Heart of Midlothian F.C.

Association football clubhouse in Scotland
For other uses of “ Heart of Midlothian ”, see Heart of Midlothian
Football club

Reading: Heart of Midlothian F.C.

Heart of Midlothian Football Club, normally known as Hearts, is a professional football club in Edinburgh, Scotland. The team competes in the scottish Professional Football League. Hearts, the oldest and most successful football club in the scottish capital, [ 3 ] were formed in 1874, their diagnose influenced by Walter Scott ‘s fresh The Heart of Midlothian. [ 4 ] The club crest is based on the Heart of Midlothian mosaic on the city ‘s Royal Mile ; the team ‘s colours are maroon and white. [ 4 ] Hearts have played home plate matches at Tynecastle Park since 1886. [ 5 ] After converting the ground into an all-seater stadium in 1990, it now has a capacity of 19,852 [ 1 ] following the completion of a rebuild independent stand in 2017. They rent training facilities at the Oriam, Scotland ‘s home performance center for sport, where they besides run their youth academy. [ 6 ] Heart of Midlothian have won the Scottish league backing four times, most recently in 1959–60, when they besides retained the Scottish League Cup to complete a League and League Cup double – the lone golf club outside of the Old firm to achieve such a feat. The golf club ‘s most successful period was under former musician turned coach Tommy Walker from the early 1950s to mid 1960s. between 1954 and 1962 they won two league titles, one scottish Cup, and four Scottish League Cups, and besides finished inside the league ‘s clear four positions for 11 consecutive seasons between 1949–50 and 1959–60. Jimmy Wardhaugh, Willie Bauld and Alfie Conn Sr., known as the Terrible Trio, were forwards at the start of this period with wing half linchpins Dave Mackay and John Cumming. Wardhaugh was part of another luminary Hearts attacking trinity in the 1957–58 league winning side. Along with Jimmy Murray and Alex Young, [ 7 ] they set the commemorate for the number of goals scored in a scottish league winning political campaign ( 132 ). In doing so, they besides became the alone side to finish a season with a finish remainder exceeding 100 ( +103 ). Hearts have besides won the scots Cup eight times, most recently in 2012 after a 5–1 victory over Hibernian, their local rivals. [ 8 ] All four of Hearts ‘ Scottish League Cup victory came under Walker, most recently a 1–0 victory against Kilmarnock in 1962. Their most late scottish League Cup Final appearance was in 2013, where they lost 3–2 to St Mirren. In 1958, Heart of Midlothian became the third base Scottish and fifth british team to compete in european competition. The clubhouse reached the quarter-finals of the 1988–89 UEFA Cup, losing to Bayern Munich 2–1 on aggregate .

history [edit ]

early years [edit ]

The club was formed by a group of friends from the Heart of Midlothian Quadrille Assembly Club. [ 4 ] The group of friends bought a ball before playing local rules football at the Tron from where they were directed by a local anesthetic policeman to The Meadows to play. local rules football was a mix of rugby and association football. [ 4 ] In December 1873 a match was held between XIs selected by Mr Thomson from Queens Park and Mr Gardner from Clydesdale at Raimes Park in Bonnington. [ 9 ] This was the first meter that Association rules had been seen in Edinburgh. Members from the dance club viewed the catch and in 1874 decided to adopt the association rules. [ 10 ] The new side was Heart of Mid-Lothian Football Club. [ 4 ] The exact date of the cabaret ‘s geological formation was never recorded ; however, 1874 is regarded as the class of geological formation as it was when association rules were taken on, [ 4 ] although Tom Purdie claimed the club was formed in 1873. [ 11 ] The earliest mention of Heart of Midlothian in a sport context is a report in The Scotsman newspaper from 20 July 1864 of The Scotsman vs Heart of Mid-Lothian at cricket. It is not known if this was the same club who went on to form the football clubhouse, but it was park for football clubs in those days to play other sports as well. [ 12 ] The club took its name from historic county Midlothian, dating from the Middle Ages, adenine well as the Heart of Midlothian mosaic on the Royal Mile, which marks the historic entrance to the Old Tolbooth imprison, [ 4 ] which was demolished in 1817 but was kept fresh in the judgment by Walter Scott ‘s novel The Heart of Midlothian. [ 13 ] [ 14 ]
master Hearts strip Led by captain Tom Purdie the club played its matches in the East Meadows [ 9 ] and in 1875 Hearts became members of the Scottish Football Association ( SFA ) and were fall through members of the Edinburgh Football Association. [ 4 ] By becoming members of the SFA Hearts were able to play in the scots Cup for the first time. Hearts played against 3rd Edinburgh Rifle Volunteers in October 1875 at Craigmount Park [ 15 ] in Edinburgh. The game ended in a scoreless draw. A play back was held at the Meadows which again finished 0–0. Under rules at the prison term both clubs progressed to the adjacent polish with Hearts losing out to Drumpellier in the following turn. [ 16 ] In the 1884–85 temper, clubs in Scotland struggled to attract players, who were attracted to play in England, due to the games professional status there. [ 4 ] After an 11–1 gain in the scots Cup over Dunfermline [ 17 ] a protest was raised against the club for fielding two professional players. [ 4 ] Hearts were suspended by the SFA for two years as this was against the rules at the time. This was the beginning suspension of an SFA cabaret. [ 18 ] After a change of the clubs ‘ committee the baseball club was readmitted. [ 4 ]

early success [edit ]

Hearts had considerable success in the early years of the Scottish Football League, winning the league backing in 1895 and 1896. They besides won four scots Cups in a 15-year period from 1891 to 1906. The team played against Sunderland in the 1894–95 World Championship, but lost with a 5–3 score. [ 19 ] Hearts did win the World Championship entitle in 1902, beating Tottenham Hotspur 3–1 in Tynecastle Park, after a 0–0 in London a few months early. [ 20 ]

Hearts in World War I [edit ]

Hearts War Memorial

Do not ask where Hearts are playing and then look at me askance. If it’s football that you’re wanting, you must come with us to France! Sir George McCrae

In November 1914, Heart of Midlothian comfortably led the First Division, [ 21 ] having started the 1914–15 season with eight straight victories, including a 2–0 defeat of reigning champions Celtic. [ 22 ] This streak coincided with the originate of the First World War and the beginnings of a public debate upon the morality of continuing professional football while youthful soldiers were dying on the front-line. A gesture was placed before the Scottish Football Association to postpone the season, with one of its backers, Airdrieonians chair Thomas Forsyth declaring that “playing football while our men are fighting is repugnant”. [ 23 ] While this motion was defeated at the vote box, with the SFA opting to wait for War Office advice, the East London philanthropist Frederick Charrington was orchestrating a public campaign to have professional football in Britain suspended, and achieving capital popular support for his cause. [ 24 ] The prime tactic of Charrington ‘s campaign was to shame football players and officials into action through public and private denunciation. In answer, sixteen players from Hearts enlisted in Sir George McCrae ‘s fresh unpaid battalion, joining en masse on 25 November 1914. The battalion was to become the 16th Royal Scots and was the first to earn the “ football player ‘s battalion ” nickname. The group of volunteers besides contained some 500 Hearts supporters and ticket-holders, 150 followers of Hibernian and a count of professional footballers from Raith Rovers, Falkirk and Dunfermline. [ 25 ] military educate was frankincense added to the Hearts players football train government, and the side had a 20-game unbeaten run between October and February. [ 26 ] however, debilitation from their united states army exertions, doubly including 10-hour nocturnal-marches the nox before a league plot, [ 27 ] finally led to a cliff in form, as respective enlisted players missed cardinal games. Defeats to St Mirren and Morton allowed Celtic to usurp the Maroons and finally claim the league style by 4 points. [ 26 ] The war claimed the lives of seven first team players : Duncan Currie, John Allan, James Boyd, Tom Gracie, Ernest Ellis, James Speedie and Harry Wattie [ 28 ] ampere well as early player David Philip. There are two war memorials to mark this period ; The McCrae ‘s Battalion Great War Memorial in Contalmaison and the Heart of Midlothian War Memorial in Haymarket, Edinburgh donated to the city by the club in 1922. [ 29 ] The latter was placed in repositing due to the Edinburgh Trams work [ 30 ] but has now been replaced a little to the east of its previous put. A further memorial commemorating the 1914 Hearts team has been proposed by the clubhouse. [ 31 ] An annual pilgrimage is held by football supporters to Contalmaison every class, [ 32 ] [ 33 ] whilst Hearts hold their memorial services at Haymarket [ 34 ] or, whilst it was in storage, at Tynecastle Park. [ 35 ]

Inter war years [edit ]

Hearts collected no senior silverware in the bury war years. Tommy Walker joined the Hearts grind staff aged 16 in February 1932. As scots clubs could not then officially sign players until the historic period of 17, Walker played junior football for Linlithgow Rose until his birthday in May. [ 36 ] A talented and elegant inside-forward, Walker cursorily earned a place in the Hearts beginning team, helping the side to victory in the 1933 Jubilee edition of the Rosebery Charity Cup, in a temper in which they finished 3rd in the league. He was a unconstipated first team player by 1933–34 but despite some emphatic victories, inconsistent form limited Hearts to a sixth-place finish. Despite Walker scoring 192 league goals for Hearts and playing in sides boasting numerous internationals, such as Scots Dave McCulloch, Barney Battles, Andy Anderson and Alex Massie, Welshman Freddie Warren and Irishman Willie Reid, Walker was destined not to win a major honor as a player at Tynecastle. The closest Hearts came to success during his time period there was a second stead league ending in 1937–38 .

Tommy Walker ‘s managerial era [edit ]

The first seeds of the Tommy Walker managerial success at Hearts were sown by Davie McLean. On 9 October 1948 after a average begin to the 1948–49 season, Hearts ‘ coach McLean gave a competitive first gear team debut to 20 year old [ 37 ] center forward Willie Bauld [ 38 ] and 19 year old inside left Jimmy Wardhaugh, [ 39 ] and 22 year old at heart right Alfie Conn Sr. [ 40 ] had already broken through to the beginning team therefore this game marked the inaugural meter all three were deployed as a blend attack pull. [ 41 ] They became dubbed the Terrible Trio and scored over 900 Hearts goals between them [ 42 ] ( Wardhaugh 376, Bauld 355, Conn 221 ). [ 43 ] As a unit they played 242 games together. [ 44 ] The combination of Wardhaugh ‘s trickle skills and non-stop track, Bauld ‘s cerebral play and exceeding aerial ability, and Conn ‘s energetic, dogged style and brawny shoot complemented each early well. [ 45 ] Their first match as a forward combination ended in a 6–1 defeat of Scot Symon ‘s East Fife team of the era. [ 46 ] This was noteworthy as Symon ‘s team had defeated the Maroons 4–0 three weeks earlier. [ 47 ] A few weeks subsequently in December 1948 Tommy Walker left during his third season at Chelsea to return to Hearts. He took the function of player-assistant to director McLean. McLean ‘s purpose was that Walker would be a brace influence in a develop young team. however, after a single appearance at right-half in a 1–0 home kill by Dundee, Walker retired to concentrate amply on learning the managerial ropes. [ 48 ] Tangible build up was made in the League Championship in 1949–50 when Hearts finished one-third. As Tommy Walker had become more influential, McLean was co-opted to the Board on 16 March 1950. [ 49 ] [ 46 ] [ 43 ]
Chart of Hearts ‘ annual table positions in The League. McLean ‘s death on 14 February 1951 saw Walker promoted to the position of coach. Walker ‘s reign was to prove the most successful period in the clubhouse ‘s history. [ 50 ] Walker was always quick to acknowledge the contribution made by McLean and his fatherly interest in the social welfare and development of the players. The important foundations Walker inherited from McLean included the Terrible Trio forwards, the wax back pair of Bobby Parker and Tam McKenzie and half backs Bobby Dougan and Davie Laing. To this established core John Cumming had recently broken through to the first team in the left field one-half position he was to dominate for many years. Freddie Glidden was already at Tynecastle but so far to first team debut as was the then schoolboy Dave Mackay. Walker made Parker the team Captain. [ 46 ] [ 43 ] Mackay ‘s identify sign as a professional was under Walker in 1952 ( initially part-time whilst besides working as a joiner ). Mackay ‘s pairing with Cumming at wing half was to become the nucleus of the team in the center of the pitch. Mackay was a supremely talented all round musician of ferocious harness, endless run and sublime ball master. Cumming ‘s Iron Man nickname says much of his unafraid determination. Despite his committedness he retained control condition of his pique and was never booked in his career. Cumming was the only player to collect medals for all seven of the trophies Hearts won under Walker. “ He never had a bad game. It was either a reasonably well game or an excellent game, ” said Mackay late of his former teammate. [ 51 ] Both went on to become full moon Scotland internationalists while playing for Hearts. [ 46 ] [ 43 ] Bauld ‘s rate to the team was underlined in 1952/53, when he missed eight full of life league games through ankle injuries. Hearts were struggling, but with Bauld ‘s return to broad seaworthiness came a deepen in fortunes. From the bottom half of the league they surged up the table to finish in one-fourth place ( as they had the two previous seasons ). That revival besides took them to a 1952–53 scottish Cup semi final against Rangers before 116,262 fans at Hampden Park in Glasgow. Wardhaugh scored in the 2–1 frustration. Hearts were now though on an up trajectory. [ 46 ] [ 43 ] In 1953–54, Wardhaugh became the A Division ‘s top scorer with 27 goals as Hearts appeared set to win the League championship. however, on 13 March 1954 in the scots Cup quarter final 3–0 kill away to Aberdeen, Parker broke his chew the fat, Conn injured his binding, and Wardhaugh collected a dangerous tibia bone injury. Dougan already had a drawn-out knee injury meaning 9 November 1953 was his final competitive Hearts first team game ( Dougan lone subsequently played for Hearts in friendlies ). Walker immediately tried Glidden to cover and he took over the center half mooring from Dougan. A stuttering end to their season saw Celtic overtake them. [ 52 ] The young Mackay was given his first team introduction on 7 November of that 1953–54 season one week before his nineteenth birthday. naturally more left sided than right, Mackay played in the number six jersey normally associated with the absent Cumming. Mackay ‘s future two appearances though were n’t until mid March immediately after the Aberdeen cup frustration when again he played in Cumming ‘s situation. It was n’t until 17 April 1954 in a 1–0 succeed at Clyde that Walker inaugural selected Mackay, Glidden and Cumming in the numbers four, five and six. [ 53 ] [ 46 ] [ 43 ] The team was boosted by the sign of Ian Crawford in August 1954. Mackay was given his strain place in the team in the 1954–55 season immediately after Laing ‘s 5 September transplant to Clyde. It was from this point that Walker settled on Mackay, Glidden and Cumming as his combination for the number four, five and six jerseys. [ 54 ] They promptly became a trophy winning violence lifting the first of seven trophies over nine seasons between 1954 and 1963. In October of the 1954–55 season they won their first trophy since 1906, 48 years ahead. They beat Motherwell 4–2 in the 1954 Scottish League Cup Final. Bauld scored three and Wardhaugh scored one in the final giving the team their break through trophy. Hearts gained some compensate against Celtic from the season before by beating them home and away in that 1954–55 Scottish League Cup group stage. [ 55 ] [ 43 ] After signing Alex Young and Bobby Kirk, Walker ‘s side proceeded to win the 1955–56 scottish Cup. [ 56 ] They thrashed Rangers 4–0 in the quarter finals with goals from Crawford, Conn and a Bauld double. [ 57 ] Cumming ‘s commitment to the team was typified in that 1956 scottish Cup Final before 132,840 fans. With blood streaming from a first one-half capitulum injury from a clash with Celtic ‘s Willie Fernie he said, “ blood does n’t show on a maroon jersey ”. He returned to the play field in the 3–1 win and was man of the match. That quote is now displayed above the entrance to the players tunnel at Tynecastle. Kirk could play in either broad back function [ 58 ] and played on the right in the final at the expense of Parker. Glidden lifted the trophy as Hearts captain in what he recalled as the “ sweetest ” moment in his footballing career. [ 59 ] [ 55 ] [ 43 ] Wardhaugh was the top tier ‘s contribute scorer again that season. The scorers in the cup final win over Celtic were Crawford with two and one from Conn. Conn ended that 1955–56 season at the top out of his powers aged 29 with a career best 29 goals from 41 games. On 2 May 1956 two weeks after the cup win Conn became the one-third of the atrocious trio to collect a full Scotland cap. At Hampden Park he put his english ahead after 12 minutes in a 1–1 draw with Austria. however the follow September he suffered a break jaw playing against Hibernian keeping him out until January. [ 60 ] [ 61 ] The days of the Terrible Trio as a compound force out were nearing their end. [ 55 ] [ 43 ] 17 year old Gordon Marshall debuted in 1956 as did George Thomson in February 1957. Marshall, a future England under 23 internationalist, became a Hearts goalkeeping regular until 1963. Hearts led the Scottish League for most of the 1956–57 season. The title hinged on Rangers visit to Tynecastle on 13 April. A capacity crowd watched a strain game in which Rangers custodian, George Niven, was man of the match. Hearts could not beat him and the only finish came from Billy Simpson of Rangers who scored on the break in 35 minutes. Rangers had games in hand which they won to overtake Hearts and lift the trophy. [ 55 ] [ 43 ] Walker completed the set of having won all three major Scottish football trophies with the League Championship in 1957–58. Conn suffered a serious ankle injury meaning he only played in five league games all season. Injury hit Conn left Hearts for Raith Rovers in September 1958 just two years after his 1956 zenith. He did so after 408 first team games and 221 goals. [ 43 ] With an injury stumble Bauld lone playing nine times in the league title win a new Hearts attack trio were dominant. For a third meter Wardhaugh was the League ‘s top marksman with 28 strikes. This was one ahead of Jimmy Murray ‘s 27 and four more than Young ‘s 24. Mackay, nowadays Captain, was one-fourth in Hearts ‘ league score charts with 12. Hearts won that League title in 1957–58 with record-breaking points, goals scored and finish difference. Their record from 34 league games of 62 points out of a maximal possible 68 was 13 more than their nearest rival. They scored 132 goals ( hush the scots circus tent tier record ) with merely 29 against for a record web deviation of +103. This was Hearts ‘ greatest ever league english. Murray and Mackay both played for Scotland at the 1958 FIFA World Cup where Murray scored in a 1–1 draw against Yugoslavia. Parker was a periphery player in the league gain season, his last season as a Hearts musician. He moved to the cabaret coaching staff before joining the Board of Directors where he besides had a spell as chair. [ 55 ] [ 43 ] In the 1958–59 Scottish League Cup group stage Hearts eliminated Rangers. That October 1958 Scottish League Cup Final was won with a heavy 5–1 get the better of of Partick Thistle. Bauld and Murray each scored two and Johnny Hamilton netted one. Hearts defended their league style by being leaders in mid December. however a side visiting Ibrox missing injured Mackay were beaten 5–0 with all goals in the first 35 minutes. This put Rangers into top position in the table on goal modal. [ 62 ] This precipitated a move of only two wins from the future seven games without hurt Mackay. Hearts beat Queen of the South in a 2–1 home league win on 7 March 1959. [ 63 ] After that QoS crippled Rangers with six games to play were firm favourites for the title, six points ahead of moment placed Hearts. [ 63 ] even if Hearts were to win their remaining seven games including a game in hand and beat Rangers in their visit Tynecastle in Rangers ‘ penultimate game of the temper, [ 64 ] Rangers would placid have to drop two points elsewhere and give away a superior goal average. [ 63 ] The league game against QoS was Mackay ‘s end for Hearts after they accepted a bid of £32,000 from Tottenham Hotspur for their captain who was fit at this clock despite having had drawn-out spells out injured in the previous 12 months. Bobby Rankin was brought in to bolster the police squad and scored twice in each of his inaugural two games ( both victories ). On the penultimate Saturday of the league campaign goals by Cumming and Rankin at home to Rangers [ 65 ] mean Hearts were four points behind with a game in bridge player. In midweek they following won 4–2 at Aberdeen with Rankin scoring a hat-trick. [ 66 ] The death day of the season began with Rangers two points gain with an identical goal average to Hearts. Rangers frankincense needed a point to clinch the title but lost 2–1 at dwelling to Aberdeen. Despite missing Bobby Kirk at right back with a knee injury, Rankin ‘s ninth finish from his fifth Hearts game had Hearts 1–0 up at half prison term at Celtic Park. Any victory would have given Hearts the title. then Celtic ‘s Bertie Auld play at left field wing equalised before Eric Smith scored Celtic ‘s winning second base goal to seal the title for their cross city rivals [ 67 ] leaving those at Tynecastle to wonder what would have happened if Mackay had n’t been sold when he was. [ 55 ] [ 43 ] Mackay ‘s name as a club pillar at half back was finally taken over by Billy Higgins. That League Cup succeed was besides Glidden ‘s last trophy as a recurring back injury that temper numbered his play days at Tynecastle. 36 year old MacKenzie left in 1959 as did Wardhaugh. He scored 206 goals in 304 league games and a sum of 376 goals in 518 games for Hearts. [ 43 ] [ 55 ] After collecting three scots championships and 19 wax Scotland caps at Hibernian, Gordon Smith had a recurring ankle injury leading to his absolve transfer in 1959. Smith believed that an operation could cure the injury [ 68 ] and paid for an operation on the offending ankle himself. He then signed for Hearts, his boyhood heroes. [ 68 ] He enjoyed immediate success at Tynecastle, winning both the 1959 Scottish League Cup Final and league deed in his foremost season with the club. [ 68 ] Hamilton scored for Hearts in that moment consecutive League Cup Final and Young hit the winner. third Lanark were beaten 2–1. 1960 ended with Walker being awarded the OBE for services to football. [ 69 ] [ 55 ] [ 43 ] The 1960s visualize Hearts fortunes fluctuate as Walker attempted to adapt to football ‘s tactical changes by implementing a 4–2–4 formation. Young and Thomson departed for Everton in November 1960. At Everton Young was known as The Golden Vision and became another from the Walker production pipeline of wide Scotland internationalists. Smith had an injury reach season leading to his joining Dundee ( who became the third base golf club with whom he won the scots title ). Hearts signed further future full internationalists in Willie Wallace and David Holt. Hearts lost the 1961 Scottish League Cup Final after a play back. Cumming scored a deserve equalize penalty for Hearts in the first bet on 1–1 draw they largely dominated against the Scot Symon managed Rangers. Norrie Davidson scored a then equalising Hearts finish when they lost in the 3–1 play back frustration. [ 55 ] [ 43 ] Bauld left Hearts in 1962 with 355 goals from 510 first base team appearances. [ 43 ] Another future internationalist, Willie Hamilton, joined for the run culminating in the 1962 Scottish League Cup Final gain. Hearts won the trophy for a fourth time with a 1–0 concluding win over Willie Waddell ‘s ticket Kilmarnock side of that era. Davidson ‘s goal this clock proved critical. Like in the 1954–55 win Hearts eliminated Celtic in that 1962-63 Scottish League Cup group phase. [ 55 ] [ 43 ] In 1964–65 Hearts fought out a championship title race with Waddell ‘s Kilmarnock. In the earned run average of two points for a gain Hearts were three points clear with two games remaining. Hearts drew with Dundee United meaning the end game of the temper with the two title challengers playing each other at Tynecastle would be a league decider. Kilmarnock needed to win by a two-goal gross profit to take the title. Hearts entered the game as favourites with both a statistical and home advantage. They besides had a solid pedigree of trophy winning under Walker. Waddell ‘s Kilmarnock in contrast had been about men. Four times in the previous five seasons they had finished league runner-up including Hearts ’ exuberate in 1960. Killie had besides lost three domestic cup finals during the lapp period including the 1962 League Cup Final kill to Hearts. Hearts had won five of the six senior cup finals they played in under Walker. tied the concluding they had lost was in a replay after drawing the first plot. Hearts ‘ Roald Jensen hit the post after six minutes. Kilmarnock then scored doubly through Davie Sneddon and Brian McIlroy after 27 and 29 minutes. Alan Gordon had an excellent opportunity to clinch the style for Hearts in second half injury time but was denied by a Bobby Ferguson diving save pushing the ball past the post. The 2–0 defeat entail Hearts lost the entitle by an average of 0.042 goals. [ 70 ] [ 71 ] [ 72 ] Subsequently, Hearts were instrumental in pushing through a change to use goal deviation to separate teams level on points. ironically this rule change late denied Hearts the title in 1985–86. [ 73 ] [ 43 ] Following a slump in results, Walker resigned in September 1966. Under his management Hearts had won 7 senior trophies and been runners up in five others. Cumming left the play staff a year late and joined the coach team. [ 73 ] [ 43 ]

latter twentieth hundred [edit ]

The highlight of the deep 60s was the operate to the 1968 scottish Cup Final when they lost 3–1 to George Farm ‘s Dunfermline Athletic. The players of greatest note in the belated sixties were Jim Cruickshank, Alan Anderson and Donald Ford with Drew Busby joining the three in the 1970s. The high period of the 1970s was another hunt to the scottish Cup Final. In 1975–76 they again lost 3–1 in the final this time to Rangers. After the second coming of the ten team Premier Division in 1975, Hearts were subsequently relegated for the first base time in 1977. This began a succession of yo-yoing between the Premier League and First Division six times in seven seasons. On 25 May 1981, 34-year-old Wallace Mercer became president after buying a master pastime in Hearts for £265,000. [ 74 ] Hearts had precisely been relegated from the top flight for the one-third time in five seasons. The follow December ( 1981 ), Mercer promoted Alex MacDonald to be Player-Manager. At the end of the 1982–83 season Hearts were promoted back to the top fledge. This marked an upturn in their fortunes to rejoin the more competitive clubs in Scotland ‘s top escape. The 1985–86 temper was their best since 1965. The league campaign started with the passing of five of the first eight games. From there the club went on a 27-game unbeaten league streak, reaching the crown of the league on 21 December after a 1–0 gain at St Mirren. Hearts needed a puff from the last game of the season away to Dundee on 3 May 1986 to win the Scottish league championship. Before that final examination game they were two points ahead of Celtic and with a victor goal dispute of four goals. however, this strong statistical side was undermined in the run astir to the game when several players in the Hearts team were hit by a viral contagion. Craig Levein failed to recover to make the game in Dundee. [ 75 ] [ 76 ] Celtic were 4–0 up away at St Mirren at half time in their final repair. frankincense, at half time the players knew that they would have to deliver a result at Dens Park. Substitute Albert Kidd forced Hearts to concede a corner kick with seven minutes remaining. The in-swinging corner was touched on and fell to Kidd who put Dundee ahead. This was the first base goal Hearts had conceded from a recess all season. Hearts now needed an equalizer to win the style. however, Kidd went on a run with the ball from the halfway wrinkle down the correct wing beating two Hearts players. After then playing a one-two with a teammate on the border of the Hearts box he finished to score a second with four minutes left. Dundee won 2–0. [ 77 ] This combined with Celtic winning 5–0 against St Mirren meant the top two clubs finished the season on the like number of points. Hearts lost out to Celtic by a goal dispute of three. Had goal remainder been the rule in 1965 Hearts would have been champions ; had goal average still applied in 1986, they would have won the league. Hearts lobbying after the league passing in 1965 price them the deed in 1986. Hearts had been chasing a League and Scottish Cup bivalent. After eliminating Rangers and Jim McLean ‘s Dundee United they faced Alex Ferguson ‘s Aberdeen in the final examination ; Aberdeen won 3–0 intend Hearts finished runner-up as they had in the league. [ 78 ] Hearts finished league runner-up again in 1988 and 1992. The club reached the quarter-finals of the 1988–89 UEFA Cup losing out to Bayern Munich 2–1 on aggregate. After MacDonald ‘s summer 1990 deviation the club struggled to settle on a coach. Within a biennial menstruation, Joe Jordan, Sandy Clark and Tommy McLean were all sacked. From April 1989 to April 1994, Hearts went on a run of 22 games in a rowing without defeat against arch-rivals Hibernian in the Edinburgh Derby. In 1994 Mercer sold his shares in Hearts to Chris Robinson and Leslie Deans. Under Mercer, Hearts finished second in the scots lead tier three times and once in the scottish Cup, but his time at the helm concluded without senior silverware. His personal influence at the clubhouse is possibly best remembered with an try fusion with Hibs in 1990. visualize by Hibs fans as an undertake claim over to liquidate their golf club, Mercer ‘s attempts were met with resentment and bitterness before he backed off. [ 74 ] [ 79 ] In 1998, Hearts beat Rangers 2–1 to lift the scots Cup under the management of antique Hearts player, Jim Jefferies. Colin Cameron scored a first-minute penalty and Stephane Adam added after half clock time. This was Hearts ‘ first senior trophy win since the 1962–63 Scottish League Cup won in the Tommy Walker era .

Into the twenty-first century [edit ]

Hearts finished third base in 2003 and 2004, and reached the inaugural group stages of the UEFA Cup in 2004–05, but finished bottom of their group, despite Robbie Neilson ‘s finish giving a 2–1 victory over FC Basel. During the 2004–05 season, they finished fifth in the league. In 2004, then club CEO Chris Robinson announced plans to sell Tynecastle, which he claimed was “ not fit for determination ”, and rather have Hearts rent Murrayfield from the scottish Rugby Union. [ 80 ] This move was deemed necessary due to the clubhouse ‘s increasingly large debt. The design was very unpopular with supporters, and a campaign, entitled Save Our Hearts, was set up to try to block the move. [ 81 ] As Robinson and his supporters had a slight majority of the club ‘s shares, a preliminary consider to sell the stadium was struck with the Cala property exploitation company for merely over £20 million. [ 82 ]

The Romanov era [edit ]

In August 2004 the midst of Hearts ‘ fiscal difficulties Russian – lithuanian multi-millionaire Vladimir Romanov entered into talks to take over Hearts [ 83 ] in what was dubbed the “ Romanov Revolution ”. Romanov had already made failed attempts [ 84 ] to purchase Dundee United, [ 84 ] Dundee [ 84 ] and Dunfermline. [ 84 ] Romanov offered the view of the baseball club staying at a redevelop Tynecastle, [ 83 ] [ 85 ] which was identical attractive to Hearts supporters. [ 86 ] At the end of September 2004 Chris Robinson agreed to sell his 19.6 % stake to Romanov. [ 87 ] Romanov called an extraordinary general meet in January 2005 so that the club could pass a gesticulate to exercise the escape clause in the deal with Cala Homes. [ 88 ] [ 89 ] The back of Leslie Deans [ 89 ] and the McGrail brothers [ 89 ] think of that the movement was passed with over 70 % support. [ 90 ] The sale of Robinson ‘s shares was completed on 2 February 2005 [ 91 ] after Romanov made fiscal guarantees that the cabaret could continue to trade without selling Tynecastle. [ 92 ] This sale increased Romanov ‘s bet on to 29.9 %, [ 91 ] giving him effective master of the golf club. [ 91 ] Romanov ‘s takeover was welcomed by a fans ‘ representative. [ 91 ] Romanov increased his shareholding in Hearts to 55.5 % on 21 October 2005, [ 93 ] and offered to buy the rest of the shares. [ 93 ] Chairman George Foulkes sold his shares to Romanov [ 93 ] and encouraged others to do alike. [ 93 ] Romanov finally increased his majority share in Hearts to 82 %. [ 94 ] Romanov ‘s management of the club ‘s debt became a campaign for concern. [ 95 ] During his coup d’etat Romanov pledged to eradicate the baseball club ‘s debt. soon after the coup d’etat was completed, the debt was transferred from HBOS and SMG to the fiscal institutions controlled by Romanov, Ūkio bankas and UBIG. At the end of July 2007 the club were £ 36 M in debt. [ 95 ] On 7 July 2008, Hearts issued a statement that stated the baseball club would issue debt for fairness to reduce the debt by £12M. [ 96 ] A far write out was completed in 2010. [ 97 ] Since the coup d’etat Hearts had failed to pay players wages on prison term on several occasions, [ 98 ] [ 99 ] [ 100 ] and were threatened with administration twice [ 101 ] due to failure to pay an outstanding tax bills with the bill ultimately being settled in August 2011. [ 102 ] Results released for the fiscal year ending 31 July 2010 showed that Hearts had made a small profit for the first clock since 1999, although they were silent heavily in debt. [ 103 ]

presidency [edit ]

On 17 June 2013 Hearts announced that they had lodged court papers stating their purpose to enter administration, and on 19 June 2013 the administrators BDO were appointed to run the club. [ 140 ] This mean that the golf club was unable to register players over 21 until February 2014 at the earliest. a long as they were distillery in administration they would not be able to bring in players of any senesce. [ 141 ] ampere well as the bless embargo, Hearts were to be deducted a third of the former season ‘s points match which meant the club would start the 2013–2014 season with −15 points. During this period the BDO administrator Trevor Birch pleaded with Hearts fans to purchase season tickets and stated that they needed to sell at least another 3000 season tickets to raise another £800,000 to keep the club running and avoiding elimination. The fans met this total and took sum season ticket sales beyond the 10,000 marker, giving the club more survival time. [ 142 ] A deadline of 12 July 2013 was set for concerned parties to put in courtly bids for the club ; [ 143 ] there were three bids entered for the club which were received from the supporters group “ The Foundation of Hearts ”, [ 144 ] the second from a new company called “ HMFC limited ” which was backed by american firm Club Sports 9 and a third base from former Livingston FC owner Angelo Massone through Five Star Football Limited. [ 145 ] On 15 August 2013, “ The Foundation of Hearts ” were given favored bidders condition to make a CVA with Hearts ‘ creditors. The money that the foundation used to purchase the club came from monthly donations from fans ; the foundation received an interest-free lend from a affluent fan, which was to be paid back using the monthly direct debts from the fans. [ 146 ] On 2 December, Hearts ‘ creditors agreed to the CVA deal proposed by “ The Foundation of Hearts ”. [ 147 ] The club ‘s delegating from the scots Premiership was confirmed on 5 April 2014. [ 148 ] Hearts won 4–2 away to Partick Thistle, but St Mirren beat Motherwell 3–2, making it impossible for Hearts to catch up. [ 149 ] On Monday 12 May 2014, The Ann Budge fronted Bidco 1874 took control of Heart of Midlothian Plc, thus bringing to an end to Vladimir Romanov ‘s interest with the club. Budge, who fronted and financed the Bidco 1874 group which took over the reins at the baseball club, became an unpaid executive president of the clubhouse. The Bidco group planned to hold the baseball club for a possible five years, before the fans backed Foundation of Hearts supporters group take control. The Foundation put in £1 million for the run of the cabaret until the final legal exit of administration. The Foundation then paid a far £2.6 million ( £2.5m to cover the lend given by Bidco1874 Ltd to Hearts to finance the Creditors ‘ voluntary Agreement + £100,000 for the shares ) to take 75 % of the shares in the club and with that the run and decision devising within the club. In addition, the Foundation besides committed itself to provide a further £2.8m ( £1.4m per year for two years ) working capital for the club. Funding for the deal came from 8000+ people donating cash via a monthly calculate debit. [ 150 ] [ 151 ] The clubhouse formally exited administration on 11 June 2014, besides bringing to an end the sign embargo that had been imposed upon the club a year earlier. [ 152 ]

Post administration [edit ]

Hearts earned an immediate return to the scottish Premiership by clinching the 2014–15 scottish Championship entitle with seven games remaining. [ 153 ] Hearts remained undefeated for the first 20 league matches before a 3–2 home kill to Falkirk ended that play. [ 154 ] They won the deed, winning 29 of 36 games, scoring 96 goals, conceding good 26 goals with a points total of 91. [ 155 ] They finished the season 21 points ahead nearest challengers city-rivals Hibernian and 24 points ahead of third place Rangers. The season included handing Cowdenbeath a joint golf club record kill 10–0. [ 156 ] At the PFA Scotland Awards, Hearts had six players named in Championship Team of the Year, [ 157 ] two Young Player of the Year nominees, [ 158 ] three Championship Player of the Year nominees, [ 159 ] and Neilson shortlisted for Manager of the Year. [ 160 ] This time period of renewed stability unravelled in the years following 2015. Despite finishing as runners up in the 2019 scots Cup Final, the club could only achieve mid-table placings in 2017, 2018 and 2019. This decline took a go for the worse in 2019–20, and Hearts were relegated after finishing bottomland of the scottish Premiership, having won only four matches across the course of the season ( which had been truncated ascribable to the COVID-19 pandemic ). [ 161 ] Their delegating was confirmed in June 2020, after league reconstruction talks instigated by Budge collapsed. The club confirmed that they would be pursuing legal legal action against the SPFL following their demotion to the scottish Championship. [ 162 ] The legal carry through failed, as a Scottish Football Association arbitration panel ruled that the SPFL had acted within its powers. [ 163 ] Robbie Neilson was appointed as Hearts director for a second prison term in June 2020, signing a three-year share. [ 164 ] Former director Jim Jefferies was recruited as an adviser to the board and coach in July. [ 165 ] In August 2020, Andrew McKinlay was appointed as the club ‘s newly Chief Executive. [ 166 ] In June 2021, club captain Steven Naismith announced his retirement from football, taking up the function of Football Development Manager, focusing on the development of youth players “ making their way towards the first team ”. [ 167 ] On 30 August 2021, Ann Budge formally transferred the club shares to the Foundation of Hearts, meaning Hearts officially became the biggest fan owned baseball club in the United Kingdom. [ 168 ]

Colours and badge [edit ]

The original Hearts football strip was all white shirts and trousers with maroon trimmings, and a kernel sewed onto the thorax. [ 169 ] For one season they played in red, white and blasphemous stripes. [ 169 ] These were the colours of a club called St. Andrew, who had taken their name and coloring material from the University of St Andrews, that Hearts had absorbed. Since then the overriding clubhouse colours have been maroon and white. [ 169 ] The denude typically has a maroon top and a white collar, [ 169 ] although the strip was predominantly white in the 2010–11 temper. [ 170 ] The shorts are normally ashen, although maroon was used in the 2008–09 season. [ 169 ] The socks are normally maroon with some white detail. [ 169 ] Hearts ‘ current home kit is all maroon with a white collar. [ 171 ] The badge is a heart, based on the Heart of Midlothian mosaic on the Royal Mile. There is a tradition to spit on the mosaic when pass, harking back to the day ‘s when the city imprison stood there. [ 172 ] For the 2014–2015 season the golf club chose to commemorate 100 years since McCrae ‘s Battalion with not merely a commemorative strip, of maroon shirt, egg white shorts and black socks, but with a commemorative badge american samoa well. The golf club choose to have no patronize on the home top as a mark of obedience to those who had joined the regiment .

stadium [edit ]

Hearts initially played at The Meadows, Powburn and Powderhall before moving to the Gorgie sphere in 1881. They moved to their current web site, Tynecastle Park, in 1886. Tynecastle has hosted nine broad Scotland international matches. Tynecastle was named after the Tynecastle Tollhouse, at the entrance to the grounds of Merchiston. [ 173 ] Tyne is a river in the area. [ 174 ] For most of the twentieth Century, Tynecastle was a largely terraced ground, with a seat main stand that was designed by Archibald Leitch and opened in 1919. The terrace sections were replaced by the Gorgie, Wheatfield and Roseburn Stands in the mid-1990s, making Tynecastle an all-seated stadium. In 2017, the main stand was demolished and replaced by a mark new rack which increased the ground ‘s capacity to 20,099. [ 1 ] While this work was undertake, Hearts played some of their home league matches at Murrayfield Stadium. [ 175 ]

competition [edit ]

Hearts have a traditional local competition in Edinburgh with Hibs ; the Edinburgh bowler hat couple between the two clubs is one of the oldest rivalries in world football. [ 176 ] Graham Spiers has described it as “ one of the jewels of the scottish game ”. [ 177 ] The clubs first base met on Christmas Day 1875, when Hearts won 1–0, in the foremost meet always contested by Hibs. The two clubs became distinguished in Edinburgh after a five-game clamber for the Edinburgh Football Association Cup in 1878, which Hearts finally won with a 3–2 victory after four consecutive draw. [ 178 ] The clubs have met doubly in a Cup Final, in the 1896 scots Cup Final, which Hearts won 3–1 [ 179 ] and the 2012 scots Cup Final which Hearts won 5–1. The 1896 final is besides luminary for being the only scottish Cup Final to be played outside Glasgow. [ 179 ] Hearts have the better read in derbies. [ 180 ] approximately half of all derbies have been played in local competitions and friendlies. [ 180 ] Hibs recorded the biggest bowler hat winnings in a competitive match when they won 7–0 at Tynecastle on New Year ‘s Day 1973. While it has been noted that religious background lies behind the competition, that aspect has been described as minor in relation back to the sectarianism in Glasgow. [ 181 ] [ 182 ] [ 183 ] In rehearse geography has been the chief agent in establishing the support bases of the Edinburgh rivals : hold for Hibs has always been founded in Leith and the surrounding areas in the north and east of the city, whereas the remainder of Edinburgh has tended towards Hearts. Although the clubs are ineluctable rivals, the competition is chiefly “ good-natured ” and has had beneficial effects due to the demographic diversities ; considering both of the clubs ‘ territories have a diverseness of neighbourhoods that differ economically, politically, and denominationally ; along with the fact some of the neighbourhoods are divers in a mix of or all 3 ways. [ 184 ] [ 185 ]

Supporters and polish [edit ]

Heart of Midlothian are one of two full-time professional football clubs in Edinburgh, the capital and second largest city in Scotland. [ 186 ] Hearts ‘ average attendance during the 2019–20 season was 16,750. [ 187 ] Important matches, peculiarly the Edinburgh bowler hat, european fixtures and games against the Old firm, constantly see Tynecastle at or identical close to full capacity. [ 185 ] The Hearts Song was written and performed by scots comedian Hector Nicol, a St Mirren sports fan. A raw mod Hearts Song, performed by “Colin Chisholm & The Glasgow Branch”, has been played before matches at Tynecastle in late seasons, though the original version returned for the 2019–2020 season. In 2020–2021 the modern version once again replaced the oldest. The folk-anthem “ There will constantly be Heart of Midlothian ” by songwriter Neil Grant has been played regularly at Tynecastle Park since 2018. At the request of the Foundation of Hearts, Neil performed the rousing track hot at Tynecastle during the Ladbrokes Premiership equal against St Johnstone on 26th Jan 2019. The track gained extra photograph after being played on the BBC ‘s enormously popular Off the Ball radio series. Hearts have many celebrity fans including Stephen Hendry, the late Ronnie Corbett, Ken Stott, Alex Salmond, Sir Chris Hoy, Wattie Buchan and Eilidh Doyle. [ 188 ] [ 189 ] [ 190 ] [ 191 ] [ 192 ] Hearts were featured in the second season of Succession, where the team is bought by the character Roman Roy ( Kieran Culkin ) who, in an undertake to impress his church father Logan ( Brian Cox ), mistakenly buys the Edinburgh equal of Logan ‘s actual favorite team, Hibs .

player of the year [edit ]

Honours [edit ]

major honours [edit ]

The scots Cup is the oldest home trophy in world football. Above, it is draped in maroon and egg white ribbons following Heart of Midlothian ‘s 5–1 victory over Edinburgh rivals Hibernian in the 2012 final

minor honours [edit ]

cabaret records [edit ]

Attendance

Highest home attendance: 53,396 v Rangers, 13 February 1932, Scottish Cup, Tynecastle
Highest average home attendance: 28,195, 1948–49 season (15 games)[207]

Single game

Biggest win: 21–0 vs Anchor, EFA Cup, 1880[208]
Biggest defeat: 1–8 vs Vale of Leven, Scottish Cup, 1888[208]

Caps and appearances

Goals

Transfers

Players [edit ]

stream team [edit ]

As of 7 September 2021[218]

eminence : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .

On loanword [edit ]

eminence : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .

retire numbers [edit ]

eminence : Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality .

Development and under-20s team [edit ]

For more information on reserves and under-20s, see Heart of Midlothian F.C. Reserves and Academy

Hearts Women police squad [edit ]

For more information on Hearts Women squad, see Heart of Midlothian W.F.C. § Players

Club staff [edit ]

corporate staff [edit ]

Position
Name

Chairman
Ann Budge

Chief Executive
Andrew McKinlay

Non Executive Director
James Anderson

Non Executive Director
Donald Cumming

Non Executive Director
Eric Hogg

Non Executive Director
Kevin Windram

Finance Director
Jacqui Duncan

Marketing & Communications Director
Catriona McCallum

Sporting Director
Joe Savage

Head of Recruitment
William Lancefield

Principal Ambassador
Gary Locke

Foundation of Hearts Chairman
Stuart Wallace

Coaching staff [edit ]

Position
Name

Manager
Robbie Neilson

Assistant Managers
Gordon Forrest
Lee McCulloch

Goalkeeping Coach
Paul Gallacher

Football Development Manager
Steven Naismith

First Team Analyst
Angus Beith

Academy Coaching Development Manager
John McLaughlan

U18s Coach
Steven Naismith

Head of Performance
Bob McCunn

Physio
Craig Maitland

Sports Scientist
Mike Williams

Hearts Women staff [edit ]

For more information on Hearts Women staff, see Heart of Midlothian W.F.C. § Coaching Staff

Managers [edit ]

Hearts Women [edit ]

In 2009, Hearts took over Musselburgh Windsor Ladies Football Club, changing their appoint to Hearts Ladies F.C. [ 244 ] [ 245 ] They presently play in the scots Women ‘s Premier League under the mention Hearts Women. [ 246 ] The team play their home games at The Oriam, Riccarton. [ 247 ]

References [edit ]

bibliography [edit ]

Hoggan, Andrew (1995). Hearts in Art (Hardback). Mainstream. ISBN 1-85158-736-5.