Hibs vs Hearts: Two deaths that put football into perspective – Steve Cardownie

Like many people in the city, last Saturday night I was glued to the TV, watching the Hearts vs Hibs game.

Hearts' Marius Zaliukas salutes the fans at full-time after making his final appearance for the club (Picture: SNS)

The meeting of the two clubs at Hampden Park, Glasgow, in the Scottish Cup semi-final had once more captured the imagination of both sets of fans, who, excluded from the stadium, were instead confined to their living rooms to watch the game at home.

The importance of the game cannot be minimised in sporting terms but two issues in particular have helped put the match in perspective.

The news that the former Hearts captain, Marius Zaliukas, had passed away that day at the age of just 36 was a reminder, if one was needed, that there are more important things in life than football. After several years contending with the onset and advance of motor neurone disease, Zal finally succumbed and his untimely death cast a shadow over the game.

Then, in yesterday’s paper, it was revealed that the Hibs striker, Kevin Nisbet, had lost his dad, Thomas, a few days previously to liver cancer. Kevin revealed that his dad “told me that he wanted me to play and that he thought I should play, whatever happened”. His revelations bear testimony to just how much he loved his Dad and it made for a very sad lead-up to the match.

Two untimely events that surely put the game into perspective, two untimely events that remind us that whilst football undoubtedly plays an important part in some people’s lives, it pales into significance when compared to the part that the people who surround us play.

A message from the Editor:

Hearts' Steven Naismith (left) with Kevin Nisbet during the Scottish Cup semi-final match (Picture: Alan Harvey/SNS Group)

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.