LUCKY CHARMS FOR FALKIRK AND VILLA

PETER HOUSTON has urged his Bairns to be masters of their own destiny in today’s Scottish Cup Final. But some superstitious fans might think their name is already on the trophy for the first time in 58 years thanks to a spooky link with Aston Villa and the re-emergence of a lucky club horseshoe. Falkirk’s two previous triumphs, in 1913 and 1957, have coincided with two of Villa’s seven FA Cup victories, and Tim Sherwood’s side are also in the English Final tonight against Arsenal at Wembley. And, this week, Sheila Prentice — widow of 1957 captain John Prentice — presented current skipper David McCracken with the horseshoe given to her husband before the Kilmarnock Final 58 years ago and to Bobby Orrock before the Bairns’ 2-0 win over Raith Rovers in 1913. It wasn’t presented to Falkirk’s captains in their two losing Finals, against Killie in 1997 and Rangers in 2009, because the Prentice family had emigrated to Australia. Houston is superstitious, booking the same hotel — Mar Hall — that his Dundee United team used when they won the Cup in 2010. ‘I’ve heard about Aston Villa and it’s weird,’ he said. ‘I hope it comes true again. Here’s hoping the horseshoe brings us luck, too, but you can’t look too far into it.’ In another curious twist, Villa ended this season 17th in the Premier League while Falkirk finished 17th in Scotland — and both of their rivals in the Final finished third. ‘I believe in fate,’ said Sherwood. ‘But with all those stats, it’s like University-Challenge!’