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Caught in Time: Hearts win 1956 Scottish Cup

Martin Greig Sunday Times 15th June 2003

1 Willie Duff The goalkeeper started his career at Dunfermline before establishing himself as No 1 at Tynecastle. He was between the sticks for the 1956 Scottish Cup final against Celtic and was involved in the Parkhead side’s controversial consolation goal, when it was claimed that Mike Haughney elbowed the ball out of his arms. He joined Charlton Athletic after leaving Hearts and, following his retirement from football, he took up lawn bowls with considerable success. Duff moved to the United States in 1985. He started a construction company there after deciding to make his stay permanent during a trip to visit his son.

2 Tam McKenzie Just as John Greig built his esteemed reputation on being the only defender who could get close enough to kick Jimmy Johnstone, so McKenzie became renowned for his neutralising effect on Gordon Smith, the famous Hibs winger. The uncompromising left-back became an expert in snuffing out the threat posed by his Easter Road opponent and was not unaccustomed to sending his opposite number spinning over the wall and into the enclosure. He died in 1967 in his early fifties after suffering a heart attack at the wheel of his car.

3 Willie Bauld The centre-forward with the choirboy looks struck fear into the hearts of Hibs fans with his goal-scoring exploits. Christened the “King of Hearts” by the supporters, he was famed for his aerial ability. He burst on to the scene in style, scoring a hat-trick on his debut against East Fife, the then-Scottish Cup holders, in 1948. He repeated the feat a week later against Queen of the South. He scored 355 goals in 510 appearances for the Tynecastle club and collected three Scotland caps. Bauld died in 1977, aged 50, and he and John Robertson are the only two Hearts players to have functions suite at Tynecastle named after them.

4 Jimmy Wardhaugh Signed from Shaftesbury Park and scored the opener in a 3-2 win over Celtic on his debut in 1946. Wardhaugh, also a good rugby and cricket player who was known for his physical fitness, still holds the club’s all-time goalscoring record (although John Robertson broke his League goals record in 1998). In 517 appearances, he scored a remarkable 376 goals, but left Tynecastle under a cloud in 1962 after his testimonial against Sheffield United. The club deducted the price of the match ball and other expenses from his testimonial cheque and the striker refused to return to Tynecastle, even to watch a match, for 12 years. Wardhaugh died in January 1978, aged 48, less than a year after Bauld.

5 Fred Glidden Glidden had taken over the captaincy earlier in the season in the absence of Bobby Parker, who was sidelined after a cartilage operation. He was a big powerful centre-half in his prime, and played for Hearts part-time while holding down a job with West Lothian Council. Now 75, Glidden still plays golf regularly at Ratho Park Golf Club, and was recently invited to attend an annual meeting of the Hearts supporters club in Manchester where he bumped into two former teammates, Dave Mackay and Bobby Kirk.

6 Alex Young The “Golden Boy” of Tynecastle in the fifties. After an illustrious career with Hearts, Young moved to Everton and remains a firm favourite on Merseyside.
He made his debut for Everton against Dave Mackay’s Spurs — Mackay had also left Hearts for the bright lights of England’s Division One. Young played in the victorious Everton team which lifted the FA Cup in 1967, when they beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-2. He also won the League title with Everton in 1963 and won eight Scotland caps, playing for Glentoran and Stockport after leaving Goodison Park. His son, Jason, signed for Hearts in 1988 and went on to play for Livingston and Stranraer.

7 Ian Crawford Scored two goals in the 1956 final (Conn scored the other, with Mike Haughney replying for Celtic). He joined Hearts in 1955 and played on the left wing at Hampden, emerging as one of the star performers. He went on to play for West Ham United and Peterborough and now lives in the south of England. He sold his medals eight years ago in an auction.