Heart of Midlothian fans are preparing for a historic moment as their team faces Celtic in a title decider at Celtic Park on Saturday. Hearts need only a draw to secure their first Scottish league championship since 1960, while Celtic must win to retain the crown.
Edinburgh Braces for Celebrations
Edinburgh, known for its festivals, is readying for a different kind of carnival. Roads will be closed, buses rerouted, and trams will stop running down Princes Street. Civic leaders are preparing a reception at the city chambers, all dependent on the result in Glasgow.
Fans Travel from Around the World
Josh Mill, a 24-year-old Hearts season ticket holder living in Sydney, flew back to Edinburgh for the match. He encountered five other Hearts fans on the same flight from Australia. Unable to secure a ticket—only 752 seats are allocated to Hearts fans—he will watch with family. “There was no doubt in my mind. I’m not going to miss this,” he said.
Dave McLaren, administrator of the largest Hearts fan forum Jambos Kickback, also missed out on a ticket. He recalls near misses in 1965 and 1986. “To me, this is almost like last chance. It would be mayhem in the city if Hearts won,” he added.
Resentment of Old Firm Dominance
Many Scottish football fans resent the dominance of Celtic and Rangers, who have won 110 titles between them. Hearts have won only four, as have Aberdeen. Ian Murray, Labour MP for Edinburgh South, who helped save Hearts from financial collapse in 2013, said: “It will be fantastic. The raw emotion will be off the scale.”
Gerry Hassan, an academic who has watched games at 122 grounds, noted that in 1985 Aberdeen was the last non-Old Firm champion. Now the Scottish league is Europe’s joint-least competitive. He is a temporary Hearts fan “for the greater good”.
Wider Support for Hearts
Crime writer Val McDermid, a Raith Rovers sponsor, is also a temporary Jambo. “It would be healthy for Scottish football if that duopoly was broken up,” she said. Even some Celtic and Hibernian fans agree. Ben Macpherson, SNP MSP for Edinburgh, said: “It’s hard not to want the underdog to prevail.”
If Hearts win, a victory parade will take place in central Edinburgh on Sunday. The city and fans worldwide await the outcome with bated breath.
