There is a bitterness to losing a league title in stoppage time on the final day of the season that no club fully shakes off until pre-season begins. For Hearts, though, what happened in the aftermath of Celtic's 3-1 victory at Celtic Park has left a wound that stretches well beyond the football itself — and now the Edinburgh club have made their frustration very public indeed.
In a formal statement released this week, Hearts described certain public remarks about Saturday's pitch invasion as "highly irresponsible" and carrying "dangerous implications". The comments are directed, at least in part, at Celtic manager Martin O'Neill, who on Monday pushed back against suggestions that the scenes had embarrassed Scottish football, dismissing such criticism as "nonsense".
Hearts were not prepared to let that stand.
"Those remarks carry dangerous implications," the club said, "and we call upon the football authorities to ensure that this matter is addressed with the seriousness it demands, and with the full cooperation of all involved."
The pitch invasion itself occurred after Callum Osmand's goal in the 98th minute sealed the title for Celtic. Supporters flooded onto the pitch while time was still, technically, on the clock — the SPFL later confirmed that the referee had brought proceedings to an end with at least 40 seconds of allocated stoppage time remaining. Hearts have written to both the SPFL and the Scottish FA to register their concern that a troubling precedent has been set, one in which a pitch invasion can effectively determine when a football match ends.
That concern deepened further when Hearts shareholder Tony Bloom — the Brighton & Hove Albion owner who invested in the Edinburgh club around a year ago — told talkSPORT that some Hearts players were assaulted during the chaos. Police Scotland are already investigating whether any criminal behaviour took place, and Celtic issued an apology to Hearts earlier in the week after the visiting squad were forced to leave the stadium in a hurry.
"The Hearts players were in danger and one or two got assaulted," Bloom said. "It is completely unacceptable behaviour and the authorities will be looking at it."
To the wider story of what Hearts came so close to achieving this season, Bloom was warmer. The club led the Scottish Premiership from September onwards and went agonisingly short of ending a title drought stretching back to 1960 — when the likes of the Old Firm had not yet come to dominate Scottish football in the way they have for the past four decades. That Hearts came this close, in just Bloom's first full year of involvement, is by any measure a remarkable achievement.
"For anyone involved in Hearts it is a devastating weekend," he said. "However, we must look forward — what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. We will be back next season with a bang."
That determination to return will ring true for a fanbase that watched their side lead the division for the better part of eight months, only to be undone in the most dramatic of circumstances. The footballing hurt is one thing. What happened after the final whistle — or rather, what happened before it should have blown — is something the game in Scotland now cannot afford to brush aside.
How the SPFL and Scottish FA respond to Hearts' formal correspondence will tell us a great deal about whether football's governing bodies north of the border are willing to hold the full picture to account, rather than simply letting the celebrations drown out the questions.
Frequently asked
- What happened during the Celtic Park pitch invasion?
- Celtic supporters ran onto the pitch after Callum Osmand scored a 98th-minute goal to win the Scottish Premiership, with the referee ending the match while at least 40 seconds of stoppage time remained. Hearts players were confronted by fans, and some were reportedly assaulted. Police Scotland are investigating.
- Why are Hearts writing to the SPFL and Scottish FA?
- Hearts are concerned that the pitch invasion effectively decided when the match ended, setting a dangerous precedent. They have formally written to both governing bodies to set out their observations and call for the incident to be treated with appropriate seriousness.
- Who is Tony Bloom and what is his connection to Hearts?
- Tony Bloom is the owner of Brighton & Hove Albion who invested in Heart of Midlothian around a year ago. His data analytics company helped build the squad that came close to winning the Scottish Premiership title in 2024–25.