Happy 16th of May

26 years since an explosion of joy which, for me, is still unmatched 🇱🇻

The best of days. In my 40s and the first time I'd ever seen us win a trophy.  I was pretty convinced I would never see us win one in my lifetime as we seemed cursed. 

Say thos every time a '98 thread appears but NOTHING will ever come close to that weekend. Incredible in every way. 

Indeed was fantastic and unexpected - 

beating Hibs in 2012 was just natural order and Gretna were actually far tougher opposition than them 

9 minutes ago, davemclaren said:

The best of days. In my 40s and the first time I'd ever seen us win a trophy.  I was pretty convinced I would never see us win one in my lifetime as we seemed cursed. 

It certainly felt that way. It was our time though, finally!

I missed the first goal in the 1976 cup final against Rangers, as Derek Johnston scored before 3pm! Got done that day and it hurt.  My first cup final!

Then Aberdeen in 1986.  Then Rangers in other cup finals in the 90's...... Until...........................

The absolute best of days.  1998 Cup Final was easily the best memory I have as an aging Hearts Supporter

What a team.  What a day. Will never be surpassed😍

What a day!! 
 

Right from the start we were in about them. The early penalty and then Adam’s goal just after halftime had us in dreamland. 
 

Those last ten minutes were horrible though. 

27 minutes ago, davemclaren said:

The best of days. In my 40s and the first time I'd ever seen us win a trophy.  I was pretty convinced I would never see us win one in my lifetime as we seemed cursed. 

Same for me. The Airdrie semi-finals and the two final losses to Rangers had convinced me that we were never going to win anything.

What a day , week , month ! 

The Day of Days.

First trophy for me, like many on here. 

Best football weekend ever, will never be bettered 🇱🇻

What a beautiful day.

Fantastic day and fantastic weekend but what crap times and crushing days we had to endure over many years before getting that day and that weekend. We earnt that day and it was sweeter and better because of what had gone before.  And the wee team made it even better by getting relegated that month. Best of times.

49 minutes ago, davemclaren said:

The best of days. In my 40s and the first time I'd ever seen us win a trophy.  I was pretty convinced I would never see us win one in my lifetime as we seemed cursed. 

Late 30s and the same. Got last minute tickets from a pal and managed to go.
 

Being half-Norwegian, the victory parade the following day being preceded by the Norwegian 17th of May parade, to the bemusement / amusement of many, just made it better. 😎

Assuming I remember things right, of course.

58 minutes ago, Placid Casual said:

26 years since an explosion of joy which, for me, is still unmatched 🇱🇻

 

 

When that goal went in, I jumped so high I smashed a lightbulb in the Cockburnspath Hotel pub. 

Best football day ever, I was 30 and when I got home I was dancing in the street outside my house steaming on the night of the final, to the amusement of my neighbours. The emotion of that day will live with me forever. 

In tears at the final whistle  “at last, at ******* last!”

Doing that against a Rangers team with Laudrup, McCoist, Goram, Gough, etc made it all the sweeter.

A fantastic achievement by Jefferies and the players.

I'll never forget ducking into the toilets with about ten mins to play only to find a load of other guys doing the same - too nervous to watch.

I endorse this thread 😀

Absolutely the best ever day as a Jambo. Not been beaten (yet). What a day, what a weekend. marvellous.

Great memories of friends and family I shared this with wo are no longer here. Was just amazing. 

Easily the best day/weekend I've ever had following Hearts. The scenes along Gorgie road have been burned into my memory forever 

1 hour ago, Placid Casual said:

26 years since an explosion of joy which, for me, is still unmatched 🇱🇻

 

 

I have a version of that photo up on the wall, and it's the moment when I  really believed we were going to do it. The emotion and noise at the final whistle was something else. Just the best day ever to be a jambo. 

It was some year - we then spent 3 weeks following Scotland at the World Cup, with 4 jambos and one H*bs fan in our group. And we even met big Giles in the square in St Etienne. 

As the OP says, happy 16th of May! It was four days before my 35th birthday and my partner and I had travelled up the night before and stayed at my mother's in Corstorphine. Drove to the game so stayed sober.  Rememer us having a great chance to make it 3-0 but Flogel's header was saved by gorum.

Got absolutely smashed afterwards as did everybody. Apart from the Cup coming back along Gorgie Road, a definite highlight for me was in the wee sma hours having a meal in Bar Roma absolutely pished and none other than Pasquale Bruno came over and asked if he could sit with us for a blether. He was great company and a proper gent!

The open-top bus parade the next day was amazing although I couldn't get to the ground as I had to visit my 87 year old aunt in a nursing home as it was her birthday. Nothing could take away from that weekend and nothing ever will.

13 minutes ago, Shipwrecked said:

I have a version of that photo up on the wall, and it's the moment when I  really believed we were going to do it. The emotion and noise at the final whistle was something else. Just the best day ever to be a jambo. 

It was some year - we then spent 3 weeks following Scotland at the World Cup, with 4 jambos and one H*bs fan in our group. And we even met big Giles in the square in St Etienne. 

It was such a brilliant summer. I also spent 3 weeks at the World Cup. From the Borders myself, but we travelled with the Glasgow Hearts SC to Paris, Bordeaux and St Etienne. The bus did have fans from other clubs, but mostly Hearts, and we were all still on cloud nine from the Cup win.

2 hours ago, Placid Casual said:

26 years since an explosion of joy which, for me, is still unmatched 🇱🇻

 

 

I actually knew a few people in this photograph. The family used to travel on our supporters bus.

A fantastic photograph that really captures the bedlam when that goal went in.

2 hours ago, a11ank said:

I missed the first goal in the 1976 cup final against Rangers, as Derek Johnston scored before 3pm! Got done that day and it hurt.  My first cup final!

 

Then Aberdeen in 1986.  Then Rangers in other cup finals in the 90's...... Until...........................

 

 

 

The absolute best of days.  1998 Cup Final was easily the best memory I have as an aging Hearts Supporter

 

What a team.  What a day. Will never be surpassed😍

 

Same for me exactly.

Mike Aitken's report in the Scotsman, first sentence; "May 16th 1998 was the day that God looked down from heaven, put his hand on the forehead of every wretched soul who had the misfortune to be born a Jambo and said 'This one's for you'"

98 was greatest year of my life. Cup win, dad and myself in tears, hugging at end at last we won cup celebrations after wild weekend. My oldest daughter was born that year, Hibs relegation and trip to Mallorca for european game an unbelievable year for me.

I was 13 years old and it was easily one of the best days of my life. 

I was told don't expect anything, we never win anything and you'll be an old man like me before you see us win anything. Tears and everything that day.

I'll never forget it. ❤️

Best of the cup final wins that I've been at. The joy was unsurpassed and the bedlam on Gorgie Road when the bus turned into mcleod Street, fantastic. I may have got a little drunk that day. 

As magnificent as 2012 was (and it was truly magnificent) I can't see 1998 being beaten - would need to be a league title or European trophy to surpass the feeling of that day / weekend.

I really hope another trophy isn't taking far away though. We have the building blocks of a very good team.

Best day of my life . . . . So far 🤞

Just the best weekend going, hot sunny weather the Saturday and Sunday and plenty of beer! I had just turned 18 and it was a great time to be a Hearts fan. Hibs relegated, Hearts win the cup and the World Cup on all summer. 98 is up there with one of the best years going. 

what a day will live with me forever 

2 hours ago, Des Lynam said:

What a day!! 
 

Right from the start we were in about them. The early penalty and then Adam’s goal just after halftime had us in dreamland. 
 

Those last ten minutes were horrible though. 

I went down to the concourse for a slash around that time in the second half and there were numerous fans standing around on the concourse too nervous to go back out and watch.

2 hours ago, Percival King said:

Fantastic day and fantastic weekend but what crap times and crushing days we had to endure over many years before getting that day and that weekend. We earnt that day and it was sweeter and better because of what had gone before.  And the wee team made it even better by getting relegated that month. Best of times.

Well said. And as you say, let’s not overlook the massive double-whammy that was Hibs’ relegation the same season 🤭

This day was the best I have ever felt as a Jambo, I have a feeling though, that at some point over the next decade, we might get to experience something else kind of special, its just a feeling though, pre 98, I never ever had that feeling.

42 minutes ago, colinmorewasgash said:

98 was greatest year of my life. Cup win, dad and myself in tears, hugging at end at last we won cup celebrations after wild weekend. My oldest daughter was born that year, Hibs relegation and trip to Mallorca for european game an unbelievable year for me.

Very similar for me too. My oldest daughter was also born that year however it meant I missed the Mallorca trip as mrs NLJ was about to drop. 

I almost missed camerons penalty as we were running a few minutes late. Our seats were in the top tier around the half way line. At the bottom of the stairs, someone shouts down "we've got a penalty!". I've never ran up that many stairs so quick in my life. I got to the top just as mickey made his run. The bedlam was unreal. It was 20 minutes before i found my seat!

Then at full time, for a few seconds there was a stunned silence before everyone erupted. 

The tears when robbbo lifted the cup from everyone around me, I still get a slight tear seeing it again on every anniversary.

2012 was good, it was the only nly time I've ever been able to relax at a cup final, but it didn't come close to 98.

Had been to so many finals and semi finals that I’d given up on us ever winning silverware. 
So glad I was there on the day. 
At full time, nobody knew what to do, usually we all trooped out after another disappointment. 
Had a horrific hangover once I got home and stopped drinking on the Monday night. 

As fantastic as 5-1 was, nothing will ever top this day. Unbridled joy.

3 hours ago, davemclaren said:

The best of days. In my 40s and the first time I'd ever seen us win a trophy.  I was pretty convinced I would never see us win one in my lifetime as we seemed cursed. 

You old fart😄 I was only a mere 35 years old at the time.

Best ever day.  The scenes in Gorgie when the bus came back were incredible. So much joy, so much emotion.

3 hours ago, davemclaren said:

The best of days. In my 40s and the first time I'd ever seen us win a trophy.  I was pretty convinced I would never see us win one in my lifetime as we seemed cursed. 

That's how I felt too - I had given my ticket to my brother who worked abroad at the time and gone to watch the game in the Caley Sample rooms with my dad and pal.  It wasn't until I was writing my dad's eulogy 4yrs ago that I fully realised what that day had meant to us.  12yrs years earlier he had been consoling me on the Hampden terrace - telling my it's going to happen.  Well it did and it was one of the best days of my life.

I never saw the first goal (couldn't bear to watch the penalty) and didn't see the second goal as I went to the toilets just to get away from the unbearable tension inside the stadium.  It didn't bother me one bit. The relief at the final whistle is impossible to describe. An incredible day. 

For most of us who were there that famous day nothing will surpass that feeling of unbridled joy and pure emotion at witnessing Hearts winning a major trophy for the first time in 36 years.

4 hours ago, davemclaren said:

The best of days. In my 40s and the first time I'd ever seen us win a trophy.  I was pretty convinced I would never see us win one in my lifetime as we seemed cursed. 

Same here.

I grew up thinking the old firm won everything and the emotion that day was fantastic, especially after the previous 2 Cup finals.

An absolutely magnificent day!