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ANDREW SHINNIE recalls drawing blood in a wrestling match with brother Graeme – and hopes it is Aberdeen who see their Scottish Cup hopes counted out.
The pair will take their sibling rivalry to Hampden for the semi-final knowing only one can keep their cup dreams alive by progressing to next month’s final.
Hibs’ Andrew, who left Inverness Caley Thistle before their 2015 success, has heard all the tales from his Easter Road team-mates of last year’s historic triumph and would dearly love to taste victory with the club he joined on loan from Birmingham City last summer.
However, he knows younger brother Graeme will have other ideas as the Dons midfielder seeks to help the Pittodrie men into their first Scottish Cup final since 2000 – when the Reds beat Hibs in the semis on their way to a 4-0 defeat from Rangers.
Andrew said: “Aberdeen will be expected to beat us. That’s just the way it is, they’re second in the top league by quite a bit.
“There’s obviously going to be pressure from our fans as well. They want to win the cup again.
“They’ll maybe see Aberdeen, outwith the Old Firm, as a good tie for us to get to get to the final.
“But I know how difficult it will be and all the lads know how difficult it will be to get there as well.”
BLOOD
The tie will be the first time the brothers have faced each other competitively on the football field, but the pair grew up desperate to win any time they faced each other in any sport or game.
And, with footage of Jason Cummings’ impromptu bout with Scottish wrestler Grado helping keep the preparations light-hearted in the Hibs camp this week, Shinnie senior has confessed the brothers took things too far on one occasion.
Andrew added: “We were into our wrestling. We used to pretend my mum’s kitchen was a wrestling ring and she used to hate it.
“I remember one time she was upstairs cleaning or something one day and me and Graeme got into a wrestling match.
“I put Graeme off the ring and then DDTed him (a wrestling move), but he actually hit his face off a zip on a jacket on the floor and there was blood everywhere.
He told Sky Sports: “We were nervous as anything waiting on my mum coming down the stairs and finding out!”
