Hearts will host Hibernian on Sunday in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup, with the Tynecastle side having won comfortably in the Premiership three weeks ago after a 1-1 draw earlier in the campaign.
Here, three veterans of the game shed a light on the magnitude, the emotions and the tumult of the battle to be crowned kings of Scotland’s capital.
In October 2013, Hearts were bottom of the table with a callow squad. They started the season on minus 15 points as punishment for entering administration and were rank outsiders to knock Hibs out of the League Cup at Easter Road.
Ryan Stevenson was one of Hearts’ remaining senior players. That day, he lashed in the winner in a 1-0 victory.
Hibs had James McPake sent off and the bad feeling spilled over, home fans waiting to confront Hibs boss Pat Fenlon, who left his post two days later.
Stevenson played in 15 derbies between 2010 and 2014, losing only three. Hearts bossed the fixture in those days. The management team of Jim Jefferies, Billy Brown and Gary Locke hammered its importance into their players.
He captained Hibs to a famous 3-0 triumph at Tynecastle in the “millennium derby” of 1999 but never beat Hearts in four attempts as manager at Easter Road.
Kevin Kyle loved his two years at Tynecastle. The towering striker rattled home an 86th-minute derby winner at Tynecastle on New Year’s Day in 2011, etching himself into Hearts folklore.
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