At last back to Tynecastle ! With a 12.00 kickoff for Sky I had a bacon roll brunch before leaving for Tynecasle at around 11.00. I arrived at the ground around 11.15 but could not log into the match on Futbology due to a poor signal. However I scanned my ticket and headed to my seat before logging in manually. I had written my own version of the match for this blog but lost it due to pressing the wring button and unable to retrieve on my IPad so have had to copy from Hearts website with a few amendments. Hearts coach Steven Naismith made five changes from the side that drew in midweek’s Edinburgh derby. Grant, Beni Baningime, Kye Rowles, Toby Sibbick and Dexter Lembikisa all came in to the starting line up with Cammy Devlin, Natty Atkinson and Scott Fraser moving to the bench while Frankie Kent and Kenneth Vargas missed out through injury. Celtic were missing captain Callum McGregor and top scorer Kyogo Furuhashi was on the substitutes bench.    The game ...

  Off to Ainslie Park to dat for Spartans v East Fife. Left home to catch a 27 bus at 13.58 but instead off heading up to Gilmore Place I wandered down to the West Approach Road. Thankfully a 22 was due in ten minutes and I caught it to Crewe Toll. I got off and walked along the cycleway towards the ground.. I arrived around 14.20 and paid my £5 admission, this included a £5 discount as a Hearts season ticket holder. I bought my £3 programme and a £1 halftime draw ticket before heading up to the cafe/bar.  After getting a sausage roll and a coffee I sat down at a table and had a chat with some. East Fife fans. I then headed down to the pitch and took up a stance at the fence at the cafe end.  Spartans had new signing Marc McNulty on the bench a firmer Scottish international he started his career at Livingston before also playing for Sheffield United. Coventry and Reading. He also played a number of clubs in loan including Hibs twice. He has been playing in the US second d...

  Back to Tynecastle tonight for the Edinburgh Derby. For some strange reason Sky were showing Livingston v Motherwell rather than this game. I left home around 18.50 and walked to Tynecastle arriving  around 19.55. For some I could not record attendance on my Futbology app as it was showing a server error. I scanned my season ticket for entry and headed up to my seat in section R in the Main Stand then sat to watch the warmups. At one stage Gary Mackay, a former Hearts midfielder, was interviewed on the pitch. I am sure it was just to wind up the Hibs fans as he talked about Hearts going through seventeen and later twenty-two matches with defeat. Hearts manager Steven Naismith made three changes to his Edinburgh derby line-up after their 5-0:defeat by Rangers on Saturday. Cammy Devlin, Alan Forrest and Scott Fraser all came into the starting XI, as Beni Baningime, Jorge Grant and Kye Rowles dropped out. As for Hibs, under Nick Montgomery, things were completely different. Whe...

At last back to Tynecastle. After a spell of illness back to watch a home game for the first time since late November. I would have been back for the Dundee game on Tuesday but I fell out of bed overnight on Monday and was a mess of bruises so stayed at home. Today however I was feeling a lot better and left home to walk to Tynecastle. I arrived around 14.20 and scanned my season ticket for entry. Went to my seat in the Main Stand and it felt great to be back again. 2024 is 150 years since Hearts were founded and a special 150 year flag was raised on the pitch before the kickoff. The flag will be flown above the stand for the remainder of the year. The ceremony made me feel old as I remember being at the 100th anniversary match against Spurs in 1974. Steven Naismith starting lineup included both Dexter Lembikiska and Yutaro Oda who both came on as substitutes against Dundee and scored. Craig Halkett and Kenneth Vargas dropped to the bench to replace them Aberdeen under mamager Barry Ro...

  Well here it is my first match of 2024 after a spell of illness. Really looking forward to today’s Scottish Cup tie with Edinburghs two top sides in competition. When the draw was made I thought Spartans would switch the game to a larger stadium but fair play they are staying at Ainslie Park. Police have agreed a crowd limit of 3500 and the game is live on BBC Scotland. I left home at 11.00 and walked to Tollcross to catch a bus to Ainslie Park. A 23 came first and I took that to Goldenacre and then walked along Ferry Road towards the ground. I usually get into Ainslie Park alongside the leisure centre but today all Hearts fans had to enter by the little used Pilton Drive entrance. I made my way there and got through the entrance to find that the terracing where Hearts fans were located was like a mud bath after recent heavy rain. I made my way through the mud to the far side of the ground and found a space near the perimeter fence standing on a concrete. A good decision as peopl...

  Back to Tynecastle today for my first match for a few weeks. It should be an interesting game with Craig Levein returning to Gorgie as the new St Johnstone Manager. A further ex-Jambo, Andy Kirk has joined Saints as Levein assistant. I left home just after 14.00 and walked to Tynecastle Arrington around 14.20. After recording the match on the Futbology app I entered the ground and headed up to my seat in the main stand. Craig is going out with friends today and will not make Tynecastle. However Harper and his pal Jayden are going on their own. Both are now eleven years old, the same age as I first went to Tynecastle with parental support. I have not been well since the game and have copied the Hearts mmatvh report from their website rather than write my own Head coach Steven Naismith made one change from the side that was victorious at Motherwell prior to the international break. Jorge Grant came into the starting XI, with Calem Nieuwenhof moving the bench. Craig Levein included ...

  Scottish Cup second round today and with playing at Ibrox I was able to go to a match. There were a number of local games but I decided to head to Christie/Gilles Park to watch Lowland League Civil Service Strollers(CSS) against League 2 Stranraer. I left home just after 13.30 and walked to Tollcross where I caught a 27 to the ground. I arrived at Craigroyston school around 14.25 and walked down Marine Drive to the ground entrance near World of Football. I walked through the CSS bar, without stopping and headed to the ground entrance. I showed my electronic Fanbase ticket for entry and bought two programmes (one for Jim who was at the Jeanfield Swifts tie) for £6 and entered the ground. I met Gwen and Andy outside the snack ar where we had a chat before moving round to the fence on the far side of the ground to watch the match. We managed to take up a position on the concreted area rather than the grass around the rest of the ground which avoided sinking into the muddy grass....