I’LL DOO IT MY WAY
SCOTTISH CUP RANGERS v HAMILTON Canning insists Accies can make history .. without that infamous team trip to pigeon convention
HAMILTON boss Martin Canning has urged his men to follow John Lambie’s Ibrox heroes in to the history books – but insists they’ll have to doo without the pigeons.
It’s 30 years since the legendary gaffer and Accies bundled Graeme Souness’ star-studded Rangers out of the Scottish Cup thanks to a strike from Adrian Sprott.
The South Lanarkshire men prepared for that third round shock by taking an infamous team trip to a pigeon convention to satisfy their eccentric manager’s love for his feathered friends.
With another trip to Govan and Cup quarter-final against the Light Blues tomorrow, Canning would love to see his Accies team revered in the same way as the class of ‘87.
But he insists he’d rather let his squad rest up than force them on another bizarre jolly to Blackpool.
Canning said: “I’ve heard plenty about the 1987 Scottish Cup win over Rangers from Scott Struthers and others at the club.
“I know it’s a big day in the club’s history. It was a big result and it would be great to go and emulate that. Those guys are still talked about 30 years on so it would be great for us to go and do the same and write ourselves into the club’s history.
“But I certainly have no plans to do a Lambie with my guys – I don’t think they knew the Blackpool jaunt was for that.
“They thought they were just going for a trip then found out that was on when they got there. That was quite common for Hamilton back then. They disappeared all over Britain and it coincided with pigeon conventions.
“It’s not something I’d do. With it coming on the back of another big game, the most important thing is making sure the boys are recovered the best they can.”
Hamilton arrive in Govan having beaten Aberdeen 1-0 in midweek while Gers struggled to a late win over St Johnstone – their first victory in three games.
They also held the Light Blues to a 1-1 draw on the opening day of the season but Canning said: “People are giving Rangers a bit of a tough time but they’re still a top team.
“On their day, if they click, they’re still capable of making it very difficult.
“What we must not do is get carried away and think we’re going to a team that isn’t doing as well as they would like.
“We’ve got to give them that respect, make sure we’re organised and work as hard as we have been.
“Before the Aberdeen game we talked about how we beat them before. On the first day of the season we went to Ibrox and proved we could compete. We’ve got to draw on that and make sure we do that.”