Comic of Hearts cup final win raises charity cash

FOR Hearts fans, it was a game which could have been straight out of Roy of the Rovers.

Rudi Skacel scores Hearts second

It is only fitting then that the 5-1 Scottish Cup final win over Hibs has now been immortalised in comic book form by a grandad super-fan.

Semi-retired design consultant Phil Little has spent more than a year painstakingly recreating the 2012 historic win with hand-drawn outlines and watercolour paint.

And with each page taking a minimum of three days to perfect after being scanned in and touched up on the computer, the comic is very much a labour of love.

Creator Phil Little with sons Graeme and Chris

The finished product, titled We ONLY won 5-1, is now being sold on fan website Jambos Kickback – with more than 300 copies already snapped up since it launched just over a week ago.

All profits from the book go to Hearts’ official community charity, Big Hearts, with thousands stumped up from sales so far.

The 62-year-old said: “The story has some brilliantly iconic images all the way through it, and I’ve taken those images and reproduced them in my style.

“It’s got the history in it and all the build-up and what was going on in the papers and the media – and then it’s got the game itself.

The EN's pre-match edition

“But the essence of it is a celebration from a Hearts supporter’s point of view.”

The father-of-three and grandad-of-five has lived in Swindon for the past 30 years but still holds a season ticket for his beloved club and tries to make it back at least once a month.

And when he can’t attend a game, a collection of around 700 DVDs of old Hearts matches dating back to the mid-1980s helps feed his passion.

But Hearts-mad Phil insists the fact his comic comes in at a suspiciously significant 112 pages – the number of years since Hibs last held the Scottish Cup – was a complete 
accident.

A penalty is given

“It’s just coincidence – honest,” he said.

We ONLY won 5-1: The Comic Book can be bought from fan website Jambos Kickback for £10 plus £3.95 delivery, with every copy purchased before November 7 sent out in time for Christmas.

Jambos Kickback administrator Philip Crosby said: “The book is a unique souvenir of a momentous day in Hearts’ history. It’s a timely idea for a Christmas stocking filler, it pokes fun at our city rivals, and it’s all for a really good cause.”

Steve Kilgour, secretary of the Federation of Hearts Supporters Clubs, hailed the comic’s boost to charity.

He said: “Anything that makes money for charity is a good idea.

“Hearts fans don’t want to forget that match, and they don’t want to let Hibs fans forget it either.”