After 66 long years, Heart of Midlothian stand on the brink of being crowned Scottish champions on Wednesday – a tantalizing and almost unbelievable prospect.
Of course, a massive asterisk must accompany that statement. To make history, Hearts must defeat Falkirk at Tynecastle, while Celtic must lose to Motherwell at Fir Park.
Few expect that scenario to unfold, but Hearts boast an exceptional home record, and Motherwell have already beaten Celtic this season – in fact, they outclassed them. That was back when Wilfried Nancy was in charge, a relative lifetime ago.
Celtic have undergone significant changes since then, with Martin O’Neill’s wise guidance pulling the team forward and back into contention after the dismal days under Nancy. Yet they remain in pursuit, knowing that one slip against Jens Berthel Askou’s impressive and dangerous side could spell curtains.
Despite trailing Hearts by a point, Celtic are the bookmakers’ favorites to reclaim the title. The cold-blooded odds-makers have rarely bought into the Hearts fairy tale, most believing Celtic would ultimately prevail.
The mere fact that Hearts have come this close is trippy. Thirty-six games played, 3,240 minutes across 10 months, top of the table since September – and they have arrived at this moment. In their greatest league season since falling on the last day 40 years ago, they have been doubted along the way. Laughed at initially when Tony Bloom invested in the club and said they could split the Old Firm in one season, questioned in December when they dropped points in four consecutive matches. Scepticism surged in late spring when they lost to two of the bottom six and then drew with Livingston, plumb last in the Premiership.
Injuries have hampered them then as they do now, but Hearts kept the show on the road. ‘Believe’ is the Tynecastle mantra, the gospel preached by manager Derek McInnes.
On Monday afternoon, it was quiet in the Tynecastle Arms, the storied pub in the stadium’s shadow. A pub, but also a strange kind of museum: a pair of boots in a glass box (John Robertson’s first pair, local legend claims); a plaque commemorating the 5-1 Scottish Cup final win against Hibs; walls full of photographs, glorious moments captured in time.
Will there be more recent ones now? Those nursing their pints on Monday weren’t sure. They want to say yes but don’t want to get their hopes up. They fear heartbreak. They’ve had it before. A few were there on the last day at Dens Park in 1986 when a dream turned into their greatest nightmare. One man’s father was there in 1965 when they were denied again. Trauma passed down the generations.
“I didn’t know what to do with myself afterwards,” says Mark of that afternoon in 1986 when the league slipped through their fingers in defeat against Dundee. “I remember the goals that beat us and I remember this incredible feeling of wanting to get the hell out of there as fast as possible. I remember walking forever to get the bus and all the way along I saw grown men in tears and being consoled by their sons and daughters. That sticks with me. Children comforting fathers, not the other way around.”
Mark believes – or wants to believe. That business at Fir Park on Saturday has rattled him, though. Him and many others in maroon. At 1-1, Hearts’ Alexandros Kyziridis hit the deck after an apparent trip from Tawanda Maswanhise. Referee Steven McLean didn’t give the penalty. VAR invited him to take another look. Still he stuck by his decision, to the fury and astonishment of Jambos everywhere. McInnes says Willie Collum, head of referees, has confirmed that an error was made.
You couldn’t repeat what the boys at the Tynie Arms made of all that. They weren’t happy, put it that way. They are, er, not wholly convinced that there’s a level playing field when the east coast is threatening to usurp a giant from the west. Think Alex Ferguson ranting about west-coast bias in the 1980s, multiply it by 10 and you’re in the right territory.
How boys from Gorgie Road went global
Celtic might well kill the dream, but it’s lasted this long, which is way, way longer than anybody thought it was going to last. It’s been a captivating ride.
In the beginning, the interest from outside was a trickle. Some media organisations down south and in Ireland wanted to know more about the fine start Hearts had made to the season, the wins over the Old Firm, the Bloom story, the mystery of Jamestown Analytics, Radio Braga and all of that. Then the trickle became a flow. As Rangers, then Celtic, toiled under the mis-management of Russell Martin and Nancy, the Hearts story really took flight.
Now they were getting in touch from France and Germany, Portugal and Spain, Austria and Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands and Sweden. Newspapers, magazines, radio, television, podcasts – all wanting a piece of the underdog threatening world football’s greatest duopoly. As Hearts refused to buckle at the top of the league, the flow became a flood. Now it was Bloomberg and ESPN on the line from America, Revista Balompie getting in touch from Mexico, Radio Vitoria reaching out from Brazil, the Financial Review looking for a chat from Australia. More requests came in from Uganda, Kazakhstan and Nigeria. The boys of the Gorgie Road had gone global.
The scale of what they were going for blew people to kingdom come. Sixty years since they last won the league; 41 years since anybody bar the big Glasgow two had won it. Fifty-five titles for Celtic and 55 for Rangers. The most anybody else had was four – 85% of all league titles since competition began had gone the way of the Old Firm. Was all that history about to get rewritten? Really?
A season ago, Hearts finished seventh, fully 42 points behind Celtic. Foreign media gorged themselves on the tale of the haves and the have-nots. Hearts have 15,500 season ticket holders to Rangers’ 45,000 and Celtic’s 53,000. In two decades of European competition alone, Celtic have brought in revenues in the region of £370m–£420m. For Rangers that estimate ranges from £235m–£270m. For Hearts it’s around £25m. Their most recent turnover was £24m, pocket change compared to Rangers’ £94m and Celtic’s £143m.
Few people thought that there’d ever be a day when the Old Firm were caught and for months and months we’ve all twisted in the wind on that one. Yes, Hearts will win the league. No, Celtic or Rangers will catch them. With two games to go there is but one certainty – Rangers are not catching anybody. They’re gone, badly wounded by Motherwell, profoundly hurt by Hearts and then finished off by Celtic on Sunday.
With 180 minutes left to play, Hearts are where they have been all year and where they have been for much of the season – top of the league. More points than Celtic – by one – and a better goal difference – by three.