‘If they win they’ll be legends’: stakes high for Hearts in Scottish Cup final

Hearts had more cause than would be customary to revel in Scottish Cup semi-final success over their city rivals, Hibs. The securing of a place in the Europa League playoff round means guaranteed European group stage football, if perhaps in the Conference League, next season. With that comes a financial boost loosely estimated at £5m and widely categorised as a game changer.

The mistake, however, would be in assuming Hearts have any interest in parading balance sheets. Saturday’s meeting with Rangers provides opportunity to win the Scottish Cup for only the ninth time in a club history hurtling towards 150 years.

Related: Rangers suffer Europa League final shootout defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt

“I want to make sure we are at least third in the league before trying to eat into the gap [to the top two] but I don’t want us to be a club that ‘wins’ third place every year,” says Andrew McKinlay, the Hearts chief executive. “I am trying not to let myself think what it will be like if we win this cup. You could only appreciate the size of it if it happens. It means so much to Hearts; look at how the teams who won cups previously here are revered. It doesn’t matter whether these are the best teams Hearts have ever had or not. Whoever plays on Saturday, if they win that cup they will for ever be club legends.”

If Celtic can be delighted with the reclaiming of the title and Rangers with a run to the Europa League final, there should be pride at Tynecastle over this campaign. Having returned to the top division – and amid grumbling from their supporter base at performances – Robbie Neilson’s team coasted into third place. High praise is due to Neilson, the sporting director Joe Savage, chair Ann Budge and McKinlay. Hearts kept cool heads when their head coach was under extreme pressure, largely because of a Scottish Cup exit at the hands of the Highland League’s Brora Rangers in March last year.

“It doesn’t really matter whether you think that was over the top; it was what it was,” McKinlay says. “It helps that Robbie understands the expectations of the fans. It probably gave me a better understanding of the expectations of the Hearts support. I know when Robbie speaks to new players that he tells them about an expectation to win every game, especially at Tynecastle.

“I think of the interviews I had at the beginning of this season and there was a lot of negativity, a lot of: ‘What if you start slowly?’ I genuinely didn’t think we would but you never really know until you start playing. It went the other way: we got really positive momentum. It was a great start to the season and we never looked back.

“There’s a chance – depending on injuries – of just one Brora participant starting this Saturday. None of us will ever suggest anything other than that result being utterly unacceptable.” Yet that evening seemed to kickstart a rebuild and attitude shift that has served Hearts well.

Hearts have legitimate aspirations of raising annual income levels to £25m and more before long. The backdrop to that is unusual. The supporter-led Foundation of Hearts, the club’s main shareholder, makes significant annual donations. So, too, and to the tune of millions, do benefactors including the philanthropist James Anderson. Other areas of the Scottish game also benefited from Anderson’s extraordinary kindness during the pandemic.

“The only thing he has ever asked for is that he doesn’t have to wear a tie in our boardroom,” says McKinlay. “He wants to know what more he can do to help, not just financially. He wants us to be better. He really encourages us to stretch ourselves. Why does he do it? My perception is that he was very taken by Ann totally changing the culture of the club. Hearts were put back into the middle of the community and he liked that. I think he is the best thing to have happened to Scottish football since I don’t know when. His generosity is incredible.”

It is unclear whether Anderson must don neckwear at Hampden Park. More certain is that Hearts would celebrate glory in an emotional manner that would register far more than European bounties.