Hearts ticket allocation for Friday.

[Bearman 9]

I thought I would relate a telephone conversation held last evening with an old Hearts supporting mate.

 

He had read the post and was particularly interested in the Kenny Aird inspired skelping, and asked for a date. I suggested early season 73/74?

 

We got to talking about Rangers/Hearts games in the late 60s/early 70s and how the winter fixture was always a trial on the eyes. Standing at the back of an open, high terrace in the rain/glaur/darkness, watching under comparatively(by today's standards) poor floodlighting; by the middle of the second half, it was increasingly difficult to differentiate between the teams. Both Ibrox and Tynecastle were heavily sanded through the middle, and both turfs cut-up right from the off. Similar dark coloured jerseys and the same shorts and dark socks; all splattered with mud, made things difficult.

 

The game that was an immediate relief was December'72, Hearts turned up in their maroon and white version of the iconic Ajax strip. It was below freezing, a dozen fires burning on the terraces. We battered the Jam Tarts for ninety minutes, couldn't score. In injury time, they ran up the pitch and Tommy Murray sat on the ball(just like Bud had done in the League Cup final in front of Jim Craig), stood up and laid off a pass(possibly to Carruthers), who crossed to the back post where the mercurial Donald Ford was waiting to nod the winner. The new strips on a frozen hard pitch meant we all had a great view.

 

The Jambos, if the mate's attitude is typical, are salivating in anticipation of Friday evening. The phone was placed down when I enquired as to the whereabouts of Albert Kidd and Henry Smith?

 

Yeah, I didn't attend that game because I was in a huff. Why? The day before we sold Willie Johnston to WBA and I swore I'd never go back, I did of course.

 

Also after that defeat Rangers didn't lose another that season winning 19 of their 21 remaining league games, missing out winning the league by 1 point, that defeat to the Jambos proved very costly indeed. On a happier note, we continued the run during the season winning the Scottish Cup with a 3-2 win against sellik, 'Jaws' grabbing the winner with a 25mm sclaff.