6 October 1987 - He Died With His Boots On

On 6 October 1987, Roald Jensen, widely considered Norway's greatest player, died while training with his old club, SK Brann. He was 44 years old.

Nicknamed "Knicksen"( meaning "juggler") for his tremendous technical ability with the ball, Jensen joined Brann in 1956 as a youth player, then made his first-team debut in 1960 when he was 17 years old. He earned his first cap for the national team that same year.

In his first three seasons with Brann, they won the league twice (1962 and 1963), but his fourth season ended in relegation, prompting his move to Scotland, where he turned professional and became Heart of Midlothian's player from outside the UK.

He remained with Hearts for six seasons, then returned to Brann in 1971 and stayed until 1973, when a dispute with the team's manager led to Jensen's retirement in 1973 at the age of 30. He continued to be involved with the club, however, and was training with them when he collapsed and died.

Three years after his death, the Norwegian football association honored Jensen with the creation of the Knicksen Award, given annually to the best player in Norway's top flight. In 1995, Brann further celebrated him by putting a statue of him outside their stadium.

11 May 2011 - As If The Title Challenge Wasn't Exciting Enough

On 11 May 2011, with Celtic leading Hearts 0-2 at Tynecastle, manager Neil Lennon was attacked by a home supporter.

Since taking charge of Celtic in 2010, Lennon had attracted more than his fair share of unwanted attention, receiving bullets in the mail in January 2011, followed by an attempted letter bombing in March. While religious sectarianism seemed an obvious motive given its history in Scottish football, authorities believed the incidents were more likely fueled by sports rivalries.

When Celtic visited Tynecastle to play Hearts for their penultimate game of the season, they were trailing Rangers by four points, but had a game in hand. Hearts, meanwhile, were in a distant third, having already lost twice to Celtic, 3-0 and 4-0.

The third match in the series followed the pattern of the first two, with Celtic going up 0-2 in the 49th minute thanks to Gary Hooper's second goal of the day. It was at that point that Hearts supporter John Wilson jumped the barrier and tried to attack Lennon, but was quickly wrestled to the ground by a combination of police and stewards, then apprehended.

Celtic went on to win the match 0-3, but ended up finishing in second by a single point. Wilson was later convicted of breaching the peace and received an eight-month jail sentence.

22 January 1994 - A Drawful Day For Football (Sorry)

On 22 January 1994, the full slate of six Scottish top flight matches resulted in a point for everyone as all six matches ended in draws.

The day featured match-ups at both ends of the table, as league leaders Rangers were held to a scoreless draw at second-place Aberdeen, while bottom club Dundee held off second-bottom Raith Rovers, 2-2. Elsewhere, Celtic and Dundee United played to another scoreless draw, as did Partick Thistle and Motherwell, while Hearts battled Kilmarnock to a 1-1 draw at Tynecastle.

The day's most surprising result came at St. Johnstone, where the tenth-place side survived their encounter with third-place Hibernian, 2-2. It was part of a seven-match unbeaten streak for the hosts, but it proved to be a brief respite--three teams were relegated at the end of the season to clear the path for a ten-team top flight the following season, and St. Johnstone were the last to go, joining Raith Rovers and Dundee.

Rangers went on to win the league, while Dundee United lifted the Scottish Cup and Hibs took the Scottish League Cup.

25 December 1875 - The First Edinburgh Derby

On 25 December 1875, Hearts and Hibernian met for the very first time, forming one of the oldest existing rivalries in football.

Hibernian, who had been founded earlier that August, had close connections to Edinburgh's Irish Catholic population, with all players required to be members of the Catholic Young Men's Society. And they drew their name from the Roman name for Ireland. As a result, they faced sectarian isolation from many other clubs in the country, with the Scottish Football Association announcing "We are catering for Scotsmen, not Irishmen."

Fellow Edinburgh club Hearts, founded one year earlier, were the first to cross the sectarian divide, meeting Hibs at the Meadows on Christmas Day 1875 for a friendly. And, despite playing with only 8 players for the first 20 minutes, Hearts were rewarded with a 1-0 victory.

Since then, Hearts have enjoyed the better part of the derby, winning a total of 280 matches, including six of the last nine. Hibs, meanwhile, have won the derby 203 times, with 153 draws.

20 November 1915 - Celtic's Got Some Symmetry

On 20 November 1915, a 2-0 win over Kilmarnock started an unbeaten run for Celtic that lasted a British record 62 matches.

Celtic, who had won the two previous league titles in 1914 and 1915, had gotten the new season of to a great start, jumping straight to the top of the table on the first day with a 3-1 victory over Motherwell. By mid-November, they were even on points at the top with Hearts and Rangers, but had lost three of the last four matches, with the most recent stumble coming against Hearts on 13 November.

One week later, they hosted Kilmarnock and won 2-0, thanks to goals from left back Joseph Dodds and center forward James McColl. They then proceeded to go unbeaten for the rest of the season, winning 23 and drawing three, to claim their third consecutive league title. They almost made it through the next season unbeaten as well, but finally fell to Kilmarnock at home, 0-2, on the penultimate day (though they still finished on top of the table for their fourth consecutive league title).

The 62-match unbeaten run (with 49 wins and only 13 draws) remains a British record.

3 May 2006 - Hearts Break The Old Firm

On 3 May 2006, Heart of Midlothian secured second place with a 1-0 win over Aberdeen. It was the first time anyone had come between Celtic and Rangers at the top of the table since 1995.

Hearts had started the season with a 12-match unbeaten run in the league that included a 1-0 victory over Rangers. But they remained in second place for the entire second half of season, thanks in part to a critical 3-0 win over Celtic on 30 April. When they faced Aberdeen, Hearts were one point ahead of Rangers with a game in hand, but had to play away at Ibrox the next week in their final match of the season.

Although playing in front of their home fans and needing the win, Hearts struggled to create many opportunities. But Aberdeen center back Zander Diamond literally handed them a lifeline when he was flagged for a handball in the box in the 54th minute. Midfielder Paul Hartley converted the ensuing spot-kick for the game's only goal.

The win put Hearts four points clear of Rangers. So, although they lost to Rangers on the last day, they held on to second place, becoming the first team to come between Celtic and Rangers since Motherwell did it in 1995.

25 November 1914 - Hearts Go To War

On 25 November 1914, sixteen players from Heart of Midlothian enlisted for service in World War I, becoming the first British team to sign up in such large numbers.

The United Kingdom had declared war on Germany the previous August, spurring enlistments across the nation. Football, however, continued as usual, though not without criticism from some who thought the players would be put to better use in the trenches. Hearts were on a strong run, taking a firm hold on the table's top spot from the first matchday and holding onto it for 36 straight weeks (they would finish in second place).

In November 1914, Edinburgh politician Sir George McCrae declared his intention to raise a battalion of volunteers within a week. Sixteen Hearts players signed up immediately, 11 of them with McRae's Battalion, the 16th Royal Scots. Another five tried to enlist, but were rejected for medical reasons. Those who did enlist were soon joined by players from Hibernian, Falkirk, and Raith Rovers, as well as supporters and club staff members.

The 16th Royal Scots deployed to the continent in 1916 and saw their first major action at the Battle of the Somme, near the French village of Contalmaison. On the first day of battle, the 16th lost 229 men, including three Hearts players, and saw another 347 wounded, while making the greatest advance that day against enemy lines. Before the end of the war in 1918, Hearts had lost seven players, including five from McRae's Battalion.

In 2004, Contalmaison erected a monument to McRae's Battalion, with a special plaque recognizing the contributions of Heart of Midlothian.

16 August 1890 - The Second Oldest League In The World

On 16 August 1890, the Scottish Football League kicked off its very first season. It is the world's second-oldest football league, two years younger than England's Football League.

Although the Scottish Football Association had existed since 1873, the teams competed in the Scottish Cup and in irregular matches among themselves. By 1890, interest in Scottish football had increased, so that the growing number of teams needed an ordered schedule. As a result, a group of eleven teams organized the Scottish Football League. The eleven were Abercorn, Cambuslang, Celtic, Cowlairs, Dumbarton, Heart of Midlothian, Rangers, Renton, St. Mirren, Third Lanark, and Vale of Leven. Scotland's oldest club, Queen's Park, were invited join, but declined.

Four matches were played on that opening day: Rangers beat Hearts, 5-2; Celtic lost 1-4 to Renton; Cambuslang crushed Vale of Leven, 8-2; and Dumbarton drew 1-1 with Cowlairs. Renton were expelled during the season for using professional players, but returned to the league the following season. The SFL also deducted four points each from Celtic, Cowlairs, and Third Lanark for fielding professional players.

Rangers and Dumbarton finished that first season tied for first on points. After they drew a playoff match 2-2, the SFL declared them joint champions.

28 July 2007 - Barça Breaks Hearts' Record

On 28 July 2007, FC Barcelona played Edinburgh's Heart of Midlothian FC in a friendly. Although Barça got the win, Hearts got an unofficial home attendance record.

The Catalonians' visit was a rare one to Scotland and the demand for tickets to see the glamorous side prompted Hearts to move the location of the match. Their usual home, Tynecastle Stadium, holds fewer than 18,000 people, so the club relocated the friendly to nearby Murrayfield Stadium, owned by the Scottish Rugby Association. Murrayfield's capacity of 67,130 makes it the largest stadium in Scotland and one of the largest in the UK.

On the day, 57,857 people showed up to watch the preseason contest, blowing past the previous Hearts attendance record of 53,396, set in 1932 when Tynecastle still had terraces. Barcelona quickly showed their class, forcing early saves from Hearts keeper Craig Gordon before taking the lead with a 21st-minute penalty kick from captain Ronaldinho. Hearts, however, equalized just three minutes later after a Laryea Kingston free kick resulted in a tap-in from Juho Makela (pictured).

Ronaldinho proved to be too much for the Scots as he restored Barça's lead with a 40th-minute header. He was replaced in the second half by new signing Thierry Henry, whose 51st-minute pass was knocked home by Giovanni Dos Santos to finish the scoring at 3-1.

Technically, Barcelona were the hosts of the match, making the attendance record even more unofficial for Hearts.

28 April 1965 - A Lesson In Futility

On 28 April 1965, Glasgow's Third Lanark AC lost at home to Motherwell, 0-2, on the last day of the Scottish First Division season. It was Thirds' thirtieth loss of the season and their twenty-first in a row, which remains the longest losing streak in any season throughout Scottish League history.

Third Lanark started life as the footballing unit of Third Lanarkshire Rifle Volunteers, but separated from the military in 1903, taking the name Third Lanark AC. They enjoyed some early successes, winning one league title (1904) and two Scottish Cups (1889, 1905). The success didn't last, however, and they were relegated to the Second Division at the end of the 1924-25 season and spent the next several years moving back and forth between the top two flights.

By the 1964-65 season, they had been back in Division One for seven years and had finished as high as third in 1961. But they got progressively worse in the next few seasons, finishing one spot out of the relegation zone in 1964. They were not so lucky the next year.

Thirds were already sitting near the bottom of the table when their losing streak began on 28 November with a home loss to Celtic, 0-3. The worst defeats in the string were away to Rangers (5-0), St. Johnstone (5-0), Dunfermline Athletic (8-0), and Dundee (6-1). They hit the absolute bottom of the table on 9 January after a 3-1 away loss to Hearts and remained there for the rest of the season, finishing with only seven points out of 34 matches.

They spent two seasons in Division Two, after which the club was liquidated. They played their last match on 28 April 1967, a 5-1 away loss to Dumbarton FC.

In 1971, supporters re-formed the club as an amateur side. They currently play in the West of Scotland AFL.

1 January 1973 - Hibs Start The Year By Breaking Hearts

On 1 January 1973, visiting Hibernian defeated Hearts 0-7 in the Edinburgh derby before a crowd of 36,000 at Tynecastle. The scoreline remains the largest margin of victory in the derby and Hearts' record margin of defeat in all competitions.

One of the oldest active rivalries in football, the Edinburgh derby is currently played three or four times a season, depending on whether both sides are in the top half of the SPL table when it splits near the end of the season. It can be played more often, as the the sides also meet occasionally in cup competitions. The mid-season derby is traditionally played on New Year's Day or the following day, though it has moved slightly in recent years to accommodate television schedules.

By New Year's Day 1973, Hibs had enjoyed a dominant run in derby matches, with 4 wins and 5 draws since their last loss on 7 September 1968. Hibs had won 2-0 in the first derby of the season, played on 9 September, and were sitting in second in the table at the start of the match, two points behind Celtic. Meanwhile, the Jambos were four points back in seventh place.

The match itself was entirely one-sided, as Hibs forward Jimmy O'Rourke scored in the 9th minute to start the rout. By the break, Hibs were up 5-0 after goals from Alan Gordon (15'), Arthur Duncan (26', 37'), and Alex Cropley (35'). O'Rourke and Gordon both scored again in the second half to complete the thrashing.

The win sent Hibs to the top of the table, but they finished the year in third, behind Celtic and Rangers. It nonetheless remains a favorite match of Hibernian supporters, who refer to it as the Greatest Match of All Time.

27 August 1994 - Hunter Shoots (And Scores!)

On 27 August 1994, Hibernian defeated rivals Hearts 0-1 before a crowd of 13,500 at Tynecastle. The win ended Hibs' streak of 22 Edinburgh derbies without a victory--a streak that stretched back for five and a half years. 

It was only the third match of the season, but Hibs were flying high in second place in the table after a 5-0 win over Dundee United and a goalless draw with Kilmarnock. Hearts, on the other hand, were sitting in eighth position (out of ten), with a 1-3 loss at Aberdeen and a 1-1 draw at Motherwell. The Jambos were nonetheless optimistic, counting on their recent form over Hibs to continue. 

That optimism lasted until the 62nd minute, when Hibs defender and captain Gordon Hunter sent a 10-yard shot past Hearts keeper Nicky Walker. Hearts were unable to return the favor, as Hibs keeper Jim Leighton proved too resolute in goal and held on for his third consecutive clean sheet. 

The match was not without controversy, as Hearts midfielder Gary Mackay was sent off in the 74th minute after receiving his second booking and six other players--three from each side--received yellow cards. 

Hibs didn't have to wait another five and a half years for their next derby win--they defeated Hearts in their very next meeting, a 2-1 win at Easter Road on 29 October 1994. 

16 May 1998 - The French Connection, Scottish Style

On 16 May 1998, Heart of Midlothian defeated Rangers in the Scottish Cup Final by the score of 2-1 before a crowd of almost 50,000 at Celtic Park, Glasgow.

The match got off to a quick - and controversial - start, as Hearts midfielder and captain Steve Fulton was impeded on his way to the goal by Rangers midfielder Ian Ferguson. The foul appeared to occur just outside the box, but the referee awarded a penalty kick to Hearts. Midfielder Colin Cameron smashed the spot-kick home past Rangers keeper Andy Goram, and Hearts were up 1-0 within 80 seconds.

Still 1-0 at the half, Rangers manager Walter Smith went on the offensive, replacing his Norwegian defender Ståle Stensaas with forward Ally McCoist at the start of the second half. It was Hearts who scored again, however, as French keeper Gilles Rousset launched a long ball down the field. Rangers' Italian back Lorenzo Amoruso misplayed it, then Rousset's fellow Frenchman, Hearts forward Stéphane Adam, stole it away and fired a powerful shot into the net, putting the Edinburgh side up 2-0 in the 52nd minute.

Rangers continued to pressure the Jambos' goal and finally got through in the 81st minute as their Italian midfielder Rino Gattuso passed the ball neatly to McCoist, who scored from 18 yards out.

The remaining minutes were tense for all. With two minutes left, McCoist went down in the box after a foul by Hearts defender David Weir. Rangers clamored for a penalty, but the referee put the ball just outside the box and the ensuing free-kick went wide. Hearts continued to hold on through four minutes of extra time, earning the 2-1 victory.

10 April 1886 - Home Is Where The Hearts Are

On 10 April 1886, Heart of Midlothian F.C. opened its current ground, Tynecastle Stadium, with a 4-1 win in a friendly against English side Bolton Wanderers. Located on Edinburgh's Gorgie Road, the stadium has hosted a number of historic matches and undergone several renovations since that first match, including the construction of the old Main Stand by famous stadium architect Archibald Leitch.

Tynecastle hosted its first international match on 26 March 1892, a British Home Championship contest between Scotland and Wales. The Scots won by the score of 6-1.

Tynecastle's record attendance is 53,396, acheived for Hearts' 3rd-round Scottish Cup match against Rangers on 13 February 1932, which Hearts lost 0-1. Due to its conversion to an all-seater, however, and other renovations, Tynecastle's current capacity is 17,529.

In 2004, in an effort to curb the club's rising debt, Hearts chief executive Chris Robinson announced plans to sell the stadium, claiming that it was no longer suitable. Hearts supporters strongly opposed the plan, however, and responded with the "Save Our Hearts" campaign to block the sale. The sale was canceled upon Vladimir Romanov's purchase of the club in January 2005. 

11 May 2011 - As If The Title Challenge Wasn't Exciting Enough

On 11 May 2011, with Celtic leading Hearts 0-2 at Tynecastle, manager Neil Lennon was attacked by a home supporter.

Since taking charge of Celtic in 2010, Lennon had attracted more than his fair share of unwanted attention, receiving bullets in the mail in January 2011, followed by an attempted letter bombing in March. While religious sectarianism seemed an obvious motive given its history in Scottish football, authorities believed the incidents were more likely fueled by sports rivalries.

When Celtic visited Tynecastle to play Hearts for their penultimate game of the season, they were trailing Rangers by four points, but had a game in hand. Hearts, meanwhile, were in a distant third, having already lost twice to Celtic, 3-0 and 4-0.

The third match in the series followed the pattern of the first two, with Celtic going up 0-2 in the 49th minute thanks to Gary Hooper's second goal of the day. It was at that point that Hearts supporter John Wilson jumped the barrier and tried to attack Lennon, but was quickly wrestled to the ground by a combination of police and stewards, then apprehended.

Celtic went on to win the match 0-3, but ended up finishing in second by a single point. Wilson was later convicted of breaching the peace and received an eight-month jail sentence.

6 October 1987 - He Died With His Boots On

On 6 October 1987, Roald Jensen, widely considered Norway's greatest player, died while training with his old club, SK Brann. He was 44 years old.

Nicknamed "Knicksen," meaning "juggler," for his tremendous technical ability with the ball, Jensen joined Brann in 1956 as a youth player, then made his first-team debut in 1960 when he was 17 years old. He earned his first cap for the national team that same year.

In his first three seasons with Brann, they won the league twice (1962 and 1963), but his fourth season ended in relegation, prompting his move to Scotland, where he turned professional and became Heart of Midlothian's player from outside the UK.

He remained with Hearts for six seasons, then returned to Brann in 1971 and stayed until 1973, when a dispute with the team's manager led to Jensen's retirement in 1973 at the age of 30. He continued to be involved with the club, however, and was training with them when he collapsed and died.

Three years after his death, the Norwegian football association honored Jensen with the creation of the Knicksen Award, given annually to the best player in Norway's top flight. In 1995, Brann further celebrated him by putting a statue of him outside their stadium.

22 January 1994 - A Drawful Day For Football (Sorry)

On 22 January 1994, the full slate of six Scottish top flight matches resulted in a point for everyone as all six matches ended in draws.

The day featured match-ups at both ends of the table, as league leaders Rangers were held to a scoreless draw at second-place Aberdeen, while bottom club Dundee held off second-bottom Raith Rovers, 2-2. Elsewhere, Celtic and Dundee United played to another scoreless draw, as did Partick Thistle and Motherwell, while Hearts battled Kilmarnock to a 1-1 draw at Tynecastle.

The day's most surprising result came at St. Johnstone, where the tenth-place side survived their encounter with third-place Hibernian, 2-2. It was part of a seven-match unbeaten streak for the hosts, but it proved to be a brief respite--three teams were relegated at the end of the season to clear the path for a ten-team top flight the following season, and St. Johnstone were the last to go, joining Raith Rovers and Dundee.

Rangers went on to win the league, while Dundee United lifted the Scottish Cup and Hibs took the Scottish League Cup.

(For more draw-filled days, see the Guardian.)

25 December 1875 - The First Edinburgh Derby

On 25 December 1875, Hearts and Hibernian met for the very first time, forming one of the oldest existing rivalries in football.

Hibernian, who had been founded earlier that August, had close connections to Edinburgh's Irish Catholic population, with all players required to be members of the Catholic Young Men's Society. And they drew their name from the Roman name for Ireland. As a result, they faced sectarian isolation from many other clubs in the country, with the Scottish Football Association announcing "We are catering for Scotsmen, not Irishmen."

Fellow Edinburgh club Hearts, founded one year earlier, were the first to cross the sectarian divide, meeting Hibs at the Meadows on Christmas Day 1875 for a friendly. And, despite playing with only 8 players for the first 20 minutes, Hearts were rewarded with a 1-0 victory.

Since then, Hearts have enjoyed the better part of the derby, winning a total of 276 matches, including five of the last six. Hibs, meanwhile, have won the derby 200 times, with 142 draws.

20 November 1915 - Celtic's Got Some Symmetry

On 20 November 1915, a 2-0 win over Kilmarnock started an unbeaten run for Celtic that lasted a British record 62 matches.

Celtic, who had won the two previous league titles in 1914 and 1915, had gotten the new season of to a great start, jumping straight to the top of the table on the first day with a 3-1 victory over Motherwell. By mid-November, they were even on points at the top with Hearts and Rangers, but had lost three of the last four matches, with the most recent stumble coming against Hearts on 13 November.

One week later, they hosted Kilmarnock and won 2-0, thanks to goals from left back Joseph Dodds and center forward James McColl. They then proceeded to go unbeaten for the rest of the season, winning 23 and drawing three, to claim their third consecutive league title. They almost made it through the next season unbeaten as well, but finally fell to Kilmarnock at home, 0-2, on the penultimate day (though they still finished on top of the table for their fourth consecutive league title).

The 62-match unbeaten run (with 49 wins and only 13 draws) remains a British record.

3 May 2006 - Hearts Break The Old Firm

On 3 May 2006, Heart of Midlothian secured second place with a 1-0 win over Aberdeen. It was the first time anyone had come between Celtic and Rangers at the top of the table since 1995.

Hearts had started the season with a 12-match unbeaten run in the league that included a 1-0 victory over Rangers. But they remained in second place for the entire second half of season, thanks in part to a critical 3-0 win over Celtic on 30 April. When they faced Aberdeen, Hearts were one point ahead of Rangers with a game in hand, but had to play away at Ibrox the next week in their final match of the season.

Although playing in front of their home fans and needing the win, Hearts struggled to create many opportunities. But Aberdeen center back Zander Diamond literally handed them a lifeline when he was flagged for a handball in the box in the 54th minute. Midfielder Paul Hartley converted the ensuing spot-kick for the game's only goal.

The win put Hearts four points clear of Rangers. So, although they lost to Rangers on the last day, they held on to second place, becoming the first team to come between Celtic and Rangers since Motherwell did it in 1995.