Thomson knows the ideal cure for pangs of final regret

Sports writer

Friday 18 May 2012

Like the rest of his family and friends, Kevin Thomson will take his place among the Hibernian fans at Hampden on Saturday.

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Richard Wilson

His connection with the Easter Road side stretches beyond his emergence from the club's youth ranks to eventually become team captain, and he can measure his commitment by reeling off cup final occasions.

"I went to the Skol Cup final [in 1991], I played against Livingston [in 2004], I don't know why we missed the Celtic one [in 2001], I got my dad tickets to go to the Kilmarnock one [in 2007] and we've got tickets for this one," he says.

Thomson's father once told him that his proudest moment would be to see his son lift a trophy for Hibs, but the prospect of them together watching their team overcome Hearts to win the Scottish Cup for the first time in 110 years brings its own sense of anticipation. The midfielder has endured an injury-disrupted spell at Middlesbrough, and there is a wistfulness to him as he talks about the game, but mostly it is just an occasion to relish. "Getting my hands on a trophy with Hibs would have been a special day for me and all my friends and family," he says. "This game would have been a dream to play in, but I'm in different circumstances in my career. It makes it that wee bit more prestigious that it's a derby. There would be no sweeter way for the boys and the fans to get their hands on it than against their arch rivals. But Hearts will be in the same situation. We're going as fans. I'm not sure [winning] would put the disappointment of a couple of years down the road behind me, but it would make a happy weekend."Thomson will meet up with his former team-mates Scott Brown, Steven Whittaker and Steven Fletcher at the game, with all of them rooting for Hibs. It is personal for Thomson, though, because of his lifelong attachment to the club. He recognises the Tynecastle side as the team bringing the better form into the game, but the prize at stake makes the outcome more unpredictable. "The gambling man would look at Hearts having had a far more successful season, but in all derbies across the world and all cup finals, there are no favourites, it's an open day for the team that gets that wee bit luck to get the right result," Thomson says. "If Hibs have the stars shining down on them then it can be a really great day for the club. It's a chance [for the players] to make themselves legends within the club."

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Thomson knows the ideal cure for pangs of final regret

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