Hibs’ cup overf lows as
It was a year of neighbours behaving in very un-neighbourly fashion. Hibs knocked out Hearts after coming back from two goals down en route to smashing a 114-year Scottish Cup curse, Dundee relegated Dundee United and pink-shirted Scotland were sent home to think again by England having had their World Cup qualifying hopes all but extinguished.
The Old Firm narrative was also given a re-boot, Celtic and Rangers clashing in the league for the first time in four years. However, it wasn’t an afternoon to cherish for the Ibrox club’s fans, with Joey Barton, Scottish football’s highest profile signing of the year, faring badly in the hotly anticipated battle with opposite man Scott Brown. Mark Warburton’s side were thumped 5-1 at Celtic Park in September.
But a Scottish Cup semi-final win for Rangers over Celtic had earlier provided cheer, the penalty shoot-out win after a pulsating 2-2 draw at Hampden setting the scene for a final pitching together two teams from the second tier – Hibs v Rangers.
Whatever happened East Fife knew they were going to be robbed of their proud boast as last club from outwith the top flight to lift the Scottish Cup, a distinguished achievement dating back to 1938.
It was only a matter of time as soon as Celtic’s Tom Rogic missed his decisive penalty v Rangers, sending the ball into orbit over Mount Florida.
In the other semi, Hibs’ Jason Cummings atoned for a ridiculously chipped miss from the spot when slotting home the winning kick in a shoot-out v Dundee United after a 0-0 draw.
If there’s a moment when time stood still in Scottish football this year, it was around 4.45pm on 21 May at Hampden Park. Even Hearts fans would agree on the significance having delighted in Hibs’ frankly pathetic efforts to win the Scottish Cup since the Easter Road club’s last victory in 1902; this was big news.
Skipper David Gray stooped to head home the winner in
0 Rangers players celebrate their return to the top flight. time added on, securing a 3-2 win for Hibs over Rangers. Not even they could sabotage things from such a thrillingly close position. But delirious fans flooding on to the Hampden pitch, bringing down a set of goalposts in the process and also goading Rangers fans, ensured most front pages focused on this aspect rather than the romance of a club finally making their appointment with destiny.
“Over-exuberance,” muttered Hibs chairman Rod Petrie. “A complete insult to Rangers, our supporters, and those individuals who were attacked and threatened,” responded an angry and lengthy statement from Rangers, issued the next day.
But while the SFA instigated an inquiry, Hibs got on with the celebrations. Over 100,000 flooded the streets of east Edinburgh the next day. The trophy itself continues to be displayed around schools, bars and clubs as part of the club’s ‘Perservered’ tour.
But before such joy, Hibs were forced to endure another dose of Hampden pain in the League Cup final. Their anguish was Ross County’s delight. The Dingwall club, who only joined the Scottish senior league system in 1994, won their first major trophy at Hibs’ expense.
Again a last-minute winner separated the teams. But it was Ross County who enjoyed the comfort of knowing Alex Schalk’s 90th-minute goal meant the League Cup was theirs to lose. Jim Mcintyre’s side saw the game out and a cup parade through the streets of Dingwall underlined how every club can have their day, eventually.
Dundee have suffered at the hands of Dundee United for going on 40 years, including when their rivals won their first and only Scottish league title at Dens in 1983. So a sense of schadenfreude was in the air on the night of 2 May when a number of factors, including Dundee’s inability to reach the top six, combined to leave United contemplating the nightmare scenario – being relegated at the home of their fiercest rivals.
United looked set to ward off this prospect when they openedthescoringbuttwolate goals from Dundee, including a winner from teenage Dundee fan Craig Wighton, meant Mixu Paatelainen’s side were doomed. The Finn lost his job the next day, replaced by Ray Mckinnon.
United finished eight points adrift of Kilmarnock, with the Rugbyparkclubsecuringtheir own survival courtesy of a 4-1 aggregate win over Falkirk in