As requested, a poll to determine which era as a supporter you most enjoyed

[glynnlondon]

11 minutes ago, King prawn said:

Or the age of the supporters. Anyone under 30 might remember more of that era than the one before and certainly not have the option for anything before 1990.

Quite

[HighTimes]

Crap - clicked without reading properly. Meant to choose the one containing the JJ Cup win.

[Japan Jambo]

21 minutes ago, Geoff Kilpatrick said:

If anything, I thought the split would help. Wallace was adored up to that point by our support. After that, he became the FTB in a lot of people's eyes.

 

Aah fair enough, I get where you are coming from on that.  When thinking back my focus was primarily on the football on the pitch. 

[garybwick]

1981-1990 , went to most games home and away, our fans were amazing back then.

[WageThief]

Remarkable if people old enough to remember the glory years are choosing the Romanov years.  I chose the JJ cup win period.  The Romanov era would win easily if he'd laid low in Russia during the Burley season.

[Cruyff]

Good poll, ****ing terrible answers. 

[Cruyff]

1997-2004 

 

Won the SC. 

 

Beat Stuttgart, Bordeaux, Braga and Basel 

 

Beat Hibs 5-1

 

Proper Hearts

Edited March 28, 2021 by Cruyff

[gerryjambo41]

I loved the MacDonald / Jardine era and the only thing that was missing was a trophy so I opted for the Romanov era the most successful period in my lifetime 

[R1874]

Everyone under 30 only has 1 option! 

[Maroon Sailor]

16 minutes ago, gerryjambo41 said:

I loved the MacDonald / Jardine era and the only thing that was missing was a trophy so I opted for the Romanov era the most successful period in my lifetime 

 

What Alex and Sandy did with Hearts was amazing really.

 

A mixture of Dad's Army and Youth. 

 

Promoted and qualified for Europe in their first season in the Premier League when we all thought it was the norm to go straight back down.

 

 

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

We have a current voter!

[Francis Albert]

2 hours ago, WageThief said:

Remarkable if people old enough to remember the glory years are choosing the Romanov years.  I chose the JJ cup win period.  The Romanov era would win easily if he'd laid low in Russia during the Burley season.

I doubt many are but you'd have to be well over 70 to have enjoyed them. They were the best years in my lifetime but I was too young to be involved.

 

Lumping the whole of the 60s and 70s together doesn't distinguish between the sixties which were awful for anyone who had just enjoyed the glory years but for me were pretty good compared to say the yoyo years of the late 70s and early 80s, the only period to outdo in misery what we are experiencing now. 

 

As a one off season 85/86 is hard to beat despite the finale. The Jeffries/Brown years probably the best for sustained positive period. But for shear sustained enjoyment the Vlad years .. in a sort of sado-masochistic way. There were certainly few dull moments

 

 

Edited March 28, 2021 by Francis Albert

[henryheart]

The Mercer era. We went from no hopers in the early 1980s to in what seemed like no time at all nearly double winners and by 1988-89 our average attendance was higher than 9 of the teams in what is now called the English Premier League. Younger fans may not believe how big were were; quarter finalists in Europe, the front page of Shoot magazine, you name it and we were recognised as one of the biggest clubs in Britain. The football world has moved on, and sadly neither Scottish football or ourselves have kept pace.  We may have won cups under Robinson and Romanov, but these were stressful times that I'd rather not repeat!

[N Lincs Jambo]

I went for the early Mercer years. He stopped the rot and turned it around. It was also the time when I went pretty much home and away every game due to having transport and a driving licence. The atmosphere was changed as well from the 70s when there was no segregation. This resulted in a huge growth in the Hearts travelling support even when we went to the weeg.

 

If we were to have a 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice, my second would be the Vlad era for the Burley season and 2 SCs then the Pieman era up to 98 cup win.

[Japan Jambo]

1 hour ago, Geoff Kilpatrick said:

We have a current voter!

 

pmsl - zero posts. The board is riddled at the moment.

[Bringitbak]

80s for me, massive travelling support, terracing at almost every ground, start of the casual scene, no mobiles or cctv. Great time to be a football fan, bit naughty at times but added to the day out. Nowadays utter guff in comparison. 

[WageThief]

1 hour ago, Francis Albert said:

I doubt many are but you'd have to be well over 70 to have enjoyed them. They were the best years in my lifetime but I was too young to be involved.

 

Lumping the whole of the 60s and 70s together doesn't distinguish between the sixties which were awful for anyone who had just enjoyed the glory years but for me were pretty good compared to say the yoyo years of the late 70s and early 80s, the only period to outdo in misery what we are experiencing now. 

 

As a one off season 85/86 is hard to beat despite the finale. The Jeffries/Brown years probably the best for sustained positive period. But for shear sustained enjoyment the Vlad years .. in a sort of sado-masochistic way. There were certainly few dull moments

 

 

 

Fair point.  I'd have thought there'd be more than 7 or so that remembered those times, just based on posts I see.  But now you point it out, there is probably a big drop off in posters who remember the 60s and those older.   

 

I think I just struggle with the concept of time.  I have similar issues comprehending people born in 2000 being 21, or Jamie Walker's first memory at a game being the 98 final.

 

The split is problematic as you say, and really some of the options it makes are pointless.  No one is seriously going to choose the latter Mercer/early PieDeans era.  @Skippy DoodleDid you choose the latter by mistake?!

 

A better poll would list owners and ask who did the best job.  

 

The problem with Romanov for me is his mistakes weren't really like mistakes, at times bordering on someone having a laugh.  It wasn't long before I found it tedious and boring.

 

[Eldar Hadzimehmedovic]

Weird categorisation. 😄

 

Hearts in 1981 and Hearts in 1988 is like two completely different clubs. I've gone for that anyway. That spell between 85 and 90 was just perfect timing for me (first game November 85) and such a great time for Hearts. 

 

But most enjoyed was August to October 2005. Still get goosebumps thinking about those couple of months. 

[cookieboy]

i know who the auld folk are now who went  for the 50s . Jealous ? no me 🙂 

[cookieboy]

4 hours ago, garybwick said:

1981-1990 , went to most games home and away, our fans were amazing back then.

my choice as well , loved every trip 

[cookieboy]

4 minutes ago, Eldar Hadzimehmedovic said:

Weird categorisation. 😄

 

Hearts in 1981 and Hearts in 1988 is like two completely different clubs. I've gone for that anyway. That spell between 85 and 90 was just perfect timing for me (first game November 85) and such a great time for Hearts. 

 

But most enjoyed was August to October 2005. Still get goosebumps thinking about those couple of months. 

glory hunter haha 

[Eldar Hadzimehmedovic]

Just now, cookieboy said:

glory hunter haha 

 

Haha. Never saw us lose for seven months and never saw us lose at home for about 18 months. I think we got hammered at home by Rangers 2-5 and it didn't even compute. Couldn't get my head around it. 

[Skippy Doodle]

15 minutes ago, WageThief said:

 

Fair point.  I'd have thought there'd be more than 7 or so that remembered those times, just based on posts I see.  But now you point it out, there is probably a big drop off in posters who remember the 60s and those older.   

 

I think I just struggle with the concept of time.  I have similar issues comprehending people born in 2000 being 21, or Jamie Walker's first memory at a game being the 98 final.

 

The split is problematic as you say, and really some of the options it makes are pointless.  No one is seriously going to choose the latter Mercer/early PieDeans era.  @Skippy DoodleDid you choose the latter by mistake?!

 

A better poll would list owners and ask who did the best job.  

 

The problem with Romanov for me is his mistakes weren't really like mistakes, at times bordering on someone having a laugh.  It wasn't long before I found it tedious and boring.

 

Haha if I could choose my own it would be 95-98 for obvious reasons. I was still a kid at the time so 94/95 even had its highlights for me as I didn’t have much to hold it up against if that makes sense?

[Cade]

Plumped for 81-90.

That's when I was growing up and went to most home games with my dad and his pals.

 

Tynie was a midden and I can still smell the toilets, but that period carries many happy memories.

[WageThief]

Just now, Skippy Doodle said:

Haha if I could choose my own it would be 95-98 for obvious reasons. I was still a kid at the time so 94/95 even had its highlights for me as I didn’t have much to hold it up against if that makes sense?

 

Yeah kinda.  I'd struggle to exclude the cup final win, but I'd agree with your choice of segment.  I am probably the same age or similar, I was 10/11 in 94/95.  In some ways, your age argument can work the other way.  The Phil Stamp game is my Wayne Foster game.  If we'd played in Rotterdam a few years earlier, I wouldn't have been there.

[luckydug]

6 hours ago, hans said:

After the lows of the late seventies and early eighties( much like today) club was skint 

fans deserting in droves tyncastle a dark depressing place . then mercer took over club.

macdonald and jardine came in, and the whole attidude changed we were no longer

losers they built a great side full of skill and determination, tynie was bouncing atmosphere

unbelievable.they started the domination of hibs which has continued since.

so my vote goes to mercer -macdonald era for restoring pride and passion at my

club

That's exactly why I voted for that era as well. 

No doubt about it we were gone if the Great Waldo hadn't stepped up. 

1983 - 1990 saw the club regain the respect of Scottish football. Huge away supports all over Scotland the maroon pound helped out many an impoverished small club. 

No trophies but total Derby domination. 👍

[luckydug]

I might have voted for the fifties as I got taken to some of the matches. 

I was at Love Street when we clinched both our Titles but I was very young and can only remember snippets. 

The relief of coming back from the brink to being a force again is much more fresh in my memory. 

Thank god for Mr Mercer. 

[Eldar Hadzimehmedovic]

We're a weird bunch sometimes 😄

 

Mercer was hated towards the end. It was absolutely brutal, worse than I've seen with any owner since, but now he's adored by pretty much everyone. 

 

Robinson was hated too and he's still hated. 

 

The anger at Budge is growing and it's hard to see it pull back. 

 

The only owner in the last 40 years who isn't treated with that kind of disdain is the only one who seemed no bothered at all at the potential closing down of the whole club. Still lauded by most. 

 

Bizarre stuff. 

[Rocky jamboa]

I went for 81-89 as that was the period when I got right into watching Hearts, going home and away every week. Probably more the latter period though 84/85 onwards. 

 

2005/06 was the best season though. What a team and great to watch! 

[Maple Leaf]

On 28/03/2021 at 10:26, cookieboy said:

i know who the auld folk are now who went  for the 50s . Jealous ? no me 🙂 

 

I've reached the stage where I don't hide my age any more, I brag about it.

[Marvin]

I chose the era when we won the cup in 1998 but it so easily could have been the pre vermin takeover years. Great times as was the Romanov years. Depending on your age will influence the responses too.

[redjambo]

Sorry, I had to vote for the Vlad era. Ok, so it almost put us out of existence, but my word it was fun (in a very chaotic sort of way).

[GinRummy]

1 minute ago, redjambo said:

Sorry, I had to vote for the Vlad era. Ok, so it almost put us out of existence, but my word it was fun (in a very chaotic sort of way).

It was absolutely fantastic. I voted the same. 

[No Idle Talk]

The affection on this forum for the Vladimir Romanov era is absolutely baffling to me. I understand that the club won two Scottish Cups in that time - including the greatest day in the history of Heart of Midlothian football club - but that man almost left Hearts supporters without a club to support. For me, that trumps everything. I understand that in the initial stages he kept the club at Tynecastle when that looked very much in doubt. He will always have my gratitude for that. But he undid that goodwill with the things he did after that. 

 

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but my feelings towards Vladimir Romanov are more negative than positive. I am just grateful that there were enough good people out there to save the club from the oblivion it faced when Romanov disappeared off into the sunset.

[Thomaso]

It would be a 100% vote for the 50’s glory years if the voters had all been alive then.

[No Idle Talk]

On 28/03/2021 at 14:18, henryheart said:

The Mercer era. We went from no hopers in the early 1980s to in what seemed like no time at all nearly double winners and by 1988-89 our average attendance was higher than 9 of the teams in what is now called the English Premier League. Younger fans may not believe how big were were; quarter finalists in Europe, the front page of Shoot magazine, you name it and we were recognised as one of the biggest clubs in Britain. The football world has moved on, and sadly neither Scottish football or ourselves have kept pace.  We may have won cups under Robinson and Romanov, but these were stressful times that I'd rather not repeat!

 

Good post. 

[Busby8]

A clever poll for flushing out a few interlopers.

 

Well done to the OP 🙂

[Pasquale for King]

I switched from Vlad years to Mercer early work, difficult though as the best day of my life never mind following Hearts happened on 16/5/98. 

[Pasquale for King]

On 29/03/2021 at 15:03, Eldar Hadzimehmedovic said:

We're a weird bunch sometimes 😄

 

Mercer was hated towards the end. It was absolutely brutal, worse than I've seen with any owner since, but now he's adored by pretty much everyone. 

 

Robinson was hated too and he's still hated. 

 

The anger at Budge is growing and it's hard to see it pull back. 

 

The only owner in the last 40 years who isn't treated with that kind of disdain is the only one who seemed no bothered at all at the potential closing down of the whole club. Still lauded by most. 

 

Bizarre stuff. 

It is indeed. 
I was talking about the protests that Mercer and Robinson faced over the weekend in response to a bed sheet on Budges fence. They had to have police protection ffs. 
Vlad stood up to the weegie mafia in a way nobody else has and two cups plus Rudi etc makes him the most successful. 
If somehow we hadn’t been saved or resurfaced as Hearts of Midlothian or something then Vlad may well have been despised.