2007–08 Heart of Midlothian F.C. season
The 2007–08 season is the 111th season of competitive football by Heart of Midlothian. It is the tenth consecutive season of play in the Scottish Premier League in which Hearts have competed since its inauguration in 1998–99. Hearts will also compete in the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup.
2007–08 season | |||
Chairman |
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---|---|---|---|
Manager |
![]() ![]() | ||
Stadium | Tynecastle Stadium | ||
Scottish Premier League | 8th | ||
Scottish Cup | Round 4 Replay | ||
League Cup | Semi Final | ||
Top goalscorer |
League: ![]() All: ![]() | ||
Highest home attendance | 17,131 v Hibs SPL 19 January 2008 | ||
Lowest home attendance | 10,500 v Dunfermline League Cup 25 September 2007 | ||
|
League table
Pos |
Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Celtic (C) | 38 | 28 | 5 | 5 | 84 | 26 | +58 | 89 | 2008–09 UEFA Champions League Group stage |
2 | Rangers | 38 | 27 | 5 | 6 | 84 | 33 | +51 | 86 | Template:Fb round2 2008–09 UCL SQR |
3 | Motherwell | 38 | 18 | 6 | 14 | 50 | 46 | +4 | 60 | Template:Fb round2 2008–09 UEFA Cup R1 |
4 | Aberdeen | 38 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 50 | 58 | −8 | 53 | |
5 | Dundee United | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 53 | 47 | +6 | 52 | |
6 | Hibernian | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 49 | 45 | +4 | 52 | 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup Second round |
7 | Falkirk | 38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 45 | 49 | −4 | 49 | |
8 | Heart of Midlothian | 38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 47 | 55 | −8 | 48 | |
9 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 38 | 13 | 4 | 21 | 51 | 62 | −11 | 43 | |
10 | St Mirren | 38 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 26 | 54 | −28 | 41 | |
11 | Kilmarnock | 38 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 39 | 52 | −13 | 40 | |
12 | Gretna | 38 | 5 | 8 | 25 | 32 | 83 | −51 | 13 | Resigned from the Scottish Football League |
Source: BBC Sport
Rules for classification:
1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
Gretna: 10 points were deducted from Gretna for going into administration.[1] They subsequently resigned from the Scottish Football League because the administrator concluded that the club could not continue to run as a business.[2]
Intertoto Cup: The highest-placed team who applied for the Intertoto Cup and not in an automatic UEFA Cup spot was awarded a place in that competition, Falkirk and Hibernian were the applicants.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.
Matches
Pre season
For the second consecutive pre-season Hearts visited Austria, although on this occasion the side also played four tour matches in Germany. Only one pre-season match was played in Edinburgh, a "glamour friendly" against FC Barcelona at Murrayfield Stadium, which attracted Hearts' largest ever attendance for a "home" match.
Friendly | FC Tavriya | 2–1 | Hearts | 30 June 2007 | ||||
Zborovsky ![]() |
Karipidis ![]() |
Attendance: 200 |
Friendly | Austria Wien | 1–2 | Hearts | FRANZ HORR STADION | 7 July 2007 | |||
Metz ![]() |
Schiemer ![]() Troyansky ![]() |
Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Fritz Stuchlik |
Friendly | BV Cloppenburg | 2–1 | Hearts | Stadion an der Friesoyther Strasse | 13 July 2007 | |||
Breiremeiter ![]() Balke ![]() |
Kostadinov ![]() |
Attendance: 1,500 Referee: Jochen Zdebel |
Friendly | Rot-Weiss Essen | 1–1 | Hearts | Georg-Melches-Stadion | 14 July 2007 | |||
Klinger ![]() |
Pospisil ![]() |
Attendance: 2,800 Referee: Guido Winkmann |
Friendly | Heracles Almelo | 1–5 | Hearts | Coesfeld | 20 July 2007 | |||
Marnix Smit ![]() |
Ivascevicius ![]() Makela ![]() Stewart ![]() Jonsson ![]() |
Attendance: 200 Referee: Detlef Scheppe |
Friendly | Moroka Swallows F.C. | 1–0 | Hearts | 21 July 2007 | ||||
Tsutsulupa ![]() |
Attendance: 500 |
Friendly | Hearts | 1–3 | Barcelona | Murrayfield Stadium | 24 July 2007 | |||
Makela ![]() |
Ronaldinho ![]() Santos ![]() |
Attendance: 57,857 Referee: Dougie McDonald |
Scottish Premier League
SPL | Hearts | 0–1 | Hibs | Tynecastle | 6 August 2007 | |||
Kerr ![]() |
Attendance: 16,436 Referee: Stuart Dougal |
SPL | Aberdeen | 1–1 | Hearts | Pittodrie Stadium | 12 August 2007 | |||
Nicholson ![]() |
Stewart ![]() |
Attendance: 13,134 Referee: Brines Report: BBC SPORT |
SPL | Hearts | 1–1 | Gretna | Tynecastle | 18 August 2007 | |||
Driver ![]() |
Barr ![]() |
Attendance: 16,407 Referee: Dougie McDonald |
SPL | Celtic | 5–0 | Hearts | Celtic Park | 25 August 2007 | |||
Berra ![]() Donati ![]() Brown ![]() Hesselink ![]() Nakamura ![]() |
Attendance: 57,300 Referee: Brines |
SPL | Motherwell | 0–2 | Hearts | Fir Park | 3 September 2007 | |||
Kingston ![]() Velicka ![]() |
Attendance: 5,081 Referee: Charlie Richmond |
SPL | Hearts | 4–2 | Rangers | Tynecastle | 15 September 2007 | |||
Driver ![]() Tall ![]() Stewart ![]() Ivaskevicius ![]() |
Cousin ![]() Beasley ![]() |
Attendance: 15,948 Referee: Mike McCurry |
SPL | Inverness | 2–1 | Hearts | Caledonian Stadium | 22 September 2007 | |||
Wyness ![]() Brewster ![]() |
Black ![]() |
Attendance: 4,918 Referee: Mike Tumilty |
SPL | St Mirren | 1–3 | Hearts | Love Street | 30 September 2007 | |||
Driver ![]() |
Driver ![]() Stewart ![]() Velicka ![]() |
Attendance: 4,233 Referee: John Underhill |
SPL | Hearts | 4–2 | Falkirk | Tynecastle Stadium | 6 October 2007 | |||
Ksanavicius ![]() Zaliukas ![]() Velicka ![]() Nade ![]() |
Barrett ![]() Moutinho ![]() |
Attendance: 15,855 Referee: Stuart Dougal |
SPL | Hearts | 1–3 | Dundee United | Tynecastle Stadium | 20 October 2007 | |||
Kingston ![]() |
Robertson ![]() Robson ![]() |
Attendance: 16,436 Referee: Craig Thomson |
SPL | Kilmarnock | 3–1 | Hearts | Rugby Park | 27 October 2007 | |||
Wales ![]() Nish ![]() Gibson ![]() |
Tall ![]() |
Attendance: 6,373 Referee: Willie Collum |
SPL | Hibs | 1–1 | Hearts | Easter Road | 4 November 2007 | |||
Berra ![]() |
Nade ![]() |
Attendance: 17,015 Referee: Charlie Richmond |
SPL | Hearts | 4–1 | Aberdeen | Tynecastle Stadium | 11 November 2007 | |||
Driver ![]() Velicka ![]() Tall ![]() Nade ![]() |
Visscher ![]() |
Attendance: 17,122 Referee: Iain Brines |
SPL | Gretna | 1–1 | Hearts | Raydale Park | 24 November 2007 | |||
kingston ![]() |
kingston ![]() |
Attendance: 1,544 Referee: Mike Tumilty |
SPL | Hearts | 1–1 | Celtic | Tynecastle Stadium | 1 December 2007 | |||
Velicka ![]() |
Mcdonald ![]() |
Attendance: 16,454 Referee: Kenny Clark |
SPL | Hearts | 1–2 | Motherwell | Tynecastle Stadium | 8 December 2007 | |||
Driver ![]() |
Porter ![]() Zaliukas ![]() |
Attendance: 16,633 Referee: Craig Thomson |
SPL | Rangers | 2–1 | Hearts | Ibrox | 15 December 2007 | |||
Mcculloch ![]() |
Velicka ![]() |
Attendance: 48,392 Referee: Dougie McDonald |
SPL | Hearts | 2–3 | Inverness | Tynecastle Stadium | 22 December 2007 | |||
Berra ![]() Velicka ![]() |
Duncan ![]() Rankin ![]() Bayne ![]() |
Attendance: 16,202 Referee: Willie Collum |
SPL | Hearts | 0–1 | St Mirren | Tynecastle Stadium | 26 December 2007 | |||
Mcginn ![]() |
Attendance: 16,476 Referee: Iain Brines |
SPL | Falkirk | 2–1 | Hearts | Falkirk Stadium | 29 December 2007 | |||
Finnigan ![]() Higdon ![]() |
Palazuelos ![]() |
Attendance: 6,614 Referee: Kenny Clark |
SPL | Dundee United | 4–1 | Hearts | Tannadice | 2 January 2008 | |||
Robson ![]() Hunt ![]() |
Berra ![]() |
Attendance: 7,507 Referee: Alan Freeland |
SPL | Hearts | 1–1 | Kilmarnock | Tynecastle Stadium | 5 January 2008 | |||
Velicka ![]() |
Giacomo ![]() |
Attendance: 14,346 Referee: John Underhill |
SPL | Hearts | 1–0 | Hibs | Tynecastle Stadium | 19 January 2008 | |||
Velicka ![]() |
Attendance: 17,131 Referee: Kenny Clark |
SPL | Aberdeen | 0–1 | Hearts | Pittodrie | 26 January 2008 | |||
Nade ![]() |
Attendance: 14,000 Referee: Willie Collum |
SPL | Hearts | 2–0 | Gretna | Tynecastle Stadium | 9 February 2008 | |||
Velicka ![]() |
Attendance: 16,139 Referee: Charlie Richmond |
SPL | Celtic | 3–0 | Hearts | Celtic Park | 16 February 2008 | |||
Hesselink ![]() Mcdonald ![]() Hinkel ![]() |
Attendance: 56,738 Referee: Dougie McDonald |
SPL | Motherwell | 0–1 | Hearts | Fir Park | 23 February 2008 | |||
Craigan ![]() |
Attendance: 5,925 Referee: Craig Thomson |
SPL | Hearts | 0–4 | Rangers | Tynecastle Stadium | 27 February 2008 | |||
Darchecille ![]() Novo ![]() |
Attendance: 16,173 Referee: Stuart Dougal |
SPL | Inverness | 0–3 | Hearts | Caledonian Stadium | 1 March 2008 | |||
Karipidis ![]() Elliot ![]() |
Attendance: 4,489 Referee: Alan Freeland |
SPL | St Mirren | 1–1 | Hearts | Love Street | 15 March 2008 | |||
Hamilton ![]() |
Mikoliunas ![]() |
Attendance: 4,557 Referee: Willie Collum |
SPL | Hearts | 0–0 | Falkirk | Tynecastle Stadium | 22 March 2008 | |||
Attendance: 16,682 Referee: Charlie Richmond |
SPL | Hearts | 1–0 | Dundee United | Tynecastle Stadium | 29 March 2008 | |||
Kingston ![]() |
Attendance: 16,871 Referee: Eddie Smith |
SPL | Kilmarnock | 0–0 | Hearts | Rugby Park | 5 April 2008 | |||
Attendance: 5,901 Referee: Craig Thomson |
SPL | Hearts | 3–2 | St Mirren | Tynecastle Stadium | 19 April 2008 | |||
Johnson ![]() Glen ![]() Kingston ![]() |
McCay ![]() Mason ![]() |
Attendance: 15,259 Referee: Mike McCurry |
SPL | Hearts | 1–0 | Inverness | Tynecastle Stadium | 26 April 2008 | |||
Glen ![]() |
Attendance: 15,423 Referee: Dougie McDonald |
SPL | Falkirk | 2–1 | Hearts | Falkirk Stadium | 5 May 2008 | |||
Scobbie ![]() Finnigan ![]() |
Cesnauskis ![]() |
Attendance: 4,638 Referee: Craig Thomson |
SPL | Hearts | 0–2 | Kilmarnock | Tynecastle Stadium | 10 May 2008 | |||
Murray ![]() Giacomo ![]() |
Attendance: 10,512 Referee: Mike Tumilty |
SPL | Gretna | 1–0 | Hearts | Raydale Park | 13 May 2008 | |||
Skelton ![]() |
Attendance: 1,090 Referee: John Underhill |
Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup Round 4 | Hearts | 2–2 | Motherwell | Tynecastle | 12 January 2008 | |||
Česnauskis ![]() Velička ![]() |
Porter ![]() |
Attendance: 13,651 Referee: Stuart Dougal Report: BBC Sport |
Scottish Cup Round 4 Replay | Motherwell | 1–0 | Hearts | Fir Park | 22 January 2008 | |||
McCormack ![]() |
Attendance: 8,300 Referee: Stuart Dougal |
Scottish League Cup
League Cup Round 2 | Stirling | 0–2 | Hearts | Forthbank Stadium | 28 August 2007 | |||
Laurie Ellis ![]() Kingston ![]() |
Attendance: 2,059 Referee: J Underhill Report: BBC SPORT |
League Cup Round 3 | Hearts | 4–1 | Dunfermline | Tynecastle Stadium | 25 September 2007 | |||
Nade ![]() Berra ![]() Elliot ![]() |
Simmons ![]() |
Attendance: 10,500 Referee: Brian Winter Report: BBC SPORT |
League Cup QF | Celtic | 0–2 | Hearts | Celtic Park | 31 October 2007 | |||
Velička ![]() |
Attendance: 21,492 Referee: Kenny Clark Report: BBC SPORT |
League Cup SF | Rangers | 2–0 | Hearts | Hampden Park | 30 January 2008 | |||
Ferguson ![]() Darcheville ![]() |
Attendance: 31,989 Referee: Stuart Dougal Report: BBC SPORT |
Transfers & loans
Several Lithuanian players left the club during the close-season, while two more Audrius Ksanavičius and Ričardas Beniušis arrived on loan from FBK Kaunas. Other summer signings included Rubén Palazuelos from Gimnástica de Torrelavega and Michael Stewart, who returned to the club after two seasons with rivals Hibernian. Scottish international goalkeeper Craig Gordon moved to Sunderland for £9 million in early August. This fee meant that Gordon was the most expensive Hearts and Scottish player ever, and the most expensive goalkeeper in British football history.
Managers
Just prior to the season's commencement Anatoly Korobochka and Stephen Frail were confirmed as the club's permanent coaching team.[3]
After several other discouraging results, the Scottish media began to scrutinise why the team was not matching supporters expectations, with one particular area of interest being the coaching structure. As neither Korobochka or Bulgarian assistant coach Angel Chervenkov spoke fluent English, a translator was required to aid management and team communication, a situation Frail admitted was "frustrating" and "not ideal" after a 1–1 draw with Gretna.[4]
Stephen Frail was appointed manager on 31 December following a difficult start to the season, although it was not made clear at the time that Frail would be manager until the end of the season.
On 22 May 2008 reports came out that caretaker manager Stephen Frail was on his way out of Tynecastle as he was not part of the new managerial structure at Hearts.
Season
Hearts began the season in a disappointing manner being defeated 1 -0 in the Edinburgh Derby with Hibernian.
On 31 December 2007, Romanov announced that, following five successive defeats which saw the club fall to 10th (third bottom) place in the league, the club would be looking to appoint a 'British-style' manager who would have complete control over team affairs.[5] Since then, Stephen Frail has been the caretaker manager, although it was not made clear at the time that Frail would be manager until the end of the season.
Hearts were defeated 1–0 in the 4th round replay of the Scottish Cup by Motherwell after a 2–2 draw on 21 January 2008. Rangers defeated them 2–0 in the semi-final of the CIS Cup on 30 January at Hampden Park. Hearts then sold their top scorer, Andrius Velička, to Norwegian side Viking Stavanger on 26 February 2008. A 0–0 draw with Kilmarnock on 5 April 2008 meant that Hearts failed to make the "Top Six" of the SPL, for the first time since the split league format was introduced in 2001.
See also
References
- ↑ "Crisis-hit Gretna facing uncertain future". The Times. UK. 13 March 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
- ↑ "Gretna resign from Scottish Football League". The Times. UK. 2 June 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2008.
- ↑ "Korobochka and Frail are Hearts coaching duo". Edinburgh Evening News. 30 July 2007.
- ↑ "Frail slams communication issues". BBC Sport. 18 August 2007. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
- ↑ "Hearts launch formal search for traditional manager". Scotsman. 18 August 2007.