History of Tynecastle

OVER THE COURSE OF THE 21/22 SEASON, CLUB HISTORIAN DAVID SPEED WILL COVER THE ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY OF OUR HOME.

PART EIGHT: THE GREAT FIRE AT GORGIE

The new North Stand, and the much improved entrances and exits, were very welcome, but due to Hearts’ popularity they proved inadequate when Tynecastle Park held the largest crowd to have watched a

Scottish football match outside of

Glasgow.

This happened on 7 March 1903, when a vast number of spectators descended on the ground and filled every available space while being entertained, prior to the kick-off, by Miller & Richards Band. Hearts then defeated Dundee by 1-0 in a Scottish Cup Semi-Final Replay, Bill Porteous scoring the only goal of the game with one of his vicious long-range shots.

However, the most remarkable feature of the day was the astonishing attendance of just on 30,000 from which the sum of £646 was drawn. An additional £211 was taken from those who then entered the two stands and all these figures were new ground records for Tynecastle.

In anticipation of a huge crowd, extra banking had been added and the new capacity of Tynecastle Park was estimated at 26,000. Accordingly, the club was heavily criticised for admitting such a large number in excess of this figure. It was said that the lessons of the Ibrox Disaster had not been learned, particularly with an inadequate number of police and stewards.

The resultant lack of organization had led to crushing at the southwest corner of the Gorgie Road End and despite some alarming scenes, the game was not stopped. As a result, spectators spilled over the perimeter fences and had to be cleared from the field by police. Only luck prevented serious injuries. In addition, seats were placed on the running track in front of the stands and these were said to be ill-arranged and hazardous.

The club was shocked by the severe criticism that was received and although ground improvements had actually been considered, and there was talk of forming a limited company to raise the finance, immediate action was required. These developments became imperative, due to a great fire in Gorgie on 7 April 1903.

Late in the afternoon, the Edinburgh Fire Brigade was called to an outbreak in the South Stand, which was the central building of three wooden structures that ran for 112-yards on the McLeod Street side of Tynecastle. When the Brigade arrived, the whole of this stand was ablaze and the flames were threatening to engulf the buildings on either side (the new North Stand and the Pavilion).

The firemen decided to concentrate their efforts on saving the adjacent buildings and although the wind was high and the heat was intense, they tackled the fire with determination. Everything was saved, except the rather antiquated South Stand and some wooden fencing.

It was believed that the fire started in a dressing room, or the adjoining lavatory, and it was discovered by a young athlete who had been using the track. Damage was estimated at between £600 and £700 and the insurance company subsequently paid Hearts the sum of £223. Ground work was now absolutely essential and although the Scottish Cup Final was lost to Rangers, three games were required, before the team went down by 2-0. This brought some financial consolation to Hearts, with over £1,000 in gate receipts.

The Edinburgh Evening Dispatch reported that the fire had focused the Hearts Committee on the task of improving or replacing the South Stand, a decision which had been deferred at the recent Annual General Meeting. The Dispatch also noted that reporters will not regret that a new press box will be needed, because the old one, on the roof of the South Stand, was not a

In the meantime, most of Tynecastle was in good shape when, on 27 April 1903, Hearts lost by 2-0 in a Challenge Match against Sheffield United. A feature of this game was the appearance of the famous 22-stone goalkeeper, “Fatty” Foulke. He accepted a fair bit of banter from the Tynecastle crowd, but his witty responses and solid performance, soon won the respect and applause of the fans.

The following month at the Vulcan Cycling Club sports event, a form of motor cycle racing took place on the ground, but due to the inadequacy of the track it was considered farcical. More work was required in this area if the club wished to pursue this additional source of income.

In June 1903, Hearts’ plans were approved for a splendid new stand, press box; and pavilion. The building tender of £1,143 from a local firm, Messrs. WCP Brown, was accepted and work started immediately. In actual fact the plan was to lengthen the North Stand to cover the site of the ruined South Stand and, at the Gorgie Road end of this extension, a two-storey Pavilion was to be erected.

The Pavilion contained the club rooms; the home stripping box on the upper floor; and the visiting stripping box and bathroom on the ground floor. The home bathroom and gymnasium were also located on the ground floor and, in addition, the Pavilion had seating on the upper level and a standing area below. A new press box was placed on the stand roof and Hearts’ now had a seating capacity of 4,000.

The new buildings were formally opened on 29 August 1903, by Baillie Mallinson of the City of Edinburgh, at the League match against Dundee. Hearts won by 4-2 and there was a crowd of 13,500. The main contractor, Mr. William CP Brown, who would later be Chairman of the club, generously presented a gallon of whisky for entertaining the official guests.

With a view to raising funds for further investment in both the stadium and the team, in August 1903, The Heart of Midlothian Football Club had become a limited liability company with a share capital of £3,000. Incredibly, even though Hearts were the most popular team in Scotland, apart from Rangers, the issue of shares did not generate a significant amount of new money.

This was largely due to the fact that Proprietary Shares were given to the old members of the club and Ordinary Shares were never offered to the public. Much needed cash never flowed into the club and the bank overdraft spiraled out of control. Accordingly, early in 1905, with creditors pressing for outstanding payments, the company went into voluntary liquidation with debts of around £1,450.

In April 1905, the present company was incorporated, with a share capital of £5,000. It took over the old concern’s debts and, despite some initial reluctance by the public to buy shares, this was slowly achieved and most of the outstanding debts were repaid within a short period of time. During this difficult spell, only care and maintenance work was undertaken at Tynecastle, but this included fitting out the gym; the building of stoves in the Pavilion; and the repair of the perimeter fences.

With the club in a much better financial position, the capacity of the ground was increased at the start of 1905-06, with the banking being further expanded. Sadly, in August 1905, Hearts lost one of its hardest workers when the veterinary surgeon found it necessary to put the club workhorse to sleep, as it was in a seriously ailing condition. At this time, horse-power was absolutely crucial and a fine new animal was bought for £6 from the Edinburgh & Leith Hiring Company.

Last time on our Heritage Trail journey, we visited the Usher Hall and learned about McCrae’s recruitment drive for the 16th Royal Scot, best remembered as McCrae’s

Battalion which included 13 players from Heart of

Midlothian, amongst other neighboring clubs. In all, seven

Hearts players lost their lives in service, but Hearts lost other men prematurely because of the impact of the war. One of them ‘Big’ Bob Mercer, captain of that 1914/15 team, collapsed, and died on the pitch while playing for Hearts in 1921, due to the effects of poisonous gas inhalation.

FROM USHER HALL TO THE HAYMARKET MEMORIAL

All of them have their own stories to tell but there can be little doubt that potentially one of the finest ever Hearts sides was lost to the War. Their legacy, though, was to go far beyond mere footballing titles. The actions and unique contribution of the 1914 team have ensured that the name of Heart of Midlothian is respected and loved by people outside football and beyond our own borders. We leave the Usher Hall and travel to Haymarket where we pass the Heart of Midlothian War Memorial. Designed by Sir Duncan Rhind and sculpted by Mr Henry Snell Gamely. The War Memorial was erected in 1922 and remains the site of our annual Service of Remembrance. Originally erected to the memory of the players and members who died in the Great War (1914-18) and unveiled by the Secretary of State on 9 April 1922. Lord Provost Hutchison took custody for the city and said that the Heart of Midlothian War Memorial would be preserved with reverence for all time coming. There were over 30,000 at the unveiling of the memorial, and eloquent speeches were made. Amongst the dignitaries who looked on that day were Sir George McCrae and former Hearts manager, John McCartney. It is widely recognised that it was McCartney ’s leadership during the conflict that helped make Heart of Midlothian Football Club famous throughout the world. A plaque was added in 1952 to commemorates those who served in the 1939-45 conflict, in which over 50 players bravely served their country. Four never returned. The clock at Haymarket isn’t the only memorial to the 16th Battalion that exists. There is another in the tiny village of Contalmaison, in France. It was

erected in 2006 and marks the site of the furthest advance of McCrae’s Battalion on that fateful day in July 1916. A service is still held there on the anniversary each year and attended by representatives of the Club. Many brave Hearts supporters also made the ultimate sacrifice, and they are all remembered through the memorial, which was built in honour of them. Since 1922 the club have organised the annual Service of Remembrance as a mark of gratitude and thanks to our fallen.

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FROM THE VAULT

Nowadays when a footballer is on the bench, they find themselves seated in a fairly plush seat alongside other substitutes, coaches and medical staff. The Hearts dug-out actually holds 15 seats, one of which is occupied here by supporter Malcolm Wright at last Sunday’s FOH Open Day.

One thing I notice whenever I go to Pittodrie is that they still have a traditional wooden bench. It can become a bit congested when fully utilised. The surprising thing is that Aberdeen actually invented the dug out! Former player Donald Coleman returned to the club in the 1930’s after playing in Norway. As well as introducing new training methods he came up with the idea of a dugout so that the coaches could see the players’ footwork at close quarters. The dugout is now above ground but the wooden bench prevails. The idea soon caught on with clubs across the UK. Donald Coleman died in 1942. His great-grand daughter, Rachel Corsie, is a former Scotland Women’s team captain.