The former Lord Provost of Edinburgh is a well-known Hearts fan.
So who better than Eric Milligan to tell us about the last time Hearts won the league. And he should know – he was there – and he has never forgotten it.
He said: “I’m 75 years of age. I was born in 1951 and in my lifetime, Hearts have won the league twice.
“Not only have they won the league twice, but on three separate occasions in my lifetime, if the results had been different on the final day of the season, they would have been champions.
“So, in 1958 they were champions. In 1959, the results on the last day of the season, meant the Hearts were not champions.
“In 1959-60 they were champions.
“In 1965, on the last day of the season, they were defeated by Kilmarnock 2-0, and if Hearts had managed to get a draw or avoid being defeated 2-0 they would be champions.
“And then in 1986 they got defeated at Dens Park by Dundee – and had that been different, Hearts would have been champions in ’86.
“So I’ve seen the Hearts win the league twice in my lifetime, but only once when I was there. I was in Love Street in 1960 the last time that they won the league. They won it in the old Love Street Stadium, which was in Paisley, that was where St Mirren used to play.
“The game ended 4-4 and Hearts scored with a goal with the last kick of the ball by Willie Bauld. They got a draw that gave them a point, which meant they had secured the league.
“I think there was still a game to be played, but they won it at Love Street 4-4.
“I was nine years of age, I was in the car coming back with my father and my granddad, and talking about it. If somebody had said to me, then you’ll be 75 before Hearts will ever win the league again, I would have thought they were mad.”
Asked if Hearts are going to win it on Saturday, Milligan was quite matter of fact. He thinks “the odds are against them now” because they’ve go to go to Celtic Park.
He said: “I think that the advantage has changed. There have been six controversial VAR decisions, and each and every one of them has gone against the Hearts, which means that Hearts have now got to go to Celtic Park, and at least get a draw.
“I’m not saying that’s beyond them, because after all, we’ve defeated Celtic twice this season and drew with them once already. Sure we’re going there, and we’re wanting to perform to our best, and if we do perform our best, and if Celtic don’t, then maybe we come back as champions.
“And that’s what I’m sure everybody in Edinburgh, even some Hibs supporters, might be happy to see that happen, but it’ll be a tough battle, when in fact Hearts should have secured it during the week by defeating Falk at three nothing.
“Alongside that, as everybody now knows the referee, instead of awarding, was it five minutes or six minutes extra time, gave Celtic about nine minutes extra time, and awarded them a penalty, which was doubtful, to say the least, as to whether there was any infringement that justified being awarded a penalty kick.
“The conspiracy theorists will make what they can of it, but nobody can say that Hearts have had it easy, they have had it damn difficult, and there’s been every obstacle placed in their path.
“Me being someone who was born into a family of Hearts supporters I’ll be praying, believe me. I will not be in Glasgow, because there’s hardly any tickets for Hearts supporters to be there, but I’ll be watching it, and I’ll be praying.
“But whatever happens, this has been the best season the Hearts have had for very many years. At the start of the season, when Tony Bloom came forward to put an extra injection of cash in Hearts he said it might take Hearts, maybe 10 years to win the league. And he said that first and foremost, we want to separate Rangers from Celtic. Hearts have already done that. They’ve already separated Rangers from Celtic, which in itself is a great achievement.
“Glory, glory to the Hearts.”
Heart of Midlothian FC take on Celtic at Celtic Park on Saturday 16 May at 12.30pm.
- This article is provided by the news agency Deadline News Limited and published here with permission.
- Contact Deadline News Limited if you would like to use any or all of this article.
- [email protected] or [email protected]
