The sight of a moustachioed Willie Miller standing on the Hampden steps, Scottish Cup held aloft in one hand, the other punching the sky in delight, is one that is embedded in the minds of every Aberdeen supporter. Given how often he was tasked with lifting trophies in those days, it is perhaps no surprise that the Aberdeen skipper developed a panache for striking a memorable pose.

That image had impact beyond the Granite City too, with Hibernian manager Jack Ross’s own love affair with the Scottish Cup being hewn in those moments, and set for life.

“I remember Willie Miller lifting the trophy one-handed,” said Ross. “That was always the thing for me, wondering if I would be able to lift it one handed if I won it because I was never sure how heavy it was or how strong he was to be able to do that.

“It is a daft memory but for me it was something that stood out in amongst it. I was born in ‘76 so there were a lot of games where he was lifting the trophy.”

Ross has yet to have his question answered, having neither felt the weight of the famous old trophy as player nor manager.

“I have never touched it actually,” he said. “Listen, I’d love to get the opportunity in a couple of weeks’ time to see if I could do it one handed.”

Tomorrow, he will take his Hibs team and his childhood dreams along with them to Hampden for a semi-final against Dundee United, and there is no doubting the importance of the occasion to him.

“I remember Ian Ferguson’s winner in ‘87,” he continued. “Celtic’s double win with late goals against Dundee United and all those games because I think people of my age and my generation will recognise that cup final day was a massive day.

“It was a huge, huge day and even if you didn’t support any of the teams in the final, there was always huge interest for me.

“I grew up with that romance of the Scottish Cup and for me it was always a dream to go and lift it. “As a player, I didn’t get to do that, so it is still as big a deal for me as it has always been.”

Of course, even if Ross does go on and lift the trophy at Hampden at last, the lustre may be taken slightly off the moment by the absence of fans to acclaim it. But Ross is borrowing the words of gymnast Mary Lou Retton to emphasise to his players that they are playing for more than just a trophy or a celebration, but for a place in Hibs folklore.

“I would like to take credit for this, but there’s a quote from an athlete, it says: ‘Jerseys and medals eventually gather dust, but memories get better with age’,” said Ross.

“And I think that’s a brilliant way to look upon it when you’re trying to emphasise how big a deal it is to go and achieve success.

“Those memories you create, you look back on and when you get together with people and look back at old matches and talk about them they do get better.

“I have enjoyed those old games that have been getting replayed [recently on television] and I am sure the people involved in them, particularly those who were successful in them, have enjoyed them immensely.”

The feeling from Ross is that the next week or so will define whether or not this season - for all its difficulties across the board - will be remembered as either a very good one for Hibs, or a great one.

Ross was overlooked recently in a strong field when it came to nominations for the Scottish Football Writers Association manager of the year award, which may appear a tad harsh if he can add a Scottish Cup to a third place finish in the Premiership.

The reward he is after on both a personal and collective level though for his group carries a far greater weight than even that prestigious accolade.

“It feels that we have been saying this for a long time but this is the biggest week of the season and the biggest games of the season,” he said.

“It tallies with where we want to be, mentality wise as well, that it has been a pretty consistent and repetitive message as the season has developed.

“It is as clear as anything that this is a huge period for us in terms of turning a very good season into a one that is historic and memorable. Everybody at the club is aware of that and I don't think it increases the pressure on us because we have put pressure on ourselves all season to achieve and we have welcomed that pressure. Now it’s a case of finishing the job.

“We now have three, hopefully four, games left, which is not a lot in the context of a whole season. But we can go and do something historic.”