Manager Tommy Walker welcomes Hearts first overseas international Roald Jensen in December 1964

Heart-ache at Tynecastle

Going into the final day of the 1964-65 League campaign, Hearts were on top of the table, two points ahead of Kilmarnock who were the visitors to Tynecastle that fateful afternoon. Fielding excellent players such as Jim Cruickshank, Davie Holt, Alan Anderson and Willie Wallace, all Hearts had to do was avoid a 2-0 defeat and they would be Champions. However, the day turned into an absolute disaster for the vast majority of the 37,275 crowd, Kilmarnock winning 2-0 and claiming the title by 0.04 of a goal under the old goal average system. This was a bitter blow, bearing in mind that the Tynecastle players had scored 90 League goals to Killie's 62, with Wallace (21); Gordon (19); Hamilton (16); and Tommy White (13) all hitting double figures.

The maroons were right out of luck that day, with Roald Jensen hitting the post with a great shot and Alan Gordon being denied a late goal by a brilliant stop from the Kilmarnock keeper. In between, goals from Sneddon and McIlroy gave the Ayrshire team a 2-0 lead and secured the title at the final whistle. If the present goal difference system had been in place, Hearts would have comfortably won the Championship.

Over the season, the Tynecastle team had played football that delighted the fans, who had been anxious at the start, after a disappointing League Cup exit in a Section involving Kilmarnock, Celtic and Partick Thistle. Nevertheless, in the opening Championship match, Hearts defeated Airdrieonians 8-1 at home, and were unbeaten for 16 games. Entertainment was guaranteed, with splendid victories such as 5-3 versus Hibs; 5-1 against Third Lanark; 6-3 versus Aberdeen; and 4-2 against Celtic.

Hearts were two points clear of Killie when the teams met at Rugby Park on 19 December. Something had to give and sadly, it was Hearts' unbeaten run. Although the maroons bounced back to beat Airdrieonians, they had an uncomfortable spell over the festive period when a goal by former idol, Willie Hamilton, gave Hibs a 1-0 win at Tynecastle. The following day, the team lost 3-2 at Dunfermline, in a match where Roald Jensen, the first major signing from an overseas club, made his debut. In due course, Jensen would become Hearts' first overseas International player.

The team soon recovered and recorded some good results, including a 2-1 victory at Celtic Park and a 1-1 draw away to Rangers. Accordingly, it is difficult to explain how Dundee managed to win 7-1 at Tynecastle on 27 February. Once again, the players responded positively and dropped only one point from the next seven matches to set up that final day showdown with Kilmarnock. Sadly, it was not to be Hearts' Championship and a great campaign ended in crushing disappointment.

In the Scottish Cup, Falkirk was easily defeated 3-0 at Brockville in the First Round and then Hearts fought out a thrilling 3-3 draw at Cappielow against Morton. A crowd of 31,996 watched the Replay which Hearts comfortably won 2-0. In the Third Round at Fir Park, Motherwell was the better side on the day and won 1-0.

There was little enthusiasm for the Summer Cup and Hibs won the Qualifying Section with Hearts, Dunfermline Athletic and Falkirk. The players then left on a tour of Norway, before coming home to play Kilmarnock in an experimental game on behalf of FIFA. Offside was restricted that day and Hearts' won 8-2. If only one of these goals had come against the Ayrshire club a few weeks earlier.

A massive Tynecastle crowd of nearly 47,000 gathers to watch Hearts and Celtic draw 3-3 in the Scottish Cup in March 1966

Hearts Hangover

In 1965-66, everyone was still affected by the previous season's events and the average crowd fell from around 16,000 to just over 11,000. Alan Anderson was appointed captain and he organized a solid defence, while in November, the midfield was boosted by the purchase of George Miller from Wolves for a club record fee of £20,000. However, Tommy White was exchanged for Aberdeen's Don Kerrigan and the attack was not so effective, only Willie Wallace hitting double figures in the League.

The League Cup saw Hearts in a tough Section with Rangers, Clyde and Aberdeen, but the team made a flying start, a 4-2 home win over Rangers being followed by a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie. Matters took a down turn when Clyde won 2-1 at Tynecastle. Rangers then turned the tables with a 1-0 victory in Glasgow and went on to win the Section by one point.

The Championship started with only one win from the first seven matches and included a humiliating 4-0 home defeat from Hibs. Tommy Walker reshuffled his team which was boosted by the return from injury of Don Kerrigan. This seemed to inspire the players, as did the purchase of Miller, and only Rangers could defeat the maroons in the next 17 League games. In the middle of this fine run, came a thrilling victory at Easter Road on New Year's Day, when Hearts came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

Two days later, 24,579 fans were at Tynecastle to see a 0-0 draw against Dunfermline Athletic, but Hearts were moving up the League table, particularly after a sensational victory on 29 January against Celtic. The Glasgow club was on the way to the first of nine successive Championships, but lost 3-2 at Tynecastle. Celtic used an excuse that a midweek European trip had exhausted its players, totally ignoring the fact that Hearts had also been abroad in midweek and that the maroons were down to ten men when George Miller was carried off after four minutes. Sadly, the players could not keep it going and Hearts won only two of the last eleven League matches to finish a disappointing seventh. Goal scoring was now a real issue with only 56 netted in 34 games, 19 of them by Willie Wallace.

The club again took part in the Inter Cities Fairs Cup (now the UEFA Cup) and met Valerengens of Oslo, winning 1-0 at home and then 3-1 at the world famous athletics venue, Bislett Stadium. In the Second Round, Real Zaragoza secured an exciting 3-3 draw at Tynecastle and the return game produced a courageous performance from Hearts who were 2-0 down and lost Danny Ferguson through injury. Anderson and Wallace scored to earn a splendid 2-2 draw, but unfortunately, the team lost the play-off 1-0 in Spain.

In the Scottish Cup, Hearts eliminated Clyde by 2-1 and then 32,185 fans were at Tynecastle to see Hibs defeated 2-1 in the Second Round. This earned a home tie against Celtic and attracted a crowd of 46,957. This was the official attendance, but as gates were broken down at the Gorgie Road end, the crowd was considerably more. A thrilling game ended in a 3-3 draw, but two of the Celtic goals will always be regarded as offside by Hearts' supporters. Celtic easily won the Replay by 3-1 before an astonishing crowd of 72,100 which included a reported 10,000 from the capital.

A frustrating season did end on a pleasant note with two East of Scotland Shield wins over the Hibs in both the 1965 and 1966 Finals.

Jim Cruickshank saves a penalty from Joe Davis of Hibs at Tynecastle in January 1967

Tommy Walker Bombshell

1966-67 was a disastrous season and eventually became dominated by off-field events. The team's performance was the poorest for many a long year and Hearts dropped to eleventh, its lowest League position since 1927. The depression was further compounded by early exits from the Cup competitions.

The campaign began with Hearts in a strong League Cup Section with Celtic, St.Mirren and Clyde. The Parkhead side was destined to win all the honours and easily topped the group, gaining a double over Hearts. Substitutes were now permitted, only to cover injury, and on 20 August 1966, against Clyde, Johnny Hamilton replaced Chris Shevlane to become the first Hearts' replacement.

The Championship also started badly, with a 3-1 defeat at Easter Road, Hearts first League defeat in Leith since 1952. The maroons then drew 1-1 with Airdrieonians at home and although new blood was required, Roy Barry was actually sold to Coventry City for £13,000. There was dressing room disharmony and a number of players asked for transfers before manager, Tommy Walker was asked to resign in late September 1966. He had led Hearts to seven trophies, but since that near miss in the Championship of 1965, Tommy had struggled to re-shape his squad. Nevertheless, to allow the departure of a man who had served the club with distinction for over thirty years was a shock for the supporters and possibly a monumental error.

The directors wanted a track suited manager and had already appointed a full-time secretary to relieve the new man of any administrative tasks. They decided to promote from within and trainer, John Harvey, took over, with John Cumming appointed trainer. It was not a job that Harvey especially wanted, but he had the men in good condition and was particularly successful in bringing through young players.

The new manager had a difficult start, with ace striker, Willie Wallace, going to Celtic for a paltry £29,000 in early December. This kicked-off major changes and by the end of the season, Hearts had lost Chris Shevlane on medical grounds and had released Alan Gordon, Johnny Hamilton, Billy Higgins and Danny Ferguson. Several youngsters were given a chance including: George Fleming, Alan Macdonald, Arthur Thomson, Ian Sneddon, and Eddie Thomson. Over the course of the season, the club also paid substantial sums to secure Bobby Kemp (St Johnstone), Jim Fleming (Dunfernline Athletic), Andy Milne (Arsenal) and Jim Townsend (St Johnstone).

The ever changing squad led to erratic performances, but there were some highlights. One came in the 0-0 draw against Hibs on 2 January when Jim Cruickshank saved a penalty from Joe Davis and two subsequent rebounds. However, Hearts fans had very little to shout about and from 4 March 1967 the team went six successive League matches without scoring a goal. When the maroons eventually hit form and thrashed Stirling Albion 5-1, the Tynecastle crowd was only 2,500. Clearly, this was not a vintage season and Jim Murphy was top scorer in the League with only seven goals. Indeed, Hearts' League total of 39 was the worst since 1947-48 and this lack of striking power would become a long term problem.

Hearts form in the Scottish Cup was also disappointing and Dundee United won 3-0 at Tynecastle in the First Round. This led to talk of a financial crisis and the club even considered scrapping the successful third team. The season had to be filled out with a series of friendlies and Hearts also played in Iceland in May 1967. Jim Townsend; Alan Anderson; and Jim Cruickshank all missed that trip as they toured the world with a Scotland XI.

Alan Anderson - a loyal servant of Hearts with 537 games between 1963 and 1976

Mixed Fortune for Hearts

There was no improvement in Hearts' League form in 1967-68 and indeed, the team dropped one place in the table. The spirit of the supporters was temporarily raised by a fine Scottish Cup run, but Hearts lost in the Final to Dunfermline Athletic and the campaign again ended in real disappointment.

The season started with the return of Willie Hamilton, but he subsequently struggled with injuries. However, Jimmy Irvine came from Middlesbrough to lead the attack and Hearts had a good draw in the League Cup being grouped with Falkirk, Stirling Albion and St.Johnstone. Although four of the six games were won, Saints proved too strong and beat the maroons home and away to progress to the knock-out stage.

The first League match was a disaster, with Hibs winning 4-1 in Gorgie. Hearts bounced back and lost only one of the next eleven fixtures, which included an excellent 5-2 victory over Motherwell at Fir Park and a 1-1 draw away to Rangers. The performance of youngsters such as Ian Sneddon; Arthur Thomson; Arthur Mann; and Donald Ford was encouraging and at the turn of the year, Hearts were third. However, New Year brought a set back and after Hibs won the derby, the maroons went on the slide, losing the next four fixtures, including a humbling 6-3 defeat away to Clyde. After beating Motherwell 3-2 at Tynecastle on 28 February, Hearts lost another six games in a row and tumbled down the table to finish a miserable twelfth. Donald Ford, with 11 goals, was the only player to reach double figures.

It was a major surprise that Hearts put together a great run in the Scottish Cup. In the First Round, Brechin City was defeated 4-1 at Tynecastle and by the time the maroons travelled to play Dundee United in the next round, Danish International striker, Rene Moller, had been signed from Randers Sportsklub Freja. He scored twice in an astonishing 6-5 win at Tannadice before 9,021 fans. This fluctuating match really did have everything and as the minutes ticked away, with the score 5-5, the winning goal came from that burly attacker, Jim Irvine.

In the Quarter Final, Hearts went to Ibrox and recorded a fighting 1-1 draw. The Replay attracted a crowd of 44,094 and they witnessed another memorable victory, with Donald Ford scoring the only goal with a low angular shot into the School End net with extra time looming. With League form being so poor, it was a far from confident Hearts team that faced Morton in the Semi Final at Hampden Park. Roald Jensen scored first, but Morton equalized to force a Replay. Only 11,563 attended this encounter in which the Greenock team took the lead. Hearts captain, George Miller, scored to take the match into extra time and victory came thanks to a Jensen penalty after Ford was brought down by the keeper.

Thanks to a huge Hearts' support, the crowd at the Scottish Cup Final was 56,365 but they were not rewarded with a vintage performance, the maroons going down 3-1 to Dunfermline Athletic. The Fifers scored through Gardner in 56 minutes, and then Lister soon made it 2-0 from a penalty. The mercurial Rene Moller, who had just recovered from a dislocated shoulder, came on as a substitute and his angular drive forced an own goal from John Lunn after 70 minutes. This gave Hearts fresh hope, but three minutes later, Gardner scored again for Dunfermline to shatter the Tynecastle team which was: Jim Cruickshank; Ian Sneddon and Arthur Mann; Alan Anderson, Arthur Thomson and George Miller; Roald Jensen, Jim Townsend, Donald Ford, Jimmy Irvine and Tommy Traynor. Rene Moller came on for Jensen.

Hearts even lost the Shield Final (for 1967) before a short tour of Ireland.

Hearts in 1968: Alan MacDonald; Rene Moller; Arthur Mann; Bobby Hogg; Jim Cruickshank; Kenny Garland; Davie Holt; Ian Sneddon; Alan Anderson; Eddie Thomson; Willie Hamilton; Roald Jensen; Arthur Thomson; George Miller; Donald Ford; George Fleming; Tommy Traynor; Jim Townsend; and Jim Fleming

Young Hearts Progress

A clutch of decent youngsters had now emerged under John Harvey's guidance and season 1968-69 looked promising with the squad also having experience in the shape of Jim Cruickshank; Davie Holt; and Alan Anderson. However, results in the League Cup Section against Airdrieonians, Dundee and Kilmarnock soon brought the fans back to earth. The start was good with a win at Airdrie, a home victory over Dundee and a draw at Kilmarnock. But the return match with Airdrieonians was a stormy affair with seven bookings and a 2-0 defeat. Four days later the team was mauled 4-0 at Dens Park and interest in the League Cup ended.

The Championship commenced with the derby at Easter Road. Hearts were 1-0 down at half time, but kicking up the slope, and inspired by Willie Hamilton, the maroons were magnificent and goals by Jim Fleming, George Fleming and Rene Moller brought a 3-1 victory. Dunfermline was then beaten 3-1 at Tynecastle before Hearts fell 2-1 at Airdrie. This set the pattern for the season, with just about every good result being followed by a defeat.

At the half way stage, Hearts had earned an average of one point per match, but it has to be said that the squad suffered badly from injuries. Captain, Jim Townsend, broke an ankle in October and Sneddon, Irvine and George Fleming had long spells on the sidelines. The morale of the fans was also damaged in November 1968, when the extremely talented full-back, Arthur Mann, was transferred to Manchester City for £69,000. The transfer was justified on economic grounds as gates had fallen over the years to an average of 10,700.

The New Year derby finished 0-0 on a frozen Tynecastle pitch, before a crowd of 30,011. Shortly after this, the Berwick Rangers boss, Jock Wallace, was appointed assistant manager and he introduced his own style of training, tactics and motivation. This helped Hearts to make a good recovery near the end of the season and the team lost only one of the last nine League games to finish eighth. The top scorers in the Championship were back to single figures, with Roald Jensen and Willie Hamilton each netting seven goals, a statistic that indicated an ongoing problem.

The Scottish Cup First Round brought Hearts into conflict with Dundee at Dens Park and goals from Tommy Traynor and George Fleming earned an encouraging 2-1 win. Hearts then crashed 5-0 at Celtic Park in the League and also lost 1-0 at Kilmarnock, before facing Rangers at Ibrox in the Second Round. The maroons could not raise their game and went out of the Cup after a 2-0 reverse in front of 47,337 spectators.

In January 1969, the opening of the fully-licensed Social Clubs behind the stand brought the promise of additional funds to strengthen the squad. Towards the end of the season, Ernie Winchester was signed from Kansas City for £10,000 and Neil Murray came from Ross County.

In the East of Scotland Shield, the team drew 1-1 with Hibs in the 1967-68 Final although the maroons would eventually win the Replay. Hibs won the 1968-69 Final 1-0 at Easter Road.

A Step Forward

Jock Wallace was now making his presence felt and looked likely to be the successor to manager, John Harvey. Accordingly, the fans were in optimistic mood at the start of 1969-70 and the team was much improved, finishing fourth in the League. This was based on a sound defence which usually read: Cruickshank; Clunie and Oliver; Veitch, Anderson and Eddie Thomson. Only the Champions, Celtic, could boast a better record of goals conceded, Hearts losing only 36 in 34 games, the best performance since 1957-58. The fans were also pleased to see further players emerge from the reserves, including, Jimmy Brown; Eric Carruthers; Kenny Garland; and Andy Lynch.

The League Cup Section grouped Hearts with Dundee United, St.Mirren and Morton and the opening game at Tannadice saw the maroons come back from 2-0 down to defeat United 3-2. However, the following week brought a 0-0 home draw against St.Mirren and then a 1-0 defeat from Morton. Indeed, after that United match, Hearts only scored three goals in the other five games and failed to qualify on goal difference to Morton. Success in this competition was now a distant memory.

The Championship started with a 1-0 home defeat from Morton and thereafter the team struggled to put together a winning run. Hearts did defeat Kilmarnock 4-1 on 13 September, but it would then be another seven games until the next win. However, in November, goals from Jensen and Ford gave Hearts a 2-0 victory over the all-conquering Celtic at Parkhead, and with confidence boosted, the maroons became much more consistent, losing only three games out of the last seventeen in the League. This included a fine 0-0 draw with Celtic at Tynecastle when Jim Cruickshank saved a penalty and Hearts prevented the Glasgow men from scoring in every game that season. Too many drawn games prevented a real Championship challenge, but fourth position was the highest for five seasons. Goalscoring was still a problem and Donald Ford was the top League marksman with 8 goals.

Skipper, Eddie Thomson, hoped to lead Hearts to success in the Scottish Cup, but again there was disappointment. The First Round took the maroons to Montrose where a crowd of 4,300 saw a last minute goal from George Fleming spare Hearts blushes and earn a replay. George also scored the only goal of the second game at Tynecastle. Hearts were then drawn to meet Kilmarnock at Rugby Park where two early goals from the home team sent the Tynecastle men crashing out of the Cup.

The team did record two East of Scotland Shield victories over Hibs, winning 2-1 in the 1967-68 Final Replay at Easter Road and 3-2 in the 1969-70 Final at Tynecastle.

Hearts really needed to add firepower to a sound defence and Wilson Wood came from Dundee United in exchange for Tommy Traynor. The unlucky Jim Irvine, out for many months with injury, was released and Rene Moller went home to Denmark.

Eddie Thomson leads out the team against Wolves in the Texaco Cup Final in 1971

Texaco Excitement

In 1970-71, a UK-wide tournament, the Texaco Cup, was established on a knock-out basis over two legs. Hearts were invited to take part and performances in this competition were among the best of the campaign. Unfortunately, the maroons made their now traditional early exit from the League Cup, winning only one match from home and away games against Celtic; Dundee United and Clyde. The only win came in the final match away to Clyde when only the die hards witnessed a 5-1 victory.

The opening match in the League ended with a shattering 3-1 reverse at home to St.Johnstone and this was one of several disappointments in the early part of the campaign. Hearts could only win two from the first nine games, but good work in the Texaco Cup kept the fans content. The potential of Hearts young team had clearly been damaged by the summer departure of assistant manager, Jock Wallace, to Rangers. The search for a successor to John Harvey, who wished to hand over to a younger man, had to start again, but this was resolved in November 1970 with the appointment of Bobby Seith, the ex-Dundee star and former manager of Preston North End.

Over the whole season, home results were reasonable and among the better performances at Tynecastle, was the 1-1 draw with Celtic in late February, when Eric Carruthers scored. Nevertheless, victories away were limited to five with the best coming at Falkirk when George Fleming scored three goals in a 4-2 win. Hearts tactics had certainly improved, but the team struggled to score, with Donald Ford fighting a lone battle up front and a total of only 40 being netted in 34 games. As a result, Hearts fell back to an extremely poor eleventh in the League.

In the Scottish Cup, Hearts met Stranraer for the first time and had a comfortable 3-0 home victory. This set up a Second Round tie against Hibs at Tynecastle where the Leith men won 2-1 due to some rare defensive mistakes from the home side.

Despite this blow, enthusiasm was generated by the team's run in the Texaco Cup. Hearts met Burnley in the First Round and lost 3-1 at Turf Moor. The return match produced an exciting comeback with Hearts delighting the 15,861 fans with a superb 4-1 victory. The Second Round paired Hearts against Airdrieonians and four goals from Donald Ford led the Tynecastle men to a 5-0 rout at Broomfield. Although Airdrie won the Second Leg by 3-2, Hearts went on to meet Motherwell in the Semi Finals. After a 1-1 draw at Tynecastle a great Hearts following pushed the Fir Park crowd at the Second Leg to 25,529. The maroons looked out until George Fleming popped up with one of his late goals and then Donald Ford gave Hearts a 2-1 victory in extra time, amid great jubilation.

The Texaco Cup Final drew complaints about increased prices and in April 1971 only 25,027 backed Hearts at home against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The English side comfortably won 3-1 with Donald Ford scoring Hearts counter. The maroons then took a large following to the Second Leg where a goal from George Fleming earned a 1-0 win before 28,462 fans. However, Wolves took the Cup on aggregate.

Hearts team in the First Leg was: Jim Cruickshank; Ian Sneddon and Roy Kay; Eddie Thomson (Capt), Alan Anderson and Jim Brown; George Fleming, Jim Townsend, Donald Ford, Wilson Wood and Eric Carruthers. Drew Young came on as a substitute. In the Second Leg, Tommy Veitch came in for Jim Brown and Brian Laing for Eric Carruthers.

Hearts lost the East of Scotland Shield Final to Hibs and then a tour of North America finished a season in which Ford was again the top scorer with 11 League goals in his competitive total of 23.

The magnificent Jim Cruickshank frustrates the Hibs attack

Bobby Seith Makes Changes

Hearts were not particularly active in the pre-season transfer market and Tynecastle fans were not optimistic about stopping Celtic from winning the League for the seventh successive year. Roald Jensen had gone home and the only notable signings were free transfer men, Derek Renton (Rangers), Harry Kinnear (Forfar) and Billy Menmuir (Bristol City). Early in the campaign, Kevin Hegarty was exchanged for Tommy Murray of Carlisle United, and this excellent inside-forward became a favourite with his 10 League goals backing up top scorer, Donald Ford, who hit 15.

1971-72 brought some improvement. The League Cup Section began with a 4-1 home victory over St.Johnstone and this was followed by a 3-1 win at Airdrie. However, for years Hearts had fallen at this stage of the competition and this was to be no exception. The next three games produced defeats and although the final match resulted in a 4-0 home win over Dunfermline, the maroons were already eliminated and this was reflected in the gate of just 5,531.

Even worse, was the 2-0 home defeat from Hibs in the first Championship fixture, but then Tommy Murray arrived to support Jim Townsend in midfield and the following week, he scored twice in Hearts' 4-1 victory at Dunfermline. The team was then undefeated in the next seven League matches, one of which saw Rangers beaten 2-1 at Tynecastle. In early November, Hearts good run came to an end with a 5-3 reverse at Motherwell, but the team bounced back and a Donald Ford hat-trick inspired a 6-1 thrashing of Morton. Shortly after this, the Tynecastle men had a brilliant win at Aberdeen coming back from being 2-1 down to win 3-2. This was achieved with ten men after skipper, Jim Townsend, had been sent off and the hero of the day was Donald Ford who scored all three goals.

Although Hearts lost 3-2 at Celtic Park on Christmas Day, there was an outside chance of the title until disaster struck in successive games. On January 15, Dundee won 5-2 in Gorgie and then the maroons went down 6-0 to Rangers at Ibrox. Hearts played out the rest of the League campaign with little enthusiasm and finished sixth. At least it ended on a high, with a 4-1 thrashing of the Champions, Celtic.

The maroons suffered more disappointment in the other knock-out competitions. In the Texaco Cup, a home crowd of 17,679 saw a goal by Andy Lynch bring a 1-0 victory over Newcastle United in the First Round. In the return match, some 8,000 Hearts fans boosted the gate to 24,380 and they came home dismayed, at what appeared to be a blatantly offside goal by Malcolm Macdonald, being allowed to stand and giving the home side a 2-1 win. This took the tie into extra time and eventually, Hearts lost their first penalty shoot out.

In the Scottish Cup Third Round, Hearts beat St Johnstone 2-0 at Tynecastle and then enjoyed a 4-0 home win over Clydebank to set up a Quarter Final against Celtic at Parkhead. A last gasp goal by Derek Renton stunned the crowd and attracted 40,354 to Tynecastle for the Replay. Unfortunately, Hearts could not rise to the occasion and went down to a Macari goal. This was Gorgie's last crowd in excess of 40,000.

Due to fixture congestion, it was now proving difficult to find a suitable date for one of the world's oldest football competitions, the East of Scotland Shield. Hearts eventually won the trophy for season 1971-72, but the Final against Berwick Rangers was not played until May 1974.

Tommy Murray on the ball at Easter Road in 1972 with both Hearts and Hibs wearing unusual outfits

Not Ajax

Hearts prepared for 1972-73 at Papendal in the Netherlands and the club returned to the capital to reveal a new strip of all white with a maroon centre-panel, similar to the Dutch giants, Ajax of Amsterdam. This season, some of performances, most notably at New Year, were just as embarrassing as the new strip.

Hearts appeared to have a good young squad, but by the time the League Cup Section had finished, it was clear that there would be no honours at Tynecastle. Hearts could only win one match against Berwick Rangers, Dumbarton and Airdrieonians, and crashed out of the competition. Manager, Bobby Seith, was not helped by Jim Cruickshank's contract dispute and also top defender, Eddie Thomson, being injured for a month. In addition, he was not given much financial support by the directors.

Early in the season, the Texaco Cup brought limited success, with Crystal Palace being defeated 1-0 in both legs. This earned a Quarter Final with Motherwell who held Hearts to a 0-0 draw at Tynecastle in the First Leg. At Fir Park, the maroons were 2-0 ahead, but then Sneddon was sent off and the home side hit back to win 4-2.

In the Championship, after a shaky start, Hearts became impressive at home, and in mid-December they were third. The best performance of the first half actually came at Ibrox on 2 December. With only a few minutes left and the score 0-0, Tommy Murray was toying with the Rangers midfield and decided to sit on the ball. When Sandy Jardine lunged in, he coolly passed to Jim Brown whose cross was headed home by Donald Ford for a memorable victory.

Nevertheless, a catastrophe was just around the corner with defeats from Dundee, St.Johnstone and Hibs during a festive slump. Bobby Seith struggled to find a consistent winning formula and Hearts even suffered a record defeat during this period, when Hibs won a League match by 7-0 at Tynecastle in January 1973. This stunned the crowd of 35,844 and marked the end for many players. East Fife was the next League visitors and a sparse crowd of 6,341 indicated the mood in Gorgie.

The rot had set in, and points were then dropped with great regularity, Hearts eventually falling to a final position of tenth in the League table with only 30 points from 34 games and only 39 goals scored. Indeed, there was only one win in the last fourteen games.

The Scottish Cup brought even more disappointment, when in the Third Round, the maroons were held at home to a 0-0 draw by bottom of the League, Airdrieonians. At Broomfield, the Lanarkshire side was inspired by Drew Busby and won 3-1, although Hearts were incensed by some of the decisions that went against them that evening.

Bobby Seith immediately embarked on a re-building exercise and Jim Jefferies, John Gallacher and Donald Park started to feature in the team. Jim Townsend and Neil Murray were sold to Morton during the campaign and Andy Lynch went to Celtic for £30,000. This allowed Seith to buy Kenny Aird from St.Johnstone and John Stevenson from Coventry City. However, in March 1973, the fans had been shocked to see Eddie Thomson transferred to Aberdeen for £60,000 although in due course, this funded the acquisition of a new Tynecastle hero, Drew Busby from Airdrieonians.

At the end of a very uncomfortable season, Donald Ford was the top scorer with nine League goals in a competitive total of 12.

Hearts did win the East of Scotland Shield for season 1972-73, but ongoing fixture problems resulted in the 3-0 victory over Berwick Rangers in the Final not taking place until November 1974.

Donald Ford - one of Hearts greatest goal scorers

Hearts Come Back

Under Alan Anderson's captaincy, and the enthusiasm of new regulars, Cant, Aird, Jefferies, Busby, Stevenson and Prentice, Hearts made a tremendous start to the 1973-74 League campaign. This was all the more remarkable because the team once again failed to qualify from a League Cup Section against Partick Thistle, Dundee and St Johnstone, with two wins; two draws; and two defeats.

The Championship brought a complete transformation and in the first fixture, away to Morton, the team came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 with all the goals from the penalty spot and the boot of Donald Ford. The next League game brought Hibs to Tynecastle and a crowd of 29,419 cheered the first win over the Leith men at home since 1963. Goals by Aird, Ford, Busby and Schaedler (OG) produced wild celebrations on the terraces and after draws against Dundee and Motherwell, Hearts went to Ibrox where a Bobby Prentice inspired side, recorded a brilliant 3-0 victory.

After starting with an eight match unbeaten run, Seith's side was top of the League, but at the end of October, Celtic brought the run to an end with a 3-1 win at Tynecastle. This affected the players' confidence and inconsistent results followed, particularly at home, with four defeats from the next seven League games at Tynecastle. Hearts could not make this up on the road and were out of the Championship race by March, eventually finishing 6th.

Drew Busby scores in Hearts 3-0 victory over Rangers in September 1973

The Texaco Cup again produced some excitement with Hearts defeating Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park in the First Round. Some 4,000 Hearts' fans cheered Busby's winning goal and a gate of 24,903 came to Tynecastle for the Second Leg, which saw the maroons' progress after a 0-0 draw. In the Second Round however, Hearts had no answer to the flair of Burnley and Leighton James, with the Lancashire men winning 3-0 at Tynecastle and 5-0 at Turf Moor.

As always, the Scottish Cup built up the hopes of the supporters and in the Third Round, Clyde was swept aside by 3-1 at home. In the next round, Partick Thistle forced a 1-1 draw at Tynecatle and the Replay was held on a midweek afternoon, due to power strikes at that time. Ford produced his own brand of electricity with a hat-trick in Hearts 4-1 win at Firhill. In the Quarter Finals, Hearts again had the benefit of a home draw and a late goal from Alan Anderson earned a replay with Ayr United. A crowd of 16,185 packed Somerset Park and saw Hearts win 2-1 in extra time, thanks to two goals from who other than Donald Ford.

In the Semi-Final, a Replay was again required after the maroons drew 1-1 with Dundee United thanks to an Alan Anderson goal before 22,725 fans at Hampden. United, won the Replay 4-2 before a crowd of only 12,860.

At least Donald Ford was capped for first time and once again, he was the top marksman with 18 League goals in a competitive total of 29. The signing of Drew Busby and the skill of Bobby Prentice had at long last given Hearts a cutting edge.

The celebration of the Heart of Midlothian FC Centenary Year commenced on 5 January 1974 when a special flag was unfurled by the Earl of Rosebery before the home match against Motherwell.

HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN HONOURS BOARD (1964-1974)
The East of Scotland Shield: 1964-65; 1965-66; 1967-68; 1969-70; 1971-72; and 1972-73

DECADE HALL OF FAME
Jim Cruickshank; Davie Holt; Alan Anderson; Johnny Hamilton; Willie Wallace; Donald Ford; Jim Jefferies; Drew Busby; and Willie Gibson

INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS
Willie Wallace; Jim Cruickshank; Donald Ford; and Roald Jensen (Norway)

SCOTTISH LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS
Jim Cruickshank; Chris Shevlane; Davie Holt; Willie Wallace; David Clunie; Eddie Thomson; Donald Ford; Jimmy Brown; and Bobby Prentice

 Written by historian David Speed with archivist Alex Knight

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