Action from the 1896 Scottish Cup Final against Hibernian

Champions of Scotland

Professional clubs attracted the best players and in 1894-95, Hearts' Committee assembled a squad that became Scottish Champions for the first time. Isaac Begbie was the captain, ably supported by George Hogg, Bob McLaren, Willie Michael and John Walker, while the new fullback partnership of Barney Battles and James Mirk turned a good side into a great one.

Trainer, Joe Newton, had the players in fine shape and with a wide passing game, Hearts left all the challengers in their wake, winning the first eleven League fixtures, a remarkable start, which remains a club record. The title was all but secured on 16 February 1895 in the fourth last game when Celtic were destroyed at Tynecastle by the razor sharp, John Walker, who scored twice in a 4-0 win. It was actually clinched on 30 March in the second last fixture when Dundee was beaten 4-0 in Gorgie. The players received a £5 bonus as Hearts finished with 31 points from 18 games, five ahead of Celtic, scoring 50 goals and conceding only 18.

Hearts should have added the Scottish Cup but unaccountably lost 1-0 in a Semi-Final Replay against the eventual winners, St.Bernards. Nerves had affected the players in the 0-0 draw at Tynecastle because a record crowd of 14,500 had broken down fences and spilled onto the track

Having temporarily left the East of Scotland FA, the region's senior clubs formed the Edinburgh League and Hearts were the first Champions. The team was also successful in the Charity Cup Final, while the reserves retained the Second XI Cup. This superb campaign included a "World Championship" match against the English Champions, Sunderland, but Hearts went down 5-3 at Tynecastle.

More action from the 1896 Scottish Cup Final

A Capital Cup Final

Hearts failed to retain the Championship in 1895-96, finishing in fourth position. This was due to a leaky defence that conceded 36 goals and missed Barney Battles who had joined Celtic. With 68 goals, Hearts were actually the top scorers in the League, but there were no draws, the team was either brilliant or bad. On a good day in September, Hearts beat Celtic 5-0 in Glasgow and Alex King became our first man to score a hat trick against either of the Old Firm. That month, Hearts also won the initial League derby against Hibs by 4-3, with a Tynecastle record attendance of 17,500 cheering a late winner from Davie Baird. Later on, Hearts crushed Clyde by 9-1 and then went down 5-0 to Dundee in the next match. Such inconsistency ruined the League campaign.

The players reserved their best form for the Scottish Cup, starting with away victories over Blantyre, Ayr FC and Arbroath. The Semi-Finals brought St.Bernards to Gorgie and Willie Michael forced home the only goal. Hibs also won against Renton and for the first and to date only time, two Edinburgh clubs met in the Final. As a result, the SFA chose St.Bernards' ground at Logie Green as the venue, the only time the Final has been played outside of Glasgow. This ground has disappeared under Logie Green Road but on 14 March 1896 it was packed, with a crowd of fully 17,000.

The players were fit, due to the preparation of trainer, James Chapman, and Hearts started brilliantly with Baird scoring from a penalty after a handball incident. Shortly after half time, King made it 2-0 with a shot from a tight angle and Michael headed a third goal. O'Neill scored a consolation for Hibs to make the final score 3-1 and Hearts winning team was: Jock Fairbairn; Bob McCartney; James Mirk; Isaac Begbie; Davie Russell; George Hogg (Captain); Bob McLaren; Davie Baird; Willie Michael; Alex King; and John Walker.

Hearts clearly benefitted from the player judgement of Committeeman, Tom Purdie, and the talent spotting of Robert Cheyne. This was evident in April 1896, when 17-year old Bobby Walker of Dalry Primrose, was given a trial against Sunderland and was immediately signed. Even then, he showed touches that indicated that he would play for Scotland.

Hearts also beat Hibs 7-1 on the way to winning the Edinburgh League. In addition, the team won the Charity Cup Final with an 8-2 thrashing of Leith Athletic. Hearts also beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 at Tynecastle in a Cup Winners Challenge, while the reserves added their Championship. All this meant that resources were available to expand the stadium banking and construct a track and cycle raceway.

The Scottish Champions 1897

Champions Again

This was a glorious period and in 1896-97, Hearts became Scottish Champions for a second time, finishing two points ahead of Hibs, despite the loss of King and Russell to Celtic and Michael to Liverpool. However, the club had several players at their peak, including Willie Taylor, Jock Fairbairn, George Hogg, Bob McLaren, Isaac Begbie, and Davie Baird. There had also been some shrewd recruitment in Harry Marshall, George Livingstone, Albert Buick, Tom Robertson and of course, Bobby Walker.

Hearts captain was midfielder, John Walker, and again the players were well prepared by trainer, James Chapman. The team was certainly ready for a crucial game against Hibs at home on 5 December 1896. Our neighbours were four points clear and would probably have secured the title with a win, but a Robertson goal defeated the greens and brought Hearts and Celtic within two points of the Leith side. By mid-January, the three teams were on 24 points with two games to play.

Hibs went to 26 points after beating St.Mirren and Hearts moved to 26 after defeating Clyde away from home. The Leithers lost their last match at Paisley to finish on 26 and Hearts could finish on 28 if their final fixture was won. However, Celtic had two games to play and could also make 28. On 20 February 1897, thanks to a brilliant four goals from Robertson, Clyde were hammered 5-0 and there was jubilation when news reached Tynecastle that Celtic had lost at home to Dundee and could no longer match Hearts total of points.

The Scottish Cup holders went out against Third Lanark, although the team did win the East of Scotland League (formerly the Edinburgh League). This was not the most attractive competition, but the inferior make up of the teams allowed players such as Bobby Walker to quickly develop. The reserves again won the Second XI Cup.

Hearts Come Back to Earth

At the start of season 1897-98, Hearts suffered injuries to key men and fell to fourth in the League. Even though consistency was never achieved, the artistry of Bobby Walker and George Livingstone was often thrilling, but just not enough to deliver the Scottish Cup with Hearts crashing out against Dundee. This led to strained finances and the sale of Tom Robertson and John Walker to Liverpool for £350. In addition, after winning a friendly at Anfield Road, Bobby Walker, who scored the only goal, become another target for English clubs.

The team was successful at local level and won the East of Scotland League and the Charity Cup. The club also returned to the Shield winning the Final against Leith Athletic. This increased the players' confidence for season 1898-99, and this was further boosted by the recruitment of Scotland's best goalkeeper, Harry Rennie, from Morton. And Hearts did perform well, but finished second in the League, ten points behind Rangers, who won all their matches. The men in maroon did provide some great entertainment and beat Hibs 4-0 at home and 5-1 away. In the latter match, Bobby Walker scored our first League hat trick against our city rivals.

The First Round of the Scottish Cup saw Hearts at Ibrox where Rangers won a stormy encounter 4-1. The Tynecastle players claimed that the ball did not cross the line for Rangers first goal and disputed the penalty that made it 2-0. In the second half, with the score 4-0, George Hogg and Isaac Begbie were sent off for rough play. The other players then wanted to walk off and only the intervention of Hearts' officials enabled the game to proceed. Begbie was later suspended for two months.

As the season drew to a conclusion, Hearts again won the East of Scotland League and the Shield.

A New Century

Hearts defence was now reputed to be the best in Scotland but the team lacked a cutting edge and finished fourth in the League in 1899-1900. They did at least hold Rangers to a 1-1 draw on 18 September, breaking the Glasgow club's run of 22 consecutive League victories.

A new Inter City League was introduced comprising Hearts, Hibs and the four Glasgow clubs. When the team played Rangers on 30 December 1899, the present Ibrox Stadium was opened, but the rest of the competition was uneventful and Hearts were fourth. The Tynecastle side did win the East of Scotland League and the Charity Cup, but the Scottish Cup was the main target and Hearts eliminated St.Mirren, Hibs and Third Lanark before going down 2-1 to Queens Park in the Semi-Final.

Bobby Walker and Harry Rennie were in the Scottish team that crushed England 4-1 in April 1900 but soon afterwards, Rennie made a shock move to Hibs for £50 as he had a sell on clause in his contract. In addition, George Livingstone, went to Sunderland for £175 while Begbie and Taylor retired. The squad that had been playing for ten years was finished and it was time to invest in quality players, as Hearts were the only club that could challenge the "Old Firm". It was also necessary to introduce sign on fees and the club paid £39 to keep the illustrious Bobby Walker at home.

Scottish Cup Winners 1901

Enigmatic Hearts

For 1900-01, Bob Waugh replaced John Dalziel as trainer and he had his work cut out, because due to the departure of many fine players, Hearts made a woeful start, failing to win any of the first seven League matches. The team's home record was particularly miserable with only one win in ten games. Accordingly, with no automatic relegation, Hearts had to apply for re-election to the First Division after finishing tenth in the eleven-club League. Only 22 goals were scored which is the club's poorest ever figure, but nevertheless, Hearts were unanimously re-elected.

Astonishingly, the team was good enough to win the Scottish Cup, but this was in no small measure, due to the fact that in October 1900 the club paid £270 for the influential Mark Bell and Bob Houston of St.Bernards. Goals started to flow and Hearts scored 21 in the competition, defeating Mossend Swifts, Queens Park and Port Glasgow Athletic, before drawing Hibs in the Semi-Finals at Tynecastle. A record crowd of 22,500 gave a tumultuous roar when Bell scored for Hearts and although Hibs equalised in the second half, the boys in maroon comfortably won the replay 2-1 with Porteous and Walker scoring either side of the interval.

On 6 April 1901, it was Bobby Walker who inspired Hearts to victory in the Final against Celtic at Ibrox. In fact, the game was known for years as the "Walker Final" due to the brilliant dribbling and passing of Hearts captain. The youth and pace of the capital side also upset Celtic, as did the team's direct, long passing game. Sadly, only 16,000 watched a magnificent contest, due to wet conditions and high admission costs.

Some newspapers credit Walker with the opening goal in Hearts 4-3 victory but although he was involved, it came from a blistering shot from Bill Porteous. Celtic equalised and then Mark Bell made it 2-1. Walker set up the chance for Charlie Thomson to make it 3-1, but following an injury to George Key, Celtic fought back to equalise. However, with ten minutes left, Walker dribbled through and struck a shot that the keeper could only block. This caused a scramble and after the Celtic keeper could not hold Bob Houston's shot, Bell raced in to hit the dramatic winner.

The heroes were: George Philip; Harry Allan; Davie Baird; George Key; Albert Buick; George Hogg; Bill Porteous; Bobby Walker; Charlie Thomson; Bob Houston; and Mark Bell. A mighty procession and two bands led the team to the University Hotel in Chambers Street where the players held a celebration. The rest of the season was forgettable although the reserves won the Second XI Cup.

The new North Stand in 1901

World Class Hearts

In March 1901, the former Renton secretary, Peter Fairley, became Hearts first manager, being responsible for the instruction of the players and trainers, and a number of administrative tasks. He soon became heavily involved in ground developments because the uncovered North Stand was replaced during the summer by a covered structure with a standing enclosure in front. Wooden beams were also laid in the banking to provide the first terracing. The stand was opened in September 1901 when Rangers beat Hearts 2-0 in the League and this set the tone for season 1901-02 with Hearts finishing third behind Rangers and the runners-up, Celtic.

Inconsistency against mediocre teams let the supporters down, but Hearts certainly played well against the FA Cup winners, Tottenham Hotspur, in an unofficial "World Championship" event. The first leg in London ended 0-0 with the return match being a 3-1 victory for Hearts. The club was clearly an attraction and Hearts were invited to take part in the Glasgow Exhibition Cup and the Glasgow Charity Cup, but lost in both competitions to Celtic.

In February 1902, Celtic also prevented Hearts from retaining the Cup winning a Third Round Replay by 2-1 after drawing 1-1 in Gorgie before a record equalling attendance of 22,500. The supporters had to be content with winning the Inter City League and the Shield although sadly, the season was overshadowed by the tragedy at Ibrox in April 1902 when parts of the terracing collapsed during the Scotland versus England game killing 25 people.

The Final Disappointment

Hearts had to replace the departing Houston and Bell, and paid Liverpool £300 to re-sign Tom Robertson together with John Hunter. In addition, in January 1903, Andrew Orr came from Morton for £100 and Hearts were ready to make an impact in the Scottish Cup. Clyde, Ayr FC and Third Lanark were defeated before the team met Dundee at Dens Park in the Semi-Final. After a 0-0 draw, Hearts won the replay 1-0 thanks to a blockbuster goal from Bill Porteous. The Gorgie crowd of 30,000 was the largest to watch a Scottish match outside of Glasgow.

In April 1903, it required three games at Celtic Park to separate Hearts and Rangers in the Cup Final, but eventually the Glasgow team won 2-0 before 32,000 spectators. The first game ended 1-1 with Bobby Walker scoring and the replay finished 0-0. Hearts felt aggrieved at being denied a clear penalty in the first game and in the second encounter, the Edinburgh side was again unlucky when a Key shot appeared to cross the line before being cleared. Even in the third match Hunter had a goal disallowed at a crucial time, although the loss of Albert Buick through injury was the main reason that Hearts did not secure the Cup.

The team in the first two games was: George McWattie, Andrew Orr, Charlie Thomson, George Key, Albert Buick (Captain), George Hogg, Bob Dalrymple, Bobby Walker, Bill Porteous, John Hunter and Davie Baird, who was playing his fourth Cup Final for the club. In that third game, Buick had been injured and was replaced by John Anderson.

Despite expensive team building, Hearts finished fourth in the Championship. The team was also poor in the minor competitions, although Hearts won the Inter City League by shrewd use of reserve strength. Over the campaign there had been discipline problems for the manager and indeed, William Waugh eventually took over from Peter Fairley and then in May 1903, James Chapman replaced Bob Waugh as trainer.

Under New Management

The club had been criticised for crushing that occurred at the Cup game against Dundee and took action, joining the two grandstands to make a continuous structure with a new pavilion at the Gorgie Road end. The new facilities were opened in August 1903 and that month, the club also became a limited liability company with a view to raising funds to further improve the ground and the playing staff. Surprisingly, the Committee found that the sale of shares was not an immediate success.

In 1903-04, under new manager, William Waugh, Hearts finished second in the League, four points behind Third Lanark. Early in the campaign, Hearts lost 2-1 to the Glasgow club and this success gave them an edge, even though Hearts won the return game at Tynecastle. In fact, Hearts won all thirteen home games but did not recover from early inconsistency on the road. This was a fair performance as Waugh introduced young players and had to cope with the loss of Buick to Portsmouth. He also made the astute decision that Thomson's best position was centre half.

In the Cup First Round, Hearts were unlucky to lose 3-2 against Rangers, but an experimental team did win the Inter City League, even though the fixtures were not completed. In addition, the club secured the East of Scotland League and dominated the other local competitions, including the City Cup where Hibs were beaten over two legs. Including a benefit and a friendly, Hearts played the Easter Road side nine times that season, winning seven and drawing two. Unfortunately the campaign ended with an unexpected player exodus, including John Hunter who went to Arsenal for a chunky fee of £165.

HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN HONOURS BOARD (1894-1904)
The Scottish FA Cup: 1895-96; 1900-01
The Scottish Football League: 1894-95; 1896-97
The Rosebery Charity Cup: 1894-95; 1895-96; 1897-98; 1899-1900; 1903-04
The East of Scotland Shield: 1897-98; 1898-99; 1901-02; 1903-04
The Edinburgh League/East of Scotland League: 1894-95; 1895-96; 1896-97; 1897-98; 1898-99; 1899-1900; 1903-04
The Inter City League: 1901-02; 1902-03; 1903-04
The City Cup: 1903-04

DECADE HALL OF FAME
David Baird; Isaac Begbie; George Hogg; George Scott; Bob McLaren; John Walker; Harry Allan; and Willie Michael

INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS
David Russell; John Walker; Alex King; George Hogg; Tom Robertson; Harry Rennie; Bobby Walker; Mark Bell; George Key; Albert Buick; Harry Allan; Bill Porteous; George Wilson; and Charlie Thomson

SCOTTISH LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS
George Hogg; Alex King; John Walker; Bob McCartney; Harry Marshall; Harry Allan; Albert Buick; Bobby Walker; Willie Michael; Harry Rennie; George McWattie; and Charlie Thomson

Written by historian David Speed with archivist Alex Knight

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