RUFC - A Potted History of Hearts

Rotherham United entertain Scottish Premier League side Heart of Midlothian at the New York Stadium this weekend - but what do we know about them?

Hearts are Edinburgh's oldest club and was formed by a dancing club! According to legend, the group watched a 'local rules' football game which was a mix of rugby and football and decided to adopt the association rules. Although the exact date of Heart and Mid-Lothian Football Club was never recorded, 1874 is regarded as the year of formation. The club took its name from the Heart of Midlothian jail which was demolished in 1817.

In 1875 Hearts became members of the Scottish Football Association and played their first FA Cup game in October that year. In the 1884/5 season Hearts became the first club to be suspended by the SFA for playing two illegible players in an 11-1 win in the Scottish Cup over Dunfermline.

The club had a slump and also money problems and failed to win a major trophy between 1906 and 1954 but in 1958 and 1960 they won the league twice, the Scottish Cup in 1956 and the Scottish League Cup four times. In the mid-sixties there was another slump but it was in 1977 when they were relegated for the first time and, although they got promotion the next season, they spent the next few years going up and down. 1998 saw them lift the Scottish Cup for the sixth time.

Moving into the Twenty-first century Hearts were runners up in the League in 2005/6, won the Scottish Cup in 2006 and are currently the holders of the Cup, when they beat local rivals Hibernian 5-1 at Hampden Park.

Hearts Main Honours

Scottish League Winners - 1894-95, 1896-97, 1957-58, 1959-60

Scottish Cup Winners - 1891, 1896, 1901, 1906, 1956, 1998, 2006

Scottish League Cup Winners - 1954, 1958, 1959, 1962

First Division Winners - 1979-80





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