Ian Ferguson cannot quite believe that it is 26 years since he scored the winning goal for St Mirren in the Scottish Cup final.
It is an enduring moment, since the club has never repeated the feat, but also for Ferguson himself. The medal was the first he won in the game, and so retains a sentimental value despite the haul of trophies he went on to enjoy at Rangers.
St Mirren's return to Hampden on Sunday restores Ferguson to prominence. He does not mind the attention, but has urged St Mirren's current players to emulate him and take the opportunity to make their own mark on history. It was Ferguson's goal in extra time that secured the 1-0 victory over Dundee United, although he admits himself that it wasn't his best performance.
"I always think that the cup final was one of the worst games I played for St Mirren," Ferguson said. "It was Jimmy Bone giving me the kick up the backside that I needed that sprung me into action going into extra-time. It's an opportunity for somebody to put his name into the history books, and I hope they do it. I would love to see St Mirren do it again.
"It was my first medal. St Mirren had a really good side at that time, but there was never any chance of winning the league because Rangers and Celtic were so dominant. Cup finals were your only chance of winning anything. I always remember Alex Smith saying that five games could get you into Europe and he was spot on. It was very special to me and always something that will remain close to my heart."
Ferguson has followed the progress of both finalists this season and, despite them occupying lowly positions in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, he expects Sunday's game to be close-fought and entertaining. "From what I've seen, they're pretty decent," Ferguson said. "It's a hard one to pick. I keep an eye on the results, and you always have that wee bit of sentiment about your old teams; you like to see them do well. There's no use beating Celtic in the semi-final and throwing it away in the final. St Mirren will be aware of that."
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