HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN 37
stadium if you then paid to exchange the card for a match ticket. The programme, however, suggested that admission to the stadium was $3. However it worked, this is an unusual and rare souvenir. Speaking of the programme, the programmes for the ISL matches are all relatively similar. Sixteen pages in length, this one features a picture of Senator Kenneth B Keating on the cover. Keating was the guest of honour at the match and had a love of soccer born from his participation in the sport at the University of Rochester. He’s quoted on p.12 of the programme as saying that “Soccer was the one sport in which I displayed a minimum of ability and to this day I consider the kicking around that I got a most excellent preparation for the world of politics. I have a soft spot in my heart for soccer and a few small spots in my legs”. Looks like politicians had a sense of hunour in those days. Page 4 of the programme had a schedule of that year’s ISL matches together with details of where you could purchase tickets and a note about “Ladies Night” each Wednesday where ladies would be admitted for $1.50. Page 5 has introductions to Werder Bremen and Bahia and the following page has ISL history and records. Rudolph Kucera of Dukla Prague had scored 15 goals in 7 matches in 1961 although one of the other records notes that Dukla had scored ten in a single match that season against Shamrock Rovers which probably helped Kucera’s total. It wouldn’t be an American programme without the “Rules of Soccer” appearing somewhere and they appear along with a map of field positions on the next page. Squads are listed in the centre pages alongside an advert for Pepsi; “for those who think young”. The squads include the age, height and weight of each player. There are then two pages of ISL history, a page on Senator Keating and a page introducing Hearts and Blackburn. Tommy Walker is referred to as “probably the greatest player in his country’s history [who] is often referred to as the ‘Babe Ruth of Scottish Soccer’”. An accolade indeed! Finally this time, a wonderful Blackburn Rovers pennant commemorating the match. This lovely item was presented to Hearts at the match and is on display in the Hearts museum. In the Rovers colours of blue and white, it features the club badge and the match details. More from the USA next time. Gary Cowen is a member of Hearts heritage group and is currently writing a book about the Hearts post-season tours
