Hearts 1998 Scottish Cup triumph: Colin Cameron and Paul Ritchie recall John Robertson's impact, being on top of bus and 'The Alamo' siege on Jambos' incredible day

Colin Cameron puts Hearts ahead in 1998.

John Robertson says winning one game will make you a Hearts legend. That game is in a few days. It's the Scottish Cup final against Rangers, whose team includes Brian Laudrup, Gennaro Gattuso, Ally McCoist and Andy Goram. Another problem: Hearts haven't won a major trophy for 36 years and last lifted the Scottish Cup 42 years previously.

Twenty-two years ago today, Robertson's work paid off. Having been in the ears of the squad at Tynecastle Park all week, the belief he helped instill manifested into a triumph never to be forgotten at Celtic Park on Saturday, May 16, 1998.

An iconic figure who suffered the pain of 1986 and other near misses in maroon, Robertson knew a lifetime of adulation awaited his team-mates if they could beat Rangers. He watched as an unused substitute on the day as goals from Colin Cameron and Stephane Adam earned Hearts a 2-1 victory, McCoist scoring Rangers' consolation.

Robbo’s impact

"Robbo was at it all week, talking about the opportunity we had to become legends," explained midfielder Cameron. "It had been so long since Hearts won the Scottish Cup. He had been at the club such a long time and knew what it would mean to the fans and what it would mean for the players.

"We knew what it meant to players like Robbo and we knew it was going to be a big thing if we could do it. But what we experienced was just 'wow'. Far bigger than what I expected.

"We knew what was at stake and what would await us if we could achieve it. I felt great pride because you want to win things in football. Winning the Scottish Cup was a massive achievement, especially since we were underdogs.

"We had worked on a gameplan all week based on not going toe to toe with Rangers. We'd tried that in the league and it didn't work. This time we were going to sit off them and hit on the break.

"Getting the early goal helped but we needed a second. We couldn't have hung on at 1-0. We knew Rangers would come at us and we would need to ride our luck."

If there was ever any doubt about the magnitude of the achievement, it instantly dispersed when the Hearts team coach arrived back in Edinburgh that night.

On the bus roof

"We came into Sighthill and there were a few people clapping," recalled Cameron. "Further along at Saughton there were lines of people. Then you just couldn't see the street after that. People were hanging out the windows in Gorgie. It was mental.

"We were on top of the bus and even if somebody had fallen off they wouldn't have been hurt because they'd have fallen on somebody to cushion the fall. Then the parade the following day, down The Mound and along Princes Street. It was a beautiful day. I can still picture it now 22 years later."

Defender Paul Ritchie was only 22 in 1998 but learned that afternoon how the spirit of the underdog makes any success possible. It is a lesson he preaches now in California, where he coaches youth players at La Galaxy San Diego.

‘Anything is possible’

"We were underdogs and nobody gave us a fighting chance, but anything is possible in football and in life," said Ritchie. "When you pull yourself together you can achieve anything and I use that in coaching even now.

"I'm coaching teenagers and you give them that message to make sure they know anything is possible. I tell them to believe in themselves and believe in their team-mates, no matter how much the odds are against you. That's what we did in the 1998 final."

‘The Alamo’

That doesn't mean he remembers a lot, however. "It was just overwhelming and I couldn't remember anything of that game until I watched it again. The one thing I always remember was the trip back on the bus from Parkhead to Tynecastle. We managed to pop the sunroofs off the bus and just about killed ourselves coming along Gorgie Road.

"I've watched the game twice recently and it's a bit surreal. We were a bit lucky. We deserved to be in front but it was backs-to-the-wall for large parts of the game. It was like The Alamo at times.

"It was a test of character but the togetherness we had in that team got us through it when we were under the cosh. Nobody could begrudge us that victory."

Magnitude didn't strike until later

Taking it all in was difficult for some Hearts players at full-time. The euphoric scenes in the stands helped.

"I don't think it did sink in. Seeing the support and what it meant to them was great because Hearts had gone so long without winning anything. To be that first team in a generation to win a trophy meant so much to us, and seeing the fans' reaction was the icing on the cake," said Ritchie.

"We didn't really take in what we had achieved. We were that young, we just wanted to play and live in the moment. We knew it was a cup final but we didn't take in the magnitude of the result until later."