Tag: Sport

Hibs heroes to end Hampden hoodoo

 

And if you know your history … yes, we know, it’s 110 years since Hibs won the Scottish Cup and long-suffering Hibees could be forgiven for staying in their beds on 19 May, or maybe take the opportunity to enjoy that long-awaited weekend break in Kazahkstan. After all, Hibs don’t beat Hearts. And they certainly don’t win the Scottish Cup.

It was somehow inevitable that, following Hibs semi-final victory over Aberdeen, city rivals Hearts would triumph over Celtic in the other tie. It was meant to be.

And yet Hibs could surprise us all – their own fans included. Granted, this is probably the worst ever Hibs team to contest a final, but the Hampden showpiece is an opportunity to put wretched League form behind them and go out and actually enjoy the occasion. There is no pressure on the Easter Road men – they have nothing to lose; they are expected to lose.

Half the HIbs squad is out of contract at the end of this season – what better opportunity to put yourself in the shop window, or securing yourself a new contract, than by being part of a cup winning team?

Hibs have been poor all season – correction, for seasons – and their current SPL plight is no surprise. They are not in a false position – they thoroughly deserve to be where they are, scrapping it out with Dunfermline for Premier League survival. They just haven’t been good enough.

But they have been a different proposition in the cup. Granted, they have had some luck in the draw but they have done all they have had to do, and they have reached the final on merit. In Leigh Griffiths and Gary O’Connor they do have strikers who can take their chances and who can prove a handful for the Hearts defence.

And in James McPake the Hibees at last have a leader of the pitch, a real captain who will nail his colours to the mast and who will battle for the cause to the end. He’s the type of motivator Hibs have been sorely missing – and the Cup Final is a day for big hearts and big men. McPake may just inspire his men to glory.

So it could just be Hibs day. Some very ordinary players could well become club legends over the course of ninety (or, God forbid, 120) minutes. It’s unlikely to be pretty or even enjoyable; forget a 7-0 or a 6-2, a sclaffed tap-in in the 89th minute for an ill-deserved 1-0 would do! The only thing that matters is the name on the trophy after the game. Given the topsy-turvy nature of Scottish football this season, that name could just be Hibernian FC – and how sweet would it be to end that Hampden hoodoo against your oldest rivals?

For Hibs, it’s the biggest game in the club’s illustrious history. And for the fans, the most important match of their lives. As one long-suffering Hibs fan said: ‘for them, it’s just another game. But for us, it means everything’.

Stroll down to Saturday soccer school

 

Civil Service Strollers is one of Edinburgh’s oldest football clubs – the Strollers were founded in 1908 – and the club has strong roots in the North Edinburgh area, having been based at the former Civil Service Playing Fields on Marine Drive (now operated by Edinburgh’s Teford College) for well over fifty years. The club is keen to see more local youngsters enjoying the game and is launching a new Saturday morning soccer school this weekend.

General manager Tom Brown said: ‘We are starting up a regular Saturday morning soccer school for both boys and girls on Saturday ( 28 April) and we hope lots of young people will come along. The plan is to have two groups – one for 4-6 year old and the other from 6- 10 and the emphasis will be on enjoying the game and having fun. We are trying to engage the local kids to form a community hub and Saturday’s soccer school is just the start.”

Stroller’s Saturday soccer school starts at 9.30 at the playing fields on Marine Drive.

 

 

BallaBriggs at the double?

BallaBriggs is the confident selection to complete back to back Grand National wins when he tackles 39 high class opponents, 30 daunting fences and four and a half gruelling miles at Aintree this afternoon.

Consecutive National victories don’t happen too often, but BallaBriggs’ trainer Donald McCain does have some insight into how it can be achieved – the last horse to do it was the great Red Rum, trained by Donald’s father Ginger!

BallaBriggs has been laid out for the race since last year’s triumph, and the stable is delighted at the horse’s preparation for this year’s race. Ballabriggs carries ten pounds more than he shouldered to victory last year, but the ground is right, he’s proved he can handle the Aintree fences, he’s fit, he’s fresh and he’s improving – everything points to a repeat success.

Aintree’s fences have been modified for safety reasons and they are not as formidable as they once were. Perhaps for that reason this year’s Grand National has attracted handicappers of the highest quality and the field for this renewal is the strongest there has ever been. Proof of this is the participation of this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Synchronised. Admittedly this year’s Gold Cup form is questionable – both favourites ran well below form at Cheltenham – but Synchronised is a top class chaser and it’s great to see him taking his chance against handicappers.

In AP McCoy, Synchronised has perhaps the greatest ever jockey on his back but the top weight is giving lumps of weight to a field of good handicappers – he may be top class, but humping an 11st10lb burden over four and a half miles may just find him out. No horse has completed the Cheltenham/Aintree double since the legendary Golden Miller back in 1935 – history is against Synchronised.

In this year’s high quality field there are many horses you can make an argument for – perhaps twenty have realistic chances of making the frame. There is a particularly strong Irish challenge this year, and closer to home previous National winner Mon Mome is reportedly in good form at home and could run well at a big price. Jonjo O’Neill’s Sunnyhillboy is another who comes to Aintree from Cheltenham with an impressive win under his belt and could run a big race.

The Grand National always produces a fairytale, and this year will be no different. The first lady jockey winner perhaps? Maybe – both Seabass and Organisedconfusion hold decent chances.

However a bust of the late Ginger McCain looks down on the Aintree winner’s enclosure – and I get the feeling that Ginger will be smiling down on son Donald when he leads his BallaBriggs into that same winner’s enclosure this afternoon.

If you are having a wager on today’s race, take early prices as odds will shorten on fancied horses before the off. But bet sensibly – horses are not machines, jockeys can make mistakes and the winning combination needs an awful lot of good fortune just to complete the course, let alone win the race. Don’t stake more than you can comfortably afford to lose. But betting or not, do enjoy the spectacle and drama of the world’s greatest steeplechase.

NEN Selections:

1. BallaBriggs

2. Synchronised

3. Mon Mome

4. Sunnyhillboy

John Smith’s Aintree Grand National is at 4.15pm today