Anguish and euphoria were emblazoned into one day — a day that was a spectacle for Scottish football, a day that had the whole world watching, and a day where history repeated itself.
For 226 days, Derek McInnes’ Heart of Midlothian were a beacon at the top of the Premiership table, offering a continuing sense of hope that the dynamic of Scottish football was about to change — a non-Old Firm team could win the league for the first time in 41 years. This was a cycle that looked set to be broken. Confidence was oozing from the Edinburgh side, and the message for both teams — Hearts and Celtic — heading into Saturday’s title decider was belief.
The stage was set for a final-day showdown, with just one solitary point separating Hearts and Celtic; it was very much a winner-takes-all encounter. Celtic Park radiated hope, and a near sell-out crowd made for a spine-tingling atmosphere. “You’ll Never Walk Alone” belted around Celtic Park as the teams emerged for a game of such magnitude that some could only peek from behind their scarves.
There were nerves in the air, and that materialised on the pitch. Both teams looked anxious in the opening exchanges, arguably with neither side seeking to make the first mistake.
Hearts stamped their authority on the game before Celtic could really get going. Trusty and Scales appeared nervy in the back line, and Hearts sought to take full advantage of this, forcing them to play long balls, which created space in midfield.
Reaping the rewards of their efforts, Hearts struck the first blow after a beautifully weighted corner found its way to, who else, Lawrence Shankland, whose bullet header thrashed into the back of the net, sending the travelling support into delirium in the far corner. The skipper’s header in the 42nd minute gave those fans an unwavering sense that today could be their day — that was until the 45th (+3) minute.
Just six minutes after Hearts’ opener, a wonderfully whipped cross from Kieran Tierney — who, in recent weeks, has been looking more like the player Celtic remember — struck the arm of Kyziridis, in the Hearts’ box. After a VAR check, the penalty stood, and Engels slotted the ball home, drawing Celtic level. Schwolow, in the Hearts net, was unlucky, however, as the ball squeezed just under his arm.
After Celtic’s equaliser, the atmosphere shifted. Sixty thousand Celtic fans believed this was their route back to glory after a turbulent season. The fans then had to endure 41 minutes of gut-wrenching football before they would see their side take the lead. Celtic, in recent times, have made a habit of leaving it late to find a winner, and Saturday was no exception.
In the 86th minute, Maeda netted their second, but it wasn’t without the intervention of VAR. Initially, the striker was flagged offside in the build-up; however, the pass found a teammate who was onside, allowing Maeda to return to an onside position before helping the ball home.
Maeda had edged Celtic one step closer to another domestic trophy, but the Hoops were not finished yet. Hearts, in the dying embers of the game, earned a free-kick just inside the Celtic half and threw everybody, including the goalkeeper, into the box. The free-kick was cleared and allowed Celtic to break up the pitch, with Hearts goalkeeper Schwolow only able to watch from afar as Celtic substitute Osmund rolled the ball into an empty net.
The Welsh striker’s goal not only sealed the trophy for Celtic, as well as sending Celtic Park into a frenzy, but also earned boss Martin O’Neill his fourth Premiership trophy.
To the victor go the spoils; the bragging rights remain in Glasgow for another season. What is such a sweet feeling for Celtic is a heartbreaking day for Hearts, who strived towards glory for a whole season yet narrowly missed out on the final day.
Did History Repeat Itself?
The last time Hearts were top of the table heading into the final day of the season was back in 1986, and that dreaded day will continue to be etched into the memories of its supporters, much like this season may be.
In 1986, Hearts headed to Dundee on the final day full of hope that the Premiership trophy would be headed back to Gorgie. However, Dundee had other plans and ran out 2–0 victors, handing Celtic the trophy on goal difference alone.
Though Saturday was not under the same set of circumstances, the scars will remain, and the loss at Celtic Park will be talked about for decades to come.
Were Saturday’s Celebrations Clouded?
Though tension may have been in the air and meaty challenges flying around, nobody could have foreseen the carnage that ensued following Celtic’s third goal.
After Osmund rolled the ball into the net, a small minority of Celtic fans descended onto the pitch, which initially appeared to be a sheer outpouring of celebration with their players. However, events quickly turned sour, as many appeared to antagonise the visibly devastated Hearts team.
Most Hearts players were quickly escorted off the pitch; however, some remained and appeared to have been on the receiving end of heckling. The remaining Celtic fans in the stands could be heard booing their fellow supporters who had stormed the pitch. Stewards and police eventually managed to escort all Hearts players from the pitch and back to the tunnel; however, it rather put a damper on the afternoon.
Due to safety concerns, Hearts left the stadium shortly after full-time, still in their full kit, to return to Edinburgh, where a plethora of Hearts fans were waiting to show their support for their standout side.
The events witnessed shortly before full-time were hugely disappointing, as they cast a cloud over a memorable day for Scottish football. The headlines will read of the drama on the pitch rather than the victory itself, as is often the nature of such incidents.
I’m not suggesting there cannot be passion within football, but rather passion within reason. By all means, show what that win means to you, but do not jeopardise the safety of others. In the future, we should seek to eradicate such scenes from the game, as the safety of both fans and players alike is paramount.
I have a keen interest in sport journalism and broadcasting.
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