But it will be a case of ‘see you after the match’. We will see how it goes and, hopefully, Hibs can come out winners on the day and get ourselves to another final. That is what I want to do.”
Fyvie insists the pressure is off Hibernian after last season’s cup success was followed up by the winning of the Championship title last weekend and the sealing of promotion back to the Premiership.
The celebrations were jubilant but fairly contained on Saturday, with everyone aware of this cup game looming, but, if they succeed in the dream of making it past Aberdeen and going on to win the double, there will be more partying and a few more of the famous Efe Ambrose somersaults. Fyvie is not promising a reprise of the forward tumble he attempted in the wake of the defender’s acrobatics, after the Queen of the South game, though.
“I forgot about that celebration,” he said of the amatuer gymnastics that gave the Leith fans reason to laugh and cheer on Saturday. “I thought a wee forward roll was the right thing to do. But I was a bit stiff, wasn’t I?”
The promotion is something else to add to a CV that already boasts an FA Cup and, obviously, a Scottish Cup medal and he wants to keep adding to the honour roll.
“To get to another final and get another winner’s medal would be nice,” he added.
“But it’s a cup game, it’s 50/50, and Aberdeen are having a great season. They’ve got a great squad, good players and a good manager, so it’ll be a very difficult game for us. We’ll have to be at our best to beat them.
“But we go there full of confidence after winning the league. We’re going back up to the Premiership which is fantastic.”
“My uncle did say ‘I’m getting to the final either way’ but I think he would rather Aberdeen got there”