The first entry into this countdown may come as some surprise to many, and some others may have even forgotten that this game ever happened. Alas, on a freezing cold day in January 2012, we find a half-empty Tynecastle Park awaiting a routine Scottish Cup victory over part-time opponents.
Now this was hardly a classic, and many as mentioned above you could be forgiven for forgetting that it took place. Yet for me, it is the first football game that I can actually remember. From the overriding stench of the local brewery, to the overpriced and somewhat undercooked hot dog, it all sticks in the memory. It’s also a memorable game because it is the first entry into Hearts Scottish Cup win of 2012, which I can reveal will feature quite heavily in the countdown.
Hearts named a fairly strong team, with seven of the eleven selected actually playing in the final in May. Fraser Mullen was handed a debut and not really heard from again, along with young striker Fraser Morton, whom I can’t even picture in my mind at all.
Unsurprisingly, Hearts won the game in the end through a rather scrappy goal from Gordon Smith although it wasn’t without some late drama. The visiting fans exploded in the final minutes of the game as Gordon Pope rifled the ball home beyond Jamie MacDonald, but their celebrations were cut short by the linesman raising his flag and referee John Beaton disallowing the goal for offside. In the aftermath, TV replays rather clearly showed that this was a harsh call, and the Junior side should have at least taken the tie to a replay.
While fixtures like this are often once-in-a-lifetime, funnily enough history did repeat itself in February 2019, although this game was rather less memorable as Hearts brushed away their opponents 4-0 with ease.
Games of Our Lives 