Laughter lines are drawn when the Hearts Legends meet

CAPTAINING the Hearts Legends team brings Jimmy Sandison almost as much pleasure as playing for the genuine article did.

As well as raising notable funds for charity – more than 25,000 in under two years – there is much laughter to be heard when former Tynecastle icons gather in a dressing room.

"When we get the boys back together, for a wee 20 minutes before we go out for the game, I can reduce myself to tears with some of the camaraderie and banter going round," said Sandison. "It's just like the good old days and it's fabulous to be part of. Some of the craic on the park is just as good so it's really lively.

"We always give Robbo a bit of stick because when he starts a story, it's the longest, dullest story in the world. Whenever he talks about his golf some of the guys just get up and walk away from him. We did that in the changing room as players and we still do it now. Most of the stuff is quite cruel, as you can imagine.

"If you're a younger member, like Gary Locke for example, coming into the dressing room of the legends team, listening to a (Gary] Mackay or a Robbo is an experience. That's just what we did for years and it's tremendous."

Any team containing luminaries such as the aforementioned John Robertson, Mackay, Henry Smith and John Colquhoun would be a decent draw for anyone of maroon persuasion. But even Sandison has been surprised by the level of interest in Hearts Legends.

"The worry for me when we started this (in 2008] was that we wouldn't get the people the supporters really wanted to see coming back to play.

"People like John Robertson, Gary Mackay and Henry Smith. If these guys weren't there and it was left to the rest of us, we might not be such an attractive proposition. These guys do come out and play, which is great.

"I have a lot of good Hearts-supporting friends and wherever we go they come along and watch us. They reminisce about the good old days with the Robbos, the Colquhouns and the (Scott] Crabbes. They just love seeing these guys again and the exciting thing is some of these guys can still play a bit.

"Wee Crabbo could easily still put his boots on a play at a lower level. Alan McLaren, Darren Jackson, Gary Locke, these guys have all played. If you're a good Hearts supporter who knows his teams and players down the years, you would love coming to watch these boys."

Equally, the serious issue of raising charity money is not lost on Sandison or any of his colleagues. "Just over 25,000 in a couple of years is fabulous for all sorts of reasons. It helps so many charities and it's also a real opportunity for us all to stay in touch. As players, we were together for many years in the dressing room but, when football careers finish, everybody kind of spirals wherever and go their separate ways.

"The games also keeps us all reasonably fit. Fitness was a huge part of our lives as players but as you get a wee bit older, sorer and heavier, you really can't be bothered. This ensures we keep ourselves to a decent level of fitness."

IF you have a team willing to challenge the Hearts Legends, contact Hearts' Community Development manager Alan White at [email protected]