Hearts grabbing global audience: middle England, French micros and Rangers

After a segment on the Winter Words festival at Pitlochry Theatre, where director Alan Cummings highlighted the involvement of figures like Ian Rankin and Amy Liptrot, the highbrow news and current affairs show continued the Scottish theme by dropping in at the Oriam Centre, the Tynecastle club’s training base, ahead of Sunday’s top-of-the-league clash with Rangers. “Can the boys in maroon hold their nerve?” they asked.

It follows the midweek visit from Canal+, the French TV channel. They were in town on Tuesday night as Hearts battled their way to a last-gasp 1-0 win over Hibs. This strongly suggested that the answer to the question posed by Radio 4 is, yes. Yes, they can. It was striking to see the French broadcaster’s logo among more familiar branded microphones set out on the table in front of McInnes following the derby win.

The people behind the long running BBC magazine programme Football Focus have also recorded a feature to run this weekend that included an interview with celebrity Hearts fan Sir Chris Hoy. A story that’s been dubbed the unlikeliest title challenge in Europe has started to engage a wider audience. The recent extra profile exists because the charge down the home straight is now looking very much on. As McInnes told Radio 4, “it’s there for us”.

Perhaps the stiffest resistance to this notion is in Scotland. People are too inured to the sight of either side of the Old Firm, even if they haven’t set the pace, coming through at the end to claim the glory. Even seasoned observers, in fact mostly seasoned observers, find it hard to believe the trend might be bucked within months.

People in their fifties can barely remember anything other than the current duopoly, which is a good Radio 4 word. The Today featurette was very much couched in these terms: “Can Hearts end the 40-year stranglehold of Celtic and Rangers?” Hearts will feel they have been answering this question in the affirmative for a while now. But a major test of their ambitions comes on Sunday when they head to Ibrox for the second and final time this season.

“I understand why there are still sceptics out there,” said McInnes, speaking just an hour so after his views had been aired on radios in the kitchens of politicians and captains of industry across the land. “It is unusual to see Hearts where they are with 12 games to go. I think it was early on, when we went top in September, 'Oh, good old Hearts'. And then October, ‘what a good story’. And then November, December…But since then we are starting to annoy a few people: ‘Why are they still there?’ People can’t quite get their heads around it.”

Even McInnes must at times feel like giving himself a shake. Like on Tuesday night, when Tomas Magnusson – an unheralded £40, 000 buy from Icelandic club IBV – struck at the death to secure a vital three points and put the pressure back on Rangers and Celtic. McInnes danced with delight with a nearby ball boy before signalling to the Hibs fans to get up the road at the end. He’s clearly enjoying himself despite the pressure.

“There has been a lot of late winners over the course of the last few games – teams are playing to win, the Kilmarnocks, St Mirrens, Livi,” he explained. “All these teams wherever they are in the league need wins. No one is playing for draws. There is a commitment from teams to try and win games. That is why you see so much drama towards the end of the game. We have thankfully benefitted mostly from that although we suffered at St Mirren. Hopefully we can just try and keep winning games and doing what we are doing.”

The ultimate six pointer

He conceded Sunday was a “brilliant opportunity” to lay down a marker in what is the ultimate six pointer. Win and Hearts stretch their lead over the Ibrox side to eight points. Lose and it’s just two and that’s before factoring in what Celtic, who have a game in hand, do at Kilmarnock.

Helping Hearts’ cause is the return of stand-in skipper Craig Halkett following his one-match suspension for being sent off in the first half of the 1-0 defeat against St Mirren in Paisley. Not permitted to sit among his injured teammates behind the home dugout, he settled for a seat in the directors’ box for the win v Hibs. That had its own dangers. “I had (club ambassador) Gary Locke choking me at the end!” The defender enjoyed a less fraught watching brief the following night when Motherwell played Rangers at Fir Park. Halkett was safely in his living room at home. “I was just watching it because I like football,” he said, not altogether convincingly.

McInnes was asked if he missed Stephen Walsh’s late equaliser, which Hearts fans celebrated as if their own side had scored. Managers tend to leave games early when they are on scouting missions.

“I didn’t go,” he revealed. “I was going to go. But we were training and I did not leave here until about 4pm. I made the mistake of going home for my dinner first. I was a bit tired and thought I would just watch it on the couch.”

Assistant manager Alan Archibald was in attendance in any case. “I think Archie ended up going with his son rather than me,” said McInnes. “So I watched the game on the telly.” He is wise to take the opportunity to rest while he can. Things are only going to get more hectic, over and above round after round of interviews as the world wakes up to a potential miracle of Gorgie.