The 2005–06 season was the 125th season of competitive football by Heart of Midlothian, and their 23rd consecutive season in the top level of Scottish football, competing in the Scottish Premier League. Hearts also competed in the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup.
| 2005–06 season | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | George Foulkes Roman Romanov |
| Manager | George Burley (until 22 October) John McGlynn (interim) Graham Rix (from 8 November - until 22 March) Valdas Ivanauskas |
| Stadium | Tynecastle Park |
| Scottish Premier League | 2nd |
| Scottish Cup | Winners |
| League Cup | Third round |
| Top goalscorer | League: Rudi Skácel (16) All: Paul Hartley & Rudi Skácel (17) |
| Highest home attendance | 17,379 vs. Rangers,SPL, 24 September 2005 |
| Lowest home attendance | 12,831 vs. Kilmarnock, Scottish Cup, 7 January 2006 |
| Average home league attendance | 16,767 |
Season Overview
editFollowing his takeover of the club, Vladimir Romanov stated that his ultimate aim is for Hearts to win the Champions League. His early actions included bringing in former Rugby Union chief Phil Anderton as CEO on 3 March 2005.[1] On 9 May 2005, manager John Robertson resigned, a move which was greeted with much dismay among supporters because Robertson had been a great player for Hearts. Former Ipswich Town and Derby County manager George Burley was hired on 30 June 2005 to replace him.[1]
As the season began, the combination of Romanov's financial backing and the appointment of Burley led many Hearts fans to believe that they could win the SPL championship in 2005–06. Signings such as Edgaras Jankauskas, Rudi Skácel and Takis Fyssas, allied to existing players Andy Webster, Steven Pressley, Craig Gordon, and Paul Hartley meant that Hearts built a team which made an outstanding start to the season. Hearts won their first eight SPL games, including a 1–0 win over reigning champions Rangers.[2]
After leading the Jambos through ten undefeated SPL appearances, and guiding them to the top of the league table, Hearts and Burley parted ways on 22 October 2005,[3] just hours before their Premier League match with Dunfermline Athletic. A club statement after the game declared that the departure of Burley had been mutually agreed and that there were "irreconcilable differences" between Burley and the Hearts board. Throughout his short spell in charge rumours had persisted that the relationship between Burley and Romanov was uneasy.[1] It had also been reported that Romanov had signed players without Burley's consent.
John McGlynn was put in temporary charge of the team following Burley's abrupt departure. Chief executive Phil Anderton was dismissed on 31 October 2005. The chairman, George Foulkes resigned in protest at Anderton's dismissal. Romanov's son, Roman Romanov, was appointed as chairman and acting chief executive.[1]
Vladimir Romanov's concerns with the fairness of refereeing developed during this period.[1] This started after Hearts made complaints after a match with Rangers in the 2004–05 season during which the referee Hugh Dallas controversially awarded a decisive penalty kick late in the match on the basis of advice from his linesman Andy Davis. There were also complaints after the dismissals of Craig Gordon against Falkirk, Edgaras Jankauskas against Hibs and Saulius Mikoliūnas against Rangers. Romanov called for a replay of each of these matches, but this was refused and Romanov was rebuked by the SFA.[4]
On 7 November, Graham Rix was appointed as head coach.[1] Hearts' title ambitions suffered a major setback when they lost 3–2 to Celtic on 1 January 2006. On 7 February 2006, reports were made indicating that Rix had told players who were apparently disgruntled at being left out of the team before a match against Dundee United that Romanov himself was picking the team and was "pulling the strings". While it was well known that Rix was not in charge of player transfer policy, it had not previously been confirmed that he was not in charge of selecting the team either.
Part of the fallout from this match was that the agent of Andy Webster indicated that Webster would not extend his contract with Hearts, which was due to expire at the end of 2006–07 season.[5] During April 2006, Vladimir Romanov put Andy Webster on the transfer list, claiming that he could not trust the player.[6]
Graham Rix was sacked as Hearts manager on 22 March 2006 along with the club's Director of Football, Jim Duffy, who had only been appointed one month previously.[7] Shortly afterwards, former FBK Kaunas coach Valdas Ivanauskas was appointed interim head coach of the first team until the end of the season.[1]
Nonetheless, on 2 April 2006 Hearts eased into the Scottish Cup Final. A 1–0 win over Aberdeen on 3 May at Tynecastle guaranteed second place in the SPL behind Celtic and a place in the Champions League qualifying rounds for the following season.[1] It also meant that Hearts were the first club to break the total dominance of the Scottish Premier League by the Old Firm since Motherwell in 1995. Hearts then won the Scottish Cup by beating Scottish Second Division side Gretna in a penalty shootout after the final had finished 1–1.
Matches
editPre-Season Friendlies
edit| 10 July 2005 Friendly | St Patrick's Athletic | 0–0 | Heart of Midlothian | Richmond Park |
| Attendance: 1,000 Referee: Paul McKeon |
| 12 July 2005 Friendly | Bray Wanderers | 1–5 | Heart of Midlothian | Carlisle Grounds |
Georgescu  90' |
Cesnauskis 15' Simmons 26'Elliot 70'Kizys 74'Hartley 85' |
Attendance: 500 Referee: Neil Doyle |
| 14 July 2005 Friendly | East Fife | 1–2 | Heart of Midlothian | New Bayview |
| Fairbairn 40' |
Wyness 7' Cesnauskis 30' |
Attendance: 500 Referee: Andrew Hunter |
| 16 July 2005 Friendly | Stirling Albion | 1–3 | Heart of Midlothian | Forthbank Stadium |
| Dunn 32' |
Mikoliūnas 72' Thorarinsson 89'Pressley 90+2' |
Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Kevin Toner |
| 17 July 2005 Friendly | Berwick Rangers | 0–0 | Heart of Midlothian | Shielfield Park |
| Attendance: 1,000 Referee: Paul McKeon |
| 20 July 2005 Friendly | Heart of Midlothian | 1–1 | Middlesbrough | Tynecastle Park |
| Webster 82' |
Yakubu 78 pen.' |
Attendance: 15,152 Referee: Kevin Toner |
| 23 July 2005 Friendly | Hull City | 0–1 | Heart of Midlothian | KC Stadium |
| Jankauskas 23' |
Attendance: 8,828 Referee: Mike Atkinson |
Scottish Premier League
edit| 30 July 2005 SPL | Kilmarnock | 2–4 | Heart of Midlothian | Rugby Park |
| Naismith 12' Greer 74' |
Skácel 13' Bednář 46'Mikoliūnas 61'Hartley 89' (pen.) |
Attendance: 7,487 Referee: Alan Freeland |
| 7 August 2005 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 4–0 | Hibernian | Tynecastle Park |
| Skácel 13' Hartley 58' (pen.)Simmons 71'Mikoliūnas 83' |
Attendance: 16,459 Referee: Stuart Dougal |
| 14 August 2005 SPL | Dundee United | 0–3 | Heart of Midlothian | Tannadice |
| Pressley 6' Bednář 12'Skácel 90+1' |
Attendance: 11,654 Referee: Charlie Richmond |
| 20 August 2005 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 2–0 | Aberdeen | Tynecastle Park |
| Skácel 20' Pospíšil 85' |
Attendance: 16,139 Referee: Mike McCurry |
| 27 August 2005 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 2–1 | Motherwell | Tynecastle Park |
| Skácel 40' Jankauskas 70' |
Foran 76 pen.' |
Attendance: 16,213 Referee: Craig Thomson |
| 11 September 2005 SPL | Livingston | 1–4 | Heart of Midlothian | Almondvale Stadium |
| Dalglish 44' |
Skácel 11' Webster 27'Hartley 34' (63), pen.' |
Attendance: 8,405 Referee: Dougie McDonald |
| 17 September 2005 SPL | Inverness CT | 0–1 | Heart of Midlothian | Caledonian Stadium |
| Skácel 28' |
Attendance: 6,704 Referee: Mike McCurry |
| 24 September 2005 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 1–0 | Rangers | Tynecastle Park |
| Bednář 14' |
Attendance: 17,379 Referee: Kenny Clark |
| 2 October 2005 SPL | Falkirk | 2–2 | Heart of Midlothian | Falkirk Stadium |
| Duffy 27 pen.' Pressley 68 o.g.' |
Pressley 75' (91) |
Attendance: 6,342 Referee: Iain Brines |
| 15 October 2005 SPL | Celtic | 1–1 | Heart of Midlothian | Celtic Park |
| Beattie 13' |
Skácel 16' |
Attendance: 60,100 Referee: Dougie McDonald |
| 22 October 2005 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 2–0 | Dunfermline Athletic | Tynecastle Park |
| Skácel 21' Pospíšil 24' |
Attendance: 16,574 Referee: Calum Murray |
| 26 October 2005 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 1–0 | Kilmarnock | Tynecastle Park |
| Jankauskas 34' |
Attendance: 16,536 Referee: Stuart Dougal |
| 29 October 2005 SPL | Hibernian | 2–0 | Heart of Midlothian | Easter Road |
| Buezelin 78' O'Connor 81' |
Attendance: 17,180 Referee: John Underhill |
| 5 November 2005 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 3–0 | Dundee United | Tynecastle Park |
| Hartley 4' Skácel 28'Pospíšil 57' |
Attendance: 16,617 Referee: Craig Thomson |
| 20 November 2005 SPL | Aberdeen | 1–1 | Heart of Midlothian | Pittodrie |
| Smith 13' |
Skácel 64' |
Attendance: 14,901 Referee: Craig Thomson |
| 26 November 2005 SPL | Motherwell | 1–1 | Heart of Midlothian | Fir Park |
| Brian McLean 41' |
Paul Hartley 90 pen.' |
Attendance: 8,131 Referee: Iain Brines |
| 3 December 2005 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 2–1 | Livingston | Tynecastle Park |
| Skácel 8', 15' |
Walker 63' |
Attendance: 16,583 Referee: Alan Freeland |
| 10 December 2005 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 0–0 | Inverness CT | Tynecastle Park |
| Attendance: 16,373 Referee: Calum Murray |
| 17 December 2005 SPL | Rangers | 1–0 | Heart of Midlothian | Ibrox |
| Lovenkrands 35' |
Attendance: 49,723 Referee: Mike McCurry |
| 26 December 2005 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 5–0 | Falkirk | Tynecastle Park |
| Hartley 20' Skácel 25'Elliot 41' (90+2)Pospíšil 73' |
Attendance: 16,538 Referee: Stuart Dougal |
| 1 January 2006 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 2–3 | Celtic | Tynecastle Park |
| Jankauskas 6' Pressley 8' |
Stephen Pearson 55' McManus 87', 90+1' |
Attendance: 17,358 Referee: Iain Brines |
| 14 January 2006 SPL | Dunfermline Athletic | 1–4 | Heart of Midlothian | East End Park |
| Burchill 58' |
Pressley 28' Pospíšil 54' (67)Skácel 81' |
Attendance: 8,277 Referee: Craig MacKay |
| 21 January 2006 SPL | Kilmarnock | 1–0 | Heart of Midlothian | Rugby Park |
| Invincible 46' |
Attendance: 8,811 Referee: Steve Conroy |
| 28 January 2006 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 4–1 | Hibs | Tynecastle Park |
| Hartley 27', 44 pen.' Skácel 41'Elliot 50' |
Garry O'Connor 58' |
Attendance: 17,371 Referee: Mike McCurry |
| 7 February 2006 SPL | Dundee United | 1–1 | Heart of Midlothian | Tannadice Park |
| Brebner 34' |
Paul Hartley 83 pen.' |
Attendance: 10,584 Referee: Dougie McDonald |
| 11 February 2006 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 1–2 | Aberdeen | Tynecastle Park |
| Elliot 9' |
Pressley 69 o.g.' Clark 87' |
Attendance: 16,895 Referee: Ian Fyfye |
| 18 February 2006 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 3–0 | Motherwell | Tynecastle Park |
| Jankauskas 4' (14) Elliot 78' |
Attendance: 16,976 Referee: Charlie Richmond |
| 5 March 2006 SPL | Livingston | 2–3 | Heart of Midlothian | Almondvale Stadium |
| Brittain 59' David Mackay 77' |
Aguiar 17' Jankauskas 72'Bednář 87' |
Attendance: 5,058 Referee: John Underhill |
| 11 March 2006 SPL | Inverness CT | 0–0 | Heart of Midlothian | Caledonian Stadium |
| Attendance: 5,027 Referee: Kevin Toner |
| 19 March 2006 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 1–1 | Rangers | Tynecastle Park |
| Jankauskas 10' |
Buffel 65' |
Attendance: 17,040 Referee: Craig Thomson |
| 25 March 2006 SPL | Falkirk | 1–2 | Heart of Midlothian | Falkirk Stadium |
| Gow 45' |
Hartley 22' Jankauskas 81' |
Attendance: 5,966 Referee: Alan Freeland |
| 5 April 2006 SPL | Celtic | 1–0 | Heart of Midlothian | Celtic Park |
| Hartson 4' |
Attendance: 59,699 Referee: Dougie McDonald |
| 8 April 2006 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 4–0 | Dunfermline Athletic | Tynecastle Park |
| Pospíšil 7' Bednář 14'Mikoliūnas 25'Makela 83' |
Attendance: 16,973 Referee: Charlie Richmond |
| 15 April 2006 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 2–0 | Kilmarnock | Tynecastle Park |
| Hartley 70' Berra 87' |
Attendance: 16,497 Referee: Eddie Smith |
| 22 April 2006 SPL | Hibernian | 2–1 | Heart of Midlothian | Easter Road |
| Riordan 14' Benjelloun 78' |
Bednář 45' |
Attendance: 16,654 Referee: Charlie Richmond |
| 30 April 2006 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 3–0 | Celtic | Tynecastle Park |
| McManus 7' (og.) Hartley 9'Bednář 63' |
Attendance: 16,795 Referee: Alan Freeland |
| 3 May 2006 SPL | Heart of Midlothian | 1–0 | Aberdeen | Tynecastle Park |
| Hartley 52 pen.' |
Attendance: 17,327 Referee: Stuart Dougal |
| 7 May 2006 SPL | Rangers | 2–0 | Heart of Midlothian | Ibrox |
| Boyd 36', 74' |
Attendance: 49,792 Referee: Iain Brines |
Scottish League Cup
edit| 23 August 2005 Second round | Queen's Park | 0–2 | Heart of Midlothian | Hampden Park |
| Jankauskas 15', 44' |
Attendance: 2,429 Referee: Eddie Smith |
| 21 September 2005 Third round | Livingston | 1–0 | Heart of Midlothian | Almondvale Stadium |
| Pereira 54' |
Attendance: 3,805 Referee: Stuart Dougal |
Scottish Cup
edit| 7 January 2006 Third round | Heart of Midlothian | 2–1 | Kilmarnock | Tynecastle Park |
| Pressley 24' McAllister 75' |
Nish 86' |
Attendance: 12,831 Referee: Alan Freeland |
| 4 February 2006 Fourth round | Heart of Midlothian | 3–0 | Aberdeen | Tynecastle Park |
| Pospíšil 21' Elliot 34' Pressley 75' |
Attendance: 17,353 Referee: Kenny Clark |
| 25 February 2006 Quarter-finals | Heart of Midlothian | 2–1 | Partick Thistle | Tynecastle Park |
| Jankauskas 6' Cesnauskis 63' |
BBC SPORT | Roberts 75' |
Attendance: 16,365 Referee: Craig Thomson |
| 2 April 2006 Semi-finals | Hibernian | 0–4 | Heart of Midlothian | Hampden Park |
| BBC SPORT | Hartley 28', 59', 88 pen.' Jankauskas 81' |
Attendance: 43,180 Referee: Stuart Dougal |
| 13 May 2006 Final | Heart of Midlothian | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–2 p) | Gretna | Hampden Park |
| Skácel 39' |
BBC SPORT | McGuffie 76' |
Attendance: 51,232 Referee: Dougie McDonald |
League table
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celtic (C) | 38 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 93 | 37 | +56 | 91 | Qualification for the Champions League group stage |
| 2 | Heart of Midlothian | 38 | 22 | 8 | 8 | 71 | 31 | +40 | 74 | Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round |
| 3 | Rangers | 38 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 67 | 37 | +30 | 73 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Hibernian | 38 | 17 | 5 | 16 | 61 | 56 | +5 | 56 | Qualification for the UEFA Intertoto Cup second round[b] |
| 5 | Kilmarnock | 38 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 63 | 64 | −1 | 55 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions
Notes:
- ^ Teams played each other three times (33 matches), before the league split into two groups (the top six and the bottom six) for the last five matches.
- ^ Hibernian qualified for the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup by being the highest place applicant for the competition.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Hay, Phil (7 March 2023). "Inside Vladimir Romanov's Hearts – Mowgli, tartan shorts and a nuclear submarine". Retrieved 7 September 2024.
- ^ "Hearts 1–0 Rangers". BBC Sport. 24 September 2005. Retrieved 29 November 2006.
- ^ "Burley in shock exit from Hearts". BBC Sport. 22 October 2005. Retrieved 25 November 2006.
- ^ "Romanov demand rejected by angry SFA". The Scotsman.
- ^ "Rix not picking team, say players". BBC Sport. 7 February 2006. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
- ^ Webster made football transfer history when he invoked a loophole in FIFA-adopted EU law, enabling him to cancel his contract with Hearts in the third year of a four-year deal with the proviso that he join a club in a foreign country and that sufficient notice is given to his former employers. Webster's transfer to Wigan Athletic was ratified by FIFA on 4 September 2006."Webster on his way out at Hearts" (BBC SPORT, Wednesday 26 April 2006 07:57 GMT.) . Retrieved 27 April 2006.
- ^ "Rix sacked as Hearts head coach". BBC Sport. 22 March 2006. Retrieved 22 March 2006.