Gorgie hero recalls a special Euro moment

AS the Hearts players, perhaps distracted by the tumultuous events of the past few days, try to refocus on the task of eliminating Hungarian side Paksi from the Europa League tonight, they would do well to take heed of Glynn Snodin's tale as he recounts his Tynecastle heroics against Eastern European opposition nearly 19 years ago.

The bubbly Yorkshireman is better placed than most to provide an inspirational snapshot of the type of euphoria and adulation awaiting any member of the current squad who might be inclined to emerge as a Hearts hero if things are getting a bit tense in the Gorgie bearpit this evening.

After all, it was Snodin's late thunderbolt which settled an endlessly-enthralling roller-coaster of a UEFA Cup first-round second leg against Slavia Prague in September 1992, his left-footed free-kick from just outside the box flying into the top corner to secure a 4-3 aggregate triumph for Hearts while almost lifting the roof off Tynecastle's old shed in the process. Having lost 1-0 in the first leg in Prague, Hearts were heading out of Europe on away goals when Pavel Kuka struck for the ten-man Czechs with 25 minutes left to make it 3-2 to Hearts on the night and 3-3 on aggregate.

The Edinburgh side, managed by Joe Jordan at the time, needed a hero, and, when Hearts were awarded a free-kick 25 yards from goal with just ten minutes remaining, the stage was set for then-32-year-old Snodin, a steady but unheralded left-back who had joined at the tail end of the previous season after a career spent almost entirely in Yorkshire with Doncaster Rovers, Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United. The end result was a screamer of a goal which left Snodin - as well as 16,000 Jambos - with a night which would live long in the memory.

"I can remember it well," Snodin told the Evening News with genuine enthusiasm. "I had been hitting the bar with a few shots in games before that and I was starting to think 'I just wish one would go in'. When we got the free-kick, Eamonn Bannon joined the Prague defensive wall and I remember thinking 'just aim for Eamonn's shiny head'. I knew I only had one chance at it because time was running out and I was thinking to myself 'just make this count'. I hit it perfectly into the top corner, and I actually hit it so hard that it struck the stanchion just inside the post and bounced back out."

While the current Hearts team are strong favourites to see off Paksi after last week's 1-1 draw in Hungary, Snodin knows from experience just how important the home support could be if the visitors were to nick a goal and throw the tie back into the melting point. After all, that Slavia clash ebbed and flowed right to the death. "The atmosphere was electric - you'd have thought there were 60,000 in there the way the Jambos were that night," he recalls. "The crowd certainly played their part in keeping us going because we thought we were out when they got the equaliser."

Snodin's playing career spanned more than 20 years, but, with Standard Liege stunting Hearts' progress in the second round, that night would prove the only time he ever tasted success in European competition. "It was such a special night for me," he continues. "I had been playing in England for all those years but even though I could have played in Europe with Sheffield Wednesday, English clubs were banned at the time because of the Heysel disaster so I didn't get the chance. It was always my ambition to play in Europe and thankfully I got that chance with Hearts. I've still got the video of it as it was one of the most special evenings in my career."

While Paulo Sergio will hope his Hearts side can progress with the minimum of fuss tonight, Snodin can vouch for the fact that if things get tight, there's an endless supply of happy memories awaiting anyone in maroon who fancies a heroic step forward.