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.
| 1996–97 season | |
|---|---|
| Manager | Jim Jefferies |
| Stadium | Tynecastle Stadium |
| Scottish Premier Division | 4th |
| Cup Winners' Cup | Qualifying round |
| Scottish Cup | Fourth Round replay |
| League Cup | Final |
| Top goalscorer | League: John Robertson (14) All: John Robertson (19) |
| Highest home attendance | 15,424 v Celtic Scottish Premier Division 11 January 1997 |
| Lowest home attendance | 9,303 v Stenhousemuir League Cup 14 August 1996 |
| Average home league attendance | 12,349 |
Fixtures
editFriendlies
edit| 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
edit| 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
edit| 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
edit| 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
edit| 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
edit| 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 |
- ^ 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
editScorers
edit| Pos | PLayer | SPL | SC | LC | CWC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FW |  John Robertson |
14 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| MF | Colin Cameron |
8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| DF | David Weir |
6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 |
| FW | Jim Hamilton |
5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| MF | Neil McCann |
5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| DF | Paul Ritchie |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| FW |  Stephane Paille |
2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| MF | Steve Fulton |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| DF | Dave McPherson |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| FW |  Darren Beckford |
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| MF | Gary Mackay |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DF | Neil Pointon |
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |