Football Daily | Why Hearts’ historic title tilt shouldn’t come as a surprise

Perhaps the only surprising thing about Hearts’ victory over Celtic in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday was just how surprised people (who presumably don’t pay too much attention to football played north of the border) were when news of the result and its ramifications for the top of the table filtered through. While this 3-1 win at Tynecastle, which leaves the Jambos top of the table and eight points clear of Celtic, was seismic in nature, nobody who has been following the fortunes of either team this season will have been even remotely shocked by the result. For each of the past 40 seasons, the Glasgow duopoly of Celtic and Rangers have carved up the Scottish league between them, reducing fitba to something of a punchline in the process. Nine games into the current campaign it has become apparent that Heart of Midlothian – who number Stephen Hendry, Sir Chris Hoy and Ken Stott among their celebrity fans – might just be ready to strike while the Old Firm iron is freezing cold.My first team was Yeovil Town on the sloping pitch when I was 10 years old growing up in Somerset. Then I lived in Sutton in my early 20s and used to go along there occasionally. In 1979 I started going to Highfield Road because my near neighbour Ian was a Coventry City fan. I adopted them as my team although I sometimes fell asleep during the matches as I’d drunk too much at the Tam o’ Shanter club with his dad. I’ve got my FA Cup final and Charity Shield programmes signed by John Sillett and I’ve even watched them play against Forest Green in League Two. And now they’re being tipped as promotion candidates. It really is the hope and expectation that hurts, isn’t it?” – Leslie Hand.No letter from Noble Francis on Friday about Sheffield Wednesday’s woes? Discarding the chance that you didn’t publish because it wasn’t funny as too remote, can we conclude that Noble has spent the day drinking Tin and missed the deadline?” – Noble Fr Andy Neill.Apropos of nothing, Ange Postecoglou grew up a Liverpool fan” – Jarrod Prosser.This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions. Continue reading...

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