Heart of Midlothian F.C.
In 1874, a group of friends from the Heart of Midlothian Quadrille Assembly Club purchased a football ball and began playing local rules on The Meadows in Edinburgh. They adopted association football rules after watching a match between Queen's Park and Clydesdale at Raimes Park in Bonnington during December 1873. The new side took its name from the historic county of Midlothian and Walter Scott's novel The Heart of Midlothian published in 1818. Their club crest features the famous Heart of Midlothian mosaic located on the Royal Mile near the site of the former Old Tolbooth jail. The team colors became maroon and white with an original strip consisting of all-white shirts and trousers featuring maroon trimmings. A heart emblem was sewn onto the chest of their early kits before they briefly wore red, white and blue stripes to honor St. Andrew who had absorbed another club. By 1875 Hearts became members of the Scottish Football Association and founder members of the Edinburgh Football Association. They played their first competitive match against 3rd Edinburgh Rifle Volunteers F.C. in October 1875 at Craigmount Park which ended in a scoreless draw.
Tommy Walker joined the Hearts ground staff aged 16 in February 1932 and later became player-assistant manager before taking full control in March 1950 after Davie McLean stepped down. His most successful period began when he deployed Willie Bauld, Jimmy Wardhaugh and Alfie Conn Sr. together as the Terrible Trio for the first time in October 1948. These three forwards scored over 900 goals between them while playing 242 games together as a unit. Wardhaugh scored 376 goals, Bauld 355 and Conn 221 during their combined tenure. The trio won seven senior trophies under Walker including two league titles and five major cups between 1954 and 1963. In 1957, 58 they set a record by scoring 132 goals with only 29 conceded for a net difference of +103. This remains the highest goal difference ever recorded in a Scottish top-flight winning campaign. Wardhaugh finished as the league's top scorer that season with 28 strikes while Mackay contributed 12 goals from midfield. The team reached the 1952, 53 Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers before 116,262 fans at Hampden Park where Wardhaugh scored in a 2, 1 defeat. Walker's side thrashed Rangers 4, 0 in the quarter-finals of the 1955, 56 Scottish Cup final before 132,840 spectators.
In November 1914 Heart of Midlothian comfortably led the First Division having started the 1914, 15 season with eight straight victories including a 2, 0 win over reigning champions Celtic. Sixteen players enlisted in Sir George McCrae's new volunteer battalion on the 25th of November 1914 joining en masse to become the first footballer's battalion. The group included approximately 500 Hearts supporters and ticket-holders along with 150 followers of Hibernian and professional players from Raith Rovers Falkirk and Dunfermline. Military training was added to their football regime but exhaustion from army exertions eventually caused form to drop as several enlisted players missed key games. Defeats to St Mirren and Morton allowed Celtic to usurp the Maroons and claim the league title by four points. 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 plus former player David Philip. Two memorials mark this period: The McCrae's Battalion Great War Memorial in Contalmaison and the Heart of Midlothian War Memorial in Haymarket Edinburgh donated by the club in 1922. An annual pilgrimage is held by football supporters to Contalmaison while Hearts hold memorial services at Haymarket or Tynecastle Park.
Russian-Lithuanian multi-millionaire Vladimir Romanov entered talks to take over Hearts in August 2004 offering prospects for a redeveloped Tynecastle which appealed to fans. He increased his shareholding to 82% by December 2006 but management of the club's debt became a cause for concern. By July 2007 the club were £36 million in debt despite Romanov pledging to eradicate it. On the 19th of June 2013 Heart of Midlothian began entering administration with debts of £25 million owing recently bankrupt Ukio Bankas £15 million. Administrators BDO appointed Trevor Birch pleaded with fans to purchase season tickets needing to sell another 3,000 to raise £800,000. Fans met this target taking total sales beyond the 10,000 mark giving survival time. The Foundation of Hearts emerged as preferred bidders using monthly donations from fans and an interest-free loan from a wealthy fan. They paid £1 million for running costs plus £2.6 million to acquire 75% of shares committing further £2.8 million working capital. Funding came from over 8,000 people donating via monthly direct debit. The club officially exited administration on the 11th of June 2014 ending the signing embargo imposed a year earlier. Ann Budge fronted Bidco 1874 which took control before transferring shares to the Foundation of Hearts on the 30th of August 2021 making Hearts the biggest fan-owned club in the United Kingdom.
Hearts moved to their current site Tynecastle Park named for the Tollhouse at the entrance to Merchiston grounds in 1886 after playing at The Meadows Powburn and Powderhall. The stadium hosted nine full Scotland international matches throughout its history. For most of the 20th century it was mostly terraced with a seated main stand designed by Archibald Leitch opened in 1919. Terraced sections were replaced by Gorgie Wheatfield and Roseburn Stands in the mid-1990s making Tynecastle an all-seated stadium. In 2017 the main stand was demolished and replaced increasing capacity to 20,099 while Hearts played some home league matches nearby at Murrayfield Stadium during construction. Their traditional local rivalry exists with Hibernian forming one of the oldest rivalries in world football. The clubs first met on Christmas Day 1875 when Hearts won 1, 0 in the first match ever contested by Hibs. They have met twice in Cup Finals winning both: 3, 1 in 1896 which remains the only Scottish Cup Final played outside Glasgow and 5, 1 in 2012. Approximately half of all derbies occur in local competitions or friendlies with geography establishing support bases since Hibs draws from Leith and surrounding areas while the rest of Edinburgh tends toward Hearts.
Heart of Midlothian have won four league titles most recently in 1959, 60 when they retained the Scottish League Cup completing a double as the only club outside Old Firm to achieve this feat. They hold eight Scottish Cup wins including victories in 1890, 91 1895, 96 1900, 01 1905, 06 1955, 56 1997, 98 2005, 06 and 2011, 12. Their most recent final appearance was losing 3, 2 to St Mirren in 2013 after finishing runners-up in 2019 2020 and 2022. In 1958 Hearts became the third Scottish and fifth British team to compete in European competition reaching the quarter-finals of the 1988, 89 UEFA Cup before losing to Bayern Munich 2, 1 on aggregate. The club reached the inaugural group stages of the UEFA Cup in 2004, 05 finishing bottom despite Robbie Neilson's goal giving a 2, 1 victory over FC Basel. They secured European group stage football in the UEFA Conference League following their 2020, 21 Championship title win. Hearts finished third in 2023, 24 returning to European football initially entering the Europa League play-off stage but dropping into the Conference League league stage.
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Common questions
When was Heart of Midlothian F.C. founded and what inspired its name?
Heart of Midlothian F.C. was formed in 1874 by friends from the Heart of Midlothian Quadrille Assembly Club who adopted association football rules after watching a match between Queen's Park and Clydesdale at Raimes Park in Bonnington during December 1873. The club took its name from the historic county of Midlothian and Walter Scott's novel The Heart of Midlothian published in 1818.
Who were the players in the Terrible Trio managed by Tommy Walker for Heart of Midlothian F.C?
The Terrible Trio consisted of Willie Bauld, Jimmy Wardhaugh, and Alfie Conn Sr., who played together as a unit starting in October 1948 under manager Tommy Walker. These three forwards scored over 900 goals between them while playing 242 games together, with Wardhaugh scoring 376 goals, Bauld 355, and Conn 221 during their combined tenure.
What happened to Heart of Midlothian F.C. players during World War I on the 25th of November 1914?
On the 25th of November 1914, sixteen players enlisted in Sir George McCrae's new volunteer battalion joining en masse to become the first footballer's battalion. The war claimed the lives of seven first team players including Duncan Currie John Allan James Boyd Tom Gracie Ernest Ellis James Speedie and Harry Wattie plus former player David Philip.
When did Heart of Midlothian F.C. exit administration and how was it funded?
Heart of Midlothian F.C. officially exited administration on the 11th of June 2014 after debts of £25 million were owed to recently bankrupt Ukio Bankas. Funding came from over 8,000 people donating via monthly direct debit through the Foundation of Hearts which paid £1 million for running costs plus £2.6 million to acquire 75% of shares.
Where does Heart of Midlothian F.C. play its home matches and what is the capacity of Tynecastle Park?
Heart of Midlothian F.C. plays at Tynecastle Park named for the Tollhouse at the entrance to Merchiston grounds since 1886 after playing at The Meadows Powburn and Powderhall. The stadium has a capacity of 20,099 following the demolition and replacement of the main stand in 2017 while Hearts played some home league matches nearby at Murrayfield Stadium during construction.