Heart of Midlothian F.C.

Did You Know?

• Hearts became the third Scottish and fifth British team to compete in European competition in 1958.
• The club reached the quarter-finals of the 1988–89 UEFA Cup, losing 2–1 on aggregate to Bayern Munich.
• Tynecastle Park has hosted nine full Scotland international matches.

History

The club was formed by a group of friends from the Heart of Midlothian Quadrille Assembly Club. They bought a ball and played local rules football at the Tron, before being directed by a policeman to The Meadows. Local rules football was a mix of rugby and association football. In December 1873, a match between XIs selected by Mr Thomson from Queen's Park and Mr Gardner from Clydesdale at Raimes Park in Bonnington introduced association rules to Edinburgh.

Members of the dance club viewed the match and in 1874 decided to adopt the Association rules, forming Heart of Mid-Lothian Football Club. The exact formation date was never recorded, though 1874 is regarded as the year because that was when association rules were taken on; Tom Purdie claimed the club was formed in 1873. The earliest sporting mention of "Heart of Midlothian" is a Scotsman report from 20 July 1864 of a cricket match between The Scotsman and Heart of Mid-Lothian.

It is unknown if this was the same club that later formed the football club. The name came from historic county Midlothian and the 1860 Heart of Midlothian mosaic on the Royal Mile, which marks the entrance to the Old Tolbooth jail, kept fresh by Walter Scott's 1818 novel. Led by captain Tom Purdie, the club played at the East Meadows and in 1875 became members of the SFA and founder members of the Edinburgh Football Association. Hearts played their first Scottish Cup match against 3rd Edinburgh Rifle Volunteers F.C. in October 1875 at Craigmount Park, ending 0–0; a replay also finished 0–0, and under the rules both clubs progressed, with Hearts losing to Drumpellier in the next round.

Colours and badge

Hearts first took the field in all-white kits with maroon trim and a heart stitched on the chest. For a single season, the team wore red, white, and blue stripes, borrowed from St. Andrew, a club they had absorbed. Since then, maroon and white have been the main colours. The usual home shirt is maroon with a white collar, though the 2010–11 version was mostly white, and the 2024–25 kit was solid maroon. Shorts are generally white, but maroon shorts and socks appear from time to time. The club badge is a heart, taken from the Heart of Midlothian mosaic on the Royal Mile, where passersby traditionally spit in memory of the old city jail that once stood there. In 2014–15, Hearts marked the centenary of McCrae’s Battalion with a special kit: maroon shirt, white shorts, and black socks, plus a commemorative badge. As a sign of respect for those who enlisted, the home shirt carried no sponsor.

Rivalry

Hearts and Hibernian share one of world football’s oldest local rivalries, the Edinburgh derby. Their first meeting came on Christmas Day 1875, when Hearts beat Hibs 1–0 in Hibs’ debut match. The clubs truly became distinct after a marathon five-game contest for the Edinburgh Football Association Cup in 1878; after four straight draws, Hearts finally won 3–2. They have faced off twice in a Cup Final: the 1896 Scottish Cup final, which Hearts took 3–1, and the 2012 Scottish Cup final, which Hearts won 5–1.

The 1896 final remains the only Scottish Cup Final ever held outside Glasgow. Hearts hold the better overall derby record, with roughly half of all matches coming in local competitions or friendlies. Hibs’ biggest competitive win was a 7–0 thrashing at Tynecastle on New Year’s Day 1973. Although some have pointed to religious, ethnic, or political undercurrents, these are considered minor compared to Glasgow’s sectarianism.

Geography is the main dividing line: Hibs’ support has always been rooted in Leith and the north and east of the city, while the rest of Edinburgh tends to back Hearts. Despite the rivalry, it is largely good-natured and has brought positive effects through the demographic diversity of the two clubs’ neighbourhoods, which differ economically, politically, and denominationally.

Supporters and culture

Heart of Midlothian is one of Edinburgh's two full-time professional football clubs. The team drew an average home crowd of 18,525 during the 2022–23 season, and Tynecastle regularly sells out or comes close to it for the Edinburgh derby, European matches, and games against the Old Firm. The club's anthem, "The Hearts Song," was originally written and performed by St Mirren fan and Scottish comedian Hector Nicol. A modern take on the tune by Colin Chisholm and the Glasgow Branch now often plays before kickoff.

During a strong title push in the latter part of the 2025–26 season, Chisholm himself sang it ahead of home fixtures against Aberdeen, Motherwell, Rangers, and Falkirk. Notable Hearts supporters include Stephen Hendry, Ronnie Corbett, Ken Stott, Alex Salmond, Sir Chris Hoy, Wattie Buchan, and Eilidh Doyle. In the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the rival Grove Street and Ballas gangs wear green and maroon, respectively—a nod many fans see to Hearts and Hibs, since developer Rockstar North is based in Edinburgh.

The club also appeared in the series Succession, where Roman Roy buys Hearts to win over his Scottish father, only to learn Logan actually supports Hibs. In the 2022 film Aftersun, the character Sophie is spotted wearing a 1998–99 Hearts shirt.