Manchester Hearts Supporters Club

	Heart Of Midlothian Football Club
History Index Home
	1914 was one of Hearts proudest years but not because of their football achievements.
	After their cup success in 1906 Hearts had eight unsuccessful years. By 1914 however they had built an exiting young team which looked set to win them more honours. During the 1914-15 season the First World War broke out in Europe. Hearts had started their league campaign brilliantly winning most of their games and had looked set to win the league title. There was a lot of criticism of football clubs at the time as they kept players out of the army because of their contracts and reserved occupations. In November 1914 with the Germans winning the war the entire Hearts first team and 400 shareholders and season ticket holders enlisted in Sir George McCreas 16^th Royal Scots battalion. Hearts were the only football club in Britain to do this. The only other clubs in Scotland to make a similar contribution were Queens Park and Ayr United.

	Sergeant Duncan Currie, killed while leading his platoon at the Somme offensive, 1^st July 1916
	The top two clubs Rangers and Celtic had virtually no players in the army using the players contracts as the reason. As a result of players being away for army training Hearts lost their last few games of the season and Celtic won the league.
				Corporal Thomas Gracie, died at Stobhill War Hospital, Glasgow, 23^rd October 1915
	Worse was to follow for Hearts in the following years. Seven players were killed and eleven were wounded or gassed. The 1^st July 1916 was a black day for the club. Duncan Currie, Ernest Ellis and Harry Wattie were all killed at the battle of the Somme.
	Germans machine gunners take their toll on the morning of 1-Jul-1916, artist unknown

				Private Ernest Ellis , killed at the Somme, 1^st July 1916
	Without their strongest team Hearts suffered during and after the war and nearly went bankrupt. When the players returned after the war some were suffering from injuries or wounds and one, Bob Mercer died during a reserve game. Others had missed their best footballing years and Hearts were to suffer as a result.
				Private James Speedie, killed at Loos, 25^th September 1915
	Rangers and Celtic who had been virtually unaffected by the war went from strength to strength and completely dominated the Scottish game right up to the start of the Second World War.
	Sargeant John Allen, killed at Roeux, 22^nd April 1917.	Lance-corporal James Boyd, killed at the Somme, 3rd August 1916.			Private Harry Wattie, killed at the Somme, 1^st July 1916.
	The people of Scotland never forget Hearts and their players sacrifice in the war and a memorial was unveiled in memory of the Hearts players killed, at the Haymarket in Edinburgh by the secretary of state for Scotland in1922. The club holds a memorial service there every year to remember the dead from both World Wars.








History Index Home	The First Golden Era		The Second Golden Era