1996–97 Heart of Midlothian F.C. season

Heart of Midlothian
1996–97 season
ManagerJim Jefferies
StadiumTynecastle Stadium
Scottish Premier Division4th
Cup Winners' CupQualifying round
Scottish CupFourth Round replay
League CupFinal
Top goalscorerLeague:
John Robertson (14)
All:
John Robertson (19)
Highest home attendance15,424 v Celtic Scottish Premier Division 11 January 1997
Lowest home attendance9,303 v Stenhousemuir League Cup 14 August 1996
Average home league attendance12,349

The 1996–97 season was Heart of Midlothian F.C.'s 14th consecutive season of play in the Scottish Premier Division. Hearts also competed in the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup.

Fixtures

Friendlies

19 July 1996 Friendly Dundalk 1–3 Hearts Oriel Park
Colquhoun Robertson Cameron Attendance: 200
21 July 1996 Friendly Shamrock Rovers 1–1 Hearts
Thomas Attendance: 2,000
27 July 1996 Friendly Berwick Rangers 0–5 Hearts Shielfield Park
McPherson Fulton Pointon Robertson Lawrence Attendance: 1,159
31 July 1996 Friendly Hearts 1–3 Porto Tynecastle Stadium
Thomas 73' Jardel 36' (41) Edgar 85' Attendance: 9,986
Referee: AW Waddell
3 August 1996 Friendly Hearts 1–0 Southampton Tynecastle Stadium
Thomas 80' Attendance: 8,542
Referee: I Taylor
27 March 1997 Friendly Ross County 4–4 Hearts Victoria Park
McCann Weir Attendance: 1,308

Cup winners' cup

Main article: 1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
8 August 1996 Uefa Cup Winners' Cup qualifying round Red Star Belgrade 0–0 Hearts Stadion FK Crvena Zvezda
Attendance: 28,000
22 August 1996 Uefa Cup Winners' Cup qualifying round Hearts 1–1 Red Star Belgrade Tynecastle Stadium
McPherson 44' Marinovic 59' Attendance: 15,062
Referee: Karl-Erik Nilsson

League Cup

Main article: Scottish League Cup 1996–97
14 August 1996 League Cup R2 Hearts 1– 1 (a.e.t.) Stenhousemuir Tynecastle Stadium
McCann Sprott 42' (pen.) Attendance: 9,303
Referee: George Clyde
3 September 1996 League Cup R3 St Johnstone 1– 3 (a.e.t.) Hearts McDiarmid Park
O'Boyle 51' Cameron 15' Beckford 105' Robertson 107' Attendance: 6,806
Referee: Jim McCluskey
17 September 1996 League Cup QF Hearts 1– 0 (a.e.t.) Celtic Tynecastle Stadium
Robertson 110' Attendance: 14,442
Referee: Kenny Clark
23 October 1996 League Cup SF Hearts 3– 1 Dundee Easter Road
Beckford 20' Cameron 30' (pen.) Paille 60' Hamilton 73' Attendance: 15,653
Referee: Willie Young
24 November 1996 League Cup Final Hearts 3– 4 Rangers Celtic Park
Fulton 44' Robertson 59' Weir 88' Alistair McCoist 11' (27), 66' Gascoigne 64' Attendance: 48,559
Referee: Hugh Dallas

Scottish Cup

Main article: 1996–97 Scottish Cup
25 January 1997 Scottish Cup R3 Hearts 5–0 Cowdenbeath Tynecastle Stadium
Cameron 8' Weir 12' Robertson 22' (pen.), 63' Pointon 68' Attendance: 11,485
16 February 1997 Scottish Cup R4 Hearts 1–1 Dundee United Tynecastle Stadium
Hamilton 81' McManus 67' (og.) Attendance: 14,833
Referee: Hugh Dallas
25 February 1997 Scottish Cup R4 Replay Dundee United 1–0 Hearts Tannadice Park
Winters 5' Attendance: 12,283
Referee: Hugh Dallas

Scottish Premier Division

Main article: 1996–97 Scottish Premier Division
17 August 1996 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 3–2 Kilmarnock Tynecastle Stadium
Ritchie 12' (63) Weir 14' Wright 43' Lauchlan 88' Attendance: 10,854
25 August 1996 Scottish Premier Division Aberdeen 4–0 Hearts Pittodrie
Joseph Miller 44' Dodds 53' Windass 76' Glass 84' Attendance: 13,515
Referee: Jim Herald
7 September 1996 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 1–0 Dundee United Tynecastle Stadium
Robertson 74' (pen.) Attendance: 11,848
10 September 1996 Scottish Premier Division Dunfermline Athletic 2–1 Hearts Pittodrie
Tod 54' Smith 62' Weir 2' Attendance: 7,787
Referee: Bobby Tait
14 September 1996 Scottish Premier Division Rangers 3–0 Hearts Ibrox
Durie 40' Gascoigne 48' McCoist 81' Attendance: 47,240
Referee: Gerry Evans
21 September 1996 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 1–1 Motherwell Tynecastle Stadium
Weir 58' Arnott 46' Attendance: 10,932
28 September 1996 Scottish Premier Division Hibs 1–3 Hearts Easter Road
Jackson 59' (pen.) Cameron 19' (30) Robertson 40' Attendance: 14,217
12 October 1996 Scottish Premier Division Raith Rovers 1–1 Hearts Stark's Park
Thomson 70' Robertson 2' Attendance: 6,037
20 October 1996 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 2–2 Celtic Tynecastle Stadium
Cameron 52' McPherson 90' Van Hooijdonk 38' (51) Attendance: 13,352
Referee: Jim McCluskey
26 October 1996 Scottish Premier Division Dundee United 1–0 Hearts Tannadice Park
Winters 67' Attendance: 9,393
2 November 1996 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 2–0 Dunfermline Athletic Tynecastle Stadium
Weir 27' Cameron 44' Attendance: 12,517
11 November 1996 Scottish Premier Division Motherwell 0–2 Hearts Fir Park
Paille 54' Robertson 88' Attendance: 5,441
Referee: G Alison
16 November 1996 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 0–0 Hibs Tynecastle Stadium
Attendance: 15,129
Referee: John Rowbotham
30 November 1996 Scottish Premier Division Celtic 2–2 Hearts Celtic Park
O'Neil 43' Di Canio 77' (pen.) Cameron 31' McCann 64' Attendance: 49,804
Referee: Stuart Dougal
7 December 1996 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 0–0 Raith Rovers Tynecastle Stadium
Attendance: 1,719
11 December 1996 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 1–2 Aberdeen Tynecastle Stadium
Cameron 7' Shearer 75' Windass 78' Attendance: 11,477
14 December 1996 Scottish Premier Division Kilmarnock 2–0 Hearts Rugby Park
McKee 52' Mitchell 86' Attendance: 5,832
Referee: Willie Young
21 December 1996 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 1–4 Rangers Tynecastle Stadium
Robertson 57' Robertson 23' Laudrup 48' Albertz 67' (pen.) Gascoigne 84' Attendance: 15,139
26 December 1996 Scottish Premier Division Dunfermline Athletic 2–3 Hearts East End Park
Fleming 25' Moore 68' Mackay 57' Fulton 60' Robertson 80' (pen.) Attendance: 9,736
28 December 1996 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 4–1 Motherwell Tynecastle Stadium
Robertson 22' (pen.), 75' Weir 53' Hamilton 63' Wright 43' Attendance: 11,164
Referee: John Rowbotham
1 January 1997 Scottish Premier Division Hibs 0–4 Hearts Easter Road
Robertson 33' Hamilton 62' (87) Cameron 65' Attendance: 15,749
4 January 1997 Scottish Premier Division Raith Rovers 1–2 Hearts Stark's Park
Lennon 1' Robertson 5' Hamilton 72' Attendance: 6,460
11 January 1997 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 1–2 Celtic Tynecastle Stadium
Hamilton 38' Cadete 28' (68) Attendance: 15,424
18 January 1997 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 1–2 Dundee United Tynecastle Stadium
Robertson 23' Olafsson 14' McKinnon 82' Attendance: 12,777
1 February 1997 Scottish Premier Division Rangers 0–0 Hearts Ibrox Park
Attendance: 50,024
8 February 1997 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 2–0 Kilmarnock Tynecastle Stadium
Ritchie 22' McCann 71' Attendance: 11,020
10 February 1997 Scottish Premier Division Aberdeen 0–0 Hearts Pittodrie
Attendance: 8,642
Referee: Stuart Dougal
22 February 1997 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 3–2 Raith Rovers Tynecastle Stadium
Weir 24' McCann 35' (37) Craig 4' Makela 41' Attendance: 10,341
1 March 1997 Scottish Premier Division Celtic 2–0 Hearts Celtic Park
Cadete 28' Di Canio 61' Attendance: 49,578
15 March 1997 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 1–0 Hibs Tynecastle Stadium
McCann 82' Attendance: 15,136
22 March 1997 Scottish Premier Division Motherwell 0–1 Hearts Fir Park
Paille 12' Attendance: 6,245
5 April 1997 Scottish Premier Division Kilmarnock 1–0 Hearts Rugby Park
Wright 5' Attendance: 7,877
12 April 1997 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 0–0 Aberdeen Tynecastle Stadium
Attendance: 11,186
19 April 1997 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 1–1 Dunfermline Athletic Tynecastle Stadium
Robertson 90' Young 27' Attendance: 10,174
Referee: Bobby Tait
3 May 1997 Scottish Premier Division Dundee United 1–0 Hearts Tannadice Park
McSwegan 72' Attendance: 7,405
10 May 1997 Scottish Premier Division Hearts 3–1 Rangers Tynecastle Stadium
Cameron 80' Robertson 82' (pen.), 86' McInnes 81' Attendance: 13,097
Referee: Jim McCluskey

Scottish Premier Division table

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
2 Celtic 36 23 6 7 78 32 +46 75 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first qualifying round[a]
3 Dundee United 36 17 9 10 46 33 +13 60
4 Heart of Midlothian 36 14 10 12 46 43 +3 52
5 Dunfermline Athletic 36 12 9 15 52 65 −13 45
6 Aberdeen 36 10 14 12 45 54 −9 44
Source: Soccerbase
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
Notes:
  1. ^ As the League Cup winners Rangers had qualified for European competition via their league position, the place in the UEFA Cup was passed to the next highest placed team in the league, Dundee United.

Stats

Scorers

Pos PLayer SPL SC LC CWC Total
FW Scotland John Robertson 14 2 3 0 19
MF Scotland Colin Cameron 8 1 2 0 11
DF Scotland David Weir 6 1 1 0 8
FW Scotland Jim Hamilton 5 1 0 0 6
MF Scotland Neil McCann 5 0 1 0 6
DF Scotland Paul Ritchie 3 0 0 0 3
FW France Stephane Paille 2 0 1 0 3
MF Scotland Steve Fulton 1 0 1 0 2
DF Scotland Dave McPherson 1 0 0 1 2
FW England Darren Beckford 0 0 2 0 2
MF Scotland Gary Mackay 1 0 0 0 1
DF England Neil Pointon 0 1 0 0 1

See also

References