Hearts v Clydebank 26th April 1986

[Forever Hearts]

27 minutes ago, sadj said:

Don’t get that thought process at all. Its ok to lose 6-2 as it might not affect anything later in the season. 

 

Forgot about that McStay I think. As i said earlier fine margins. The Aberdeen home game on TV was a tough one too , Aberdeen never deserved the pen for a start and we should have had 11 v 10. 

Did you think Hearts were going to win the league at the start of that season? 

[sadj]

Just now, Forever Hearts said:

Did you think Hearts were going to win the league at the start of that season? 

Aye mate I start every season thinking we are winning the league this year. Wether we thought that or not is irrelevant. Losing 6-2 in that game cost us in the big picture. If we had won the league that year it would have been imo the most improbable title in Scottish Football History as the start to the season was poor and to go on a run like we did was unthinkable it doesnt take away the fact that that game was a contributing factor. 

[henryheart]

6 hours ago, Debut 4 said:

Gut wrenching but wonderful times too.  Talk about mixed emotions!

 

It was a tense day from what I remember. We went along expecting a 4 or 5 nil job but wasn’t to be. The 2  points was what we needed though and we got them. It was still in our paws. 
 

Robbo, Black, Berry, Mackay, Levein, Colquhoun etc... were all around 22,23 years old. Men in maroon shirts.  You look at some young players now who come nowhere near taking the same responsibility in their game that those guys did.  

 

I remember it like it was yesterday. I took my seat on the benches directly opposite the tunnel as always and I had to hold back the tears as the match started. I could not quite believe we were nearly there. At the end of the game there was some confusion - some people celebrated that title was won - I don't know if they had heard the wrong result from the Celtic game or had assumed that our goal difference could not see us lose out; it only lasted seconds before they were put back in their box.

 

I started going to games in 1967; I had never experienced anything like that last month of the season, from great highs to the lowest of the low. I never have since. It was both the best and worst of times, but I'm glad I was there.      

[Debut 4]

12 minutes ago, henryheart said:

 

I remember it like it was yesterday. I took my seat on the benches directly opposite the tunnel as always and I had to hold back the tears as the match started. I could not quite believe we were nearly there. At the end of the game there was some confusion - some people celebrated that title was won - I don't know if they had heard the wrong result from the Celtic game or had assumed that our goal difference could not see us lose out; it only lasted seconds before they were put back in their box.

 

I started going to games in 1967; I had never experienced anything like that last month of the season, from great highs to the lowest of the low. I never have since. It was both the best and worst of times, but I'm glad I was there.      

👍🏻    I doubt there’s been a time since that the Hearts support was lifted so high before the way it ended. 

 

It always sounds corny but it did spark Hearts.  It was a great period for a good decade or so(for most part anyway) until we eventually won the cup in 98.  
 

Even without winning anything with that team, I doubt many of us have experienced such a prolonged time of enjoying Hearts the way we did then.  
 

 

Edited April 27, 2021 by Debut 4

[martoon]

3 minutes ago, henryheart said:

 

I remember it like it was yesterday. I took my seat on the benches directly opposite the tunnel as always and I had to hold back the tears as the match started. I could not quite believe we were nearly there. At the end of the game there was some confusion - some people celebrated that title was won - I don't know if they had heard the wrong result from the Celtic game or had assumed that our goal difference could not see us lose out; it only lasted seconds before they were put back in their box.

 

I started going to games in 1967; I had never experienced anything like that last month of the season, from great highs to the lowest of the low. I never have since. It was both the best and worst of times, but I'm glad I was there.      

 

I was in the shed that day and found it hard to accept that just 4 years earlier there had been a riot. To get from our lowest ebb in 1982 to the brink of the title in 1986 was incredible. 

 

Went from the age of 14 to 18 in that period.

 

What a fantastic journey it was from Motherwell '82 to Clydebank '86.  

[Malinga the Swinga]

Imo, we lost the league the day Gary Mackay missed penalty at Tynecastle against Dundee United. A scruffy half hit effort that even Doyle would have saved. Ended up drawing game instead of winning. Its always stuck in my mind for some reason, and I reckon its part of reason why the so called Mr Hearts harps on about Levein missing Dundee game at end is season. He knows himself he cost us and us looking for scapegoat. 

Know others disagree, but that's the one crappy memory for otherwise memorable season. 

Went on Currie bus all over the place that season, with the twins and others. Great times but a ***** of an ending. 

Made 98 all the sweeter though. 

[4marsbars]

I remember coming out of the Clydebank game and people were talking about news of a nuclear accident in the Ukraine, at a place called Chernobyl.

[Hectormasson]

1 hour ago, sadj said:

Don’t get that thought process at all. Its ok to lose 6-2 as it might not affect anything later in the season. 

 

Forgot about that McStay I think. As i said earlier fine margins. The Aberdeen home game on TV was a tough one too , Aberdeen never deserved the pen for a start and we should have had 11 v 10. 

Never said or stated that, but we weren't to know if would come back to haunt us later, just like losing at well and clydebank shortly after that,point or 2 out of these games were costly.....

[Hectormasson]

44 minutes ago, henryheart said:

 

I remember it like it was yesterday. I took my seat on the benches directly opposite the tunnel as always and I had to hold back the tears as the match started. I could not quite believe we were nearly there. At the end of the game there was some confusion - some people celebrated that title was won - I don't know if they had heard the wrong result from the Celtic game or had assumed that our goal difference could not see us lose out; it only lasted seconds before they were put back in their box.

 

I started going to games in 1967; I had never experienced anything like that last month of the season, from great highs to the lowest of the low. I never have since. It was both the best and worst of times, but I'm glad I was there.      

Didn't help that crltic had umpteen games in hand , due to the fact they had so many players in the scotland wc qualifiers and had games put off....b.....s sfa c....s to blame again,,,,,

[Hectormasson]

36 minutes ago, Debut 4 said:

👍🏻    I doubt there’s been a time since that the Hearts support was lifted so high before the way it ended. 

 

It always sounds corny but it did spark Hearts.  It was a great period for a good decade or so(for most part anyway) until we eventually won the cup in 98.  
 

Even without winning anything with that team, I doubt many of us have experienced such a prolonged time of enjoying Hearts the way we did then.  
 

 

Well put .......

[oxfordman]

6 hours ago, davemclaren said:

Not really. Any game we dropped points Those seasons could arguably be put forward. In 85/86 we lost heavily to St Mirren very early in the season but a season is determined on the outcome of every game in it.   

This. I've always been of the opinion that St Mirren did us over twice that season; first that heavy defeat (was it 6-2?), and then lying down for Celtic on the last day. 

[Robbo-Jambo]

4 hours ago, Mikey1874 said:

 

Draw with Aberdeen much more important than Clydebank.

 

If Celtic had needed to score 10 St Mirren would have let them. 

They were awarded that very dubious penalty when the ball came off Iain Jardines arm. 

 

Extremely soft penalty especially back these days where most of the similar type incidents were waved away. 

 

All ifs and buts but JC with that late equalizer should have been the winner thar day. 

 

Then you look at Sandy Clark at Dens when he was chopped down in the box and it wasn't given. 

 

An absolute stonewaller. 

[colinmaroon]

3 minutes ago, Robbo-Jambo said:

They were awarded that very dubious penalty when the ball came off Iain Jardines arm. 

 

Extremely soft penalty especially back these days where most of the similar type incidents were waved away. 

 

All ifs and buts but JC with that late equalizer should have been the winner thar day. 

 

Then you look at Sandy Clark at Dens when he was chopped down in the box and it wasn't given. 

 

An absolute stonewaller. 

 

 

The thing was. and I saw it clear as day, Jim Bett clearly deliberately handled the ball and knocked it against Jardine.

 

Valentine's selective sight (famous for it) saw what he wanted to see, ably assisted by Willie Miller.

 

 

[sadj]

1 hour ago, Robbo-Jambo said:

They were awarded that very dubious penalty when the ball came off Iain Jardines arm. 

 

Extremely soft penalty especially back these days where most of the similar type incidents were waved away. 

 

All ifs and buts but JC with that late equalizer should have been the winner thar day. 

 

Then you look at Sandy Clark at Dens when he was chopped down in the box and it wasn't given. 

 

An absolute stonewaller. 

That was because the ref was told not to award Hearts a pen wasn’t he. Can never remember the proper story

[Glamorgan Jambo]

Was at the game and although we only won by a goal can’t remember ever thinking Clydebank were going to equalise. Obviously McCabe was a fantastic player with great skills but there was a reason he played (I think) most of his games for them.

 

We lost it at Dens. The team just got more and more nervy and anxious as the game went on. And that wee nyaff Kidd was about to get a free transfer so he was desperate to make an impact and help him get a club the following season.

 

Looking back at the highlights you can see how important Sandy Jardine’s distribution was then. Although most of the time it was long high balls to Clark. Accurate I should add.

[Papa]

Clydebank were cannon fodder that season. We went into that game convinced that we would score a barrow load. At full time leaving the Gorgie Road end the atmosphere was surreal. We shuffled out in silence. Someone shouted “cheer up we’re going to win the league”. That seemed to accentuate the foreboding. We were 4 points (2 for a win then) and about 10 goals clear of Celtic who had a game in hand which they completed midweek. 35 years on I still can’t believe we threw it away.

[Mars plastic]

I mind going to Ibrox in December that season and JC scored two to win 2-0. We were unstoppable at that point. The Broomloan was sold out so we ended up in the enclosure in the old stand. As they didn't have the corners filled in then I recall walking out and looking back to see the Hearts end absolutely bouncing.

[Guest ToqueJambo]

Fantastic season. They may not have won medals but they earned and deserved them.

 

St Mirren GTF though. Crooked *******s. Fun fact - Campbell Money's real name is Israel and my money (no pun intended) is on him being the one to eventually break ranks and reveal the truth of why he didn't play that final day. The guys from that era didn't earn much and there's some money to be made from a tell all article.

[Robbo-Jambo]

1 hour ago, sadj said:

That was because the ref was told not to award Hearts a pen wasn’t he. Can never remember the proper story

Bill Crombie was the referee and was a Hearts supporter and should never have been given the game. 

 

He was obviously under pressure not to show bias but that challenge on Clark was a stonewall penalty which any other ref would have given. 

 

No doubt he was appointed for that game by the powers that be to make it pretty difficult for him to give decisions like that for us. 😏

[davemclaren]

24 minutes ago, jonnothejambo said:

Please close this thread, Mods.

 

It genuinely is too painful a memory.

Man up Jonno. 

[Jambob]

Great goal from McKay. I was behind the goal at the Gorgie end. Jim Gallagher had a very good game for Clydebank but Gerry McCabe was outstanding.

[The Goalscoring Knee]

54 minutes ago, Mars plastic said:

I mind going to Ibrox in December that season and JC scored two to win 2-0. We were unstoppable at that point.

Pitch was a bit like an ice rink that day, IIRC. Berry made it look easy by taking the simple option of kicking it the way he was facing instead of trying to turn and end up on his arse. It was bloody freezing but as you say the Broomloand was bouncing.

[sadj]

24 minutes ago, Robbo-Jambo said:

Bill Crombie was the referee and was a Hearts supporter and should never have been given the game. 

 

He was obviously under pressure not to show bias but that challenge on Clark was a stonewall penalty which any other ref would have given. 

 

No doubt he was appointed for that game by the powers that be to make it pretty difficult for him to give decisions like that for us. 😏

Aye i knew he was a jambo I just cant remember if he said he was told not to give us a pen or was worried about bias being called. Imagine that now with Madden , Collum or Beaton or Dallas Jr. 

[RobboM]

4 hours ago, 4marsbars said:

I remember coming out of the Clydebank game and people were talking about news of a nuclear accident in the Ukraine, at a place called Chernobyl.

News didn't come out about the explosion until a couple of days after. Russians were trying to cover up and it was radiation detection in Sweden that picked it up.
.

[cookieboy]

remember Gough scored a 97th minute equaliser at Tannadice early in the unbeaten run

[Mars plastic]

52 minutes ago, The Goalscoring Knee said:

Pitch was a bit like an ice rink that day, IIRC. Berry made it look easy by taking the simple option of kicking it the way he was facing instead of trying to turn and end up on his arse. It was bloody freezing but as you say the Broomloand was bouncing.

 

54 minutes ago, The Goalscoring Knee said:

Pitch was a bit like an ice rink that day, IIRC. Berry made it look easy by taking the simple option of kicking it the way he was facing instead of trying to turn and end up on his arse. It was bloody freezing but as you say the Broomloand was bouncing.

Aye, that’s right. I have a memory of some players wearing trainers although that might just be my age. 

[4marsbars]

38 minutes ago, RobboM said:

News didn't come out about the explosion until a couple of days after. Russians were trying to cover up and it was radiation detection in Sweden that picked it up.
.

 

Funny how your mind plays tricks. I've always associated Chernobyl with that match, memorable also for home fans being allowed onto the Gorgie Rd terracing, and I have this (false) 'memory' that conflates walking out the ground through the Gorgie Rd tunnels, thinking of Chernobyl. 

 

My memories of MacKay's goal are real though. 

[RobboM]

1 minute ago, 4marsbars said:

 

Funny how your mind plays tricks. I've always associated Chernobyl with that match, memorable also for home fans being allowed onto the Gorgie Rd terracing, and I have this (false) 'memory' that conflates walking out the ground through the Gorgie Rd tunnels, thinking of Chernobyl. 

 

My memories of MacKay's goal are real though. 

Agreed, but memorable for me too as it is/was my birthday! 😁
It was a huge opportunity missed and sent me back to London Hearts to double check. We came out of it with a 6 goal advantage over Celtic. If we had made it, say, 10 with a right royal rodgering of Clydebank ....

[Tom Hardy’s Dug]

What sadist would post this thread?

[gator]

It is still painful to think about what should have been but nice to reminisce with fellow Jambos! That was my very first Hearts match, I flew over from Canada to watch my adopted team I had supported from afar hopefully lift the title, it was magical walking to the stadium, bus drivers with Hearts scarves, it brought a wee tear to my eye! Like most I figured we would win this match big, I remember this bald headed keeper Gallagher standing on his head and as mentioned McCabe gave us some scares on the counter! It was a wonderful goal by McKay, I still have the Pink from that match, I do recall someone saying on the way out"that's it we have won the league" and an older gent who was quite was replying "not yet son"! A day I will never forget, it is also my son't birthday and I do remember the nuclear scare from Chernobyl!

[Hook]

10 hours ago, The Old Tolbooth said:

 

Ah yes, it was, my old memory is playing tricks on me, sorry Mr Cowie haha! 

Men & Motors was the show and George ‘co-presented’ with Jo Guest.

 

Cowie’s been over in Australia for a good few years coaching football.

 

Some strike from Mackay with his less favoured left peg. The ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ of that season could drive you to Nurse Ratched if you think about it for too long.

[The Goalscoring Knee]

48 minutes ago, Mars plastic said:

Aye, that’s right. I have a memory of some players wearing trainers although that might just be my age. 

No, I think you're right (although that might be my age too)  I remember wondering how on earth Colquhoun managed to stay upright as he scampered about the place. Ran them ragged. Prefer to remember days like this from that season and not the end, when it came 😭

[Macros]

I was suffering food poisoning and had been chucking up from midday on the Friday, up all night and still being sick on the Saturday morning staying at my fiancée's parents house. Got to about 1pm and my fiancée thought I was being sick again but I was actually getting ready for the game. Had to sit on the benches as I was too weak to stand. Mackay's goal was a cracker but I remember just the feeling of 'not yet' at the end, I wanted to join in the chants of Championees but it was like 6th sense saying 'not yet'. Will we ever get that close again? Who knows but I'd love to have the chance to get there.

[Guest ToqueJambo]

6 minutes ago, Macros said:

I was suffering food poisoning and had been chucking up from midday on the Friday, up all night and still being sick on the Saturday morning staying at my fiancée's parents house. Got to about 1pm and my fiancée thought I was being sick again but I was actually getting ready for the game. Had to sit on the benches as I was too weak to stand. Mackay's goal was a cracker but I remember just the feeling of 'not yet' at the end, I wanted to join in the chants of Championees but it was like 6th sense saying 'not yet'. Will we ever get that close again? Who knows but I'd love to have the chance to get there.

 

No-one will. Or at least no one has since us - 35 years and counting. Depressing.

[gator]

4 minutes ago, ToqueJambo said:

 

No-one will. Or at least no one has since us - 35 years and counting. Depressing.

Yes, I remember the feeling that we would be title challengers on a regular basis, it wasn't long after when Rangers splurged on some big money signings and that was it for Scottish football, we must appreciate our Cup wins because the way the two corrupt sides in Glasgow have made it, ourselves and everyone else will never challenge for a tile again and that is depressing!

[Doctor FinnBarr]

3 hours ago, The Goalscoring Knee said:

No, I think you're right (although that might be my age too)  I remember wondering how on earth Colquhoun managed to stay upright as he scampered about the place. Ran them ragged. Prefer to remember days like this from that season and not the end, when it came 😭

 

I can mind listening to the bus radio on the way home, interview with Sandy Jardine where he mentioned someone from Rangers had phoned him and said "mind and bring the dimples, the pitch is hard". Did they no even mention to the home team?

[Forever Hearts]

9 hours ago, ToqueJambo said:

 

No-one will. Or at least no one has since us - 35 years and counting. Depressing.

Aberdeen only needed a draw at Ibrox in 1991 to win the league. 

[iantjambo]

18 hours ago, wavydavy said:

 

St Mirren inexplicably don't play their player of the season goalkeeper Campbell Money on that day. I wonder why?

It has since been strongly suggested that Money got wind of what some of his teammates were planning on doing and he refused to play and be any part of it.

[wavydavy]

3 hours ago, iantjambo said:

It has since been strongly suggested that Money got wind of what some of his teammates were planning on doing and he refused to play and be any part of it.

 

Ironic piece of logic from him when he might have been the difference between them keeping the goal difference down.

[Mars plastic]

13 hours ago, The Goalscoring Knee said:

No, I think you're right (although that might be my age too)  I remember wondering how on earth Colquhoun managed to stay upright as he scampered about the place. Ran them ragged. Prefer to remember days like this from that season and not the end, when it came 😭

Definitely. I started going in '84 and most of my best memories, cup wins aside, are from the mid to late 80's. 

[davemclaren]

9 minutes ago, Mars plastic said:

Definitely. I started going in '84 and most of my best memories, cup wins aside, are from the mid to late 80's. 

I think that’s an age thing. Yer no young anymore. 

[Victorian]

I was at the game but only the goal is remembered.  We only got 1 point from 4 away to Clydebank and even that was a late equaliser.  We lost to them and Motherwell back to back before the unbeaten run.  We drew a number of games after being ahead.  Twice vs Dundee United and twice vs Celtic.  One of each were very late goals.  Horsed by St.Mirren early on.  Well beaten at Ibrox and Pittodrie early on as well.  One point from 4 away to Dundee.  

[No Idle Talk]

I was there. It wasn't much of a game. You could tell the nerves were getting to the players that day. Lovely goal though.

 

Let's have no threads bringing up old memories in five days time. 😭

[gordon simpson]

On 27/04/2021 at 06:33, XB52 said:

Absolutely loved 86, apart from 7 minutes. Would love to do it all again. 

I will come with you 

[Jamhammer]

On 27/04/2021 at 08:35, qferryjam said:

I always thought the draw with Aberdeen was pivotal if we’d won that ?? 
 the decision not to send off Mcleish for cloths lining I think Robbo on the halfway line when beating the off side always rankles 

All ifs and buts 

It was never a pen for them either 

[Guest ToqueJambo]

16 hours ago, Forever Hearts said:

Aberdeen only needed a draw at Ibrox in 1991 to win the league. 

 

They weren't 7 minutes from the title though. We 're still the last non-OF team to get closest to the title and the last team to split a full strength OF, in 2005/06.

Edited April 28, 2021 by ToqueJambo

[No Idle Talk]

On 27/04/2021 at 17:24, Glamorgan Jambo said:

Was at the game and although we only won by a goal can’t remember ever thinking Clydebank were going to equalise. Obviously McCabe was a fantastic player with great skills but there was a reason he played (I think) most of his games for them.

 

We lost it at Dens. The team just got more and more nervy and anxious as the game went on. And that wee nyaff Kidd was about to get a free transfer so he was desperate to make an impact and help him get a club the following season.

 

Looking back at the highlights you can see how important Sandy Jardine’s distribution was then. Although most of the time it was long high balls to Clark. Accurate I should add.

 

We used to call him Sandy 9 iron.

[Guest ToqueJambo]

7 minutes ago, No Idle Talk said:

 

We used to call him Sandy 9 iron.

 

His chipped free kick in the 7-0 win over Hamilton the next season was sublime. Still one of my favourite free kick goals at Tynecastle because of who scored it.

[dannymack]

Who all went through to Fir Park on the Wednesday hoping to see Hearts win the title ? I know of a few who went through, Motherwell end of course but left after the 2nd went in. 

 

Regardless of the matches in the early stages of the season I will always maintain the Aberdeen and especially the Clydebank games were the games that we could look back on with the ifs and buts, forget about any match from August to December 1985 it was these two matches and ultimately the Dundee match that cost us the title but hey ho we weren't to know that at the time.

[martoon]

I remember tuning into the radio on the Wednesday night around 9.30.

 

No Internet, of course, and the house I shared with mates had a telly, but no Teletext.

 

Don't recall there being a Sportsound covering Motherwell v. Celtic so probably tuned into Radio Forth to hear the FT result.

 

Hoped it might be sealed and wondered if there would be a gathering at Tynecastle and how the hell I'd get there from Wardle Square at that time of night.

 

0-2 Celtic, which I immediately shrugged off, and remember being content that they hadn't eaten into the goal difference too much.