The most excruciating of which was in 1986, when they nearly lost out on the league to Celtic on goal difference. They went into the final day needing a point but Dundee substitute, Albert Kidd came on to crush the dreams of Alex MacDonald’s side. Danny Ferguson, Jimmy Milne, Willie Bauld, Eric Stevenson, Jim McFadzean, and Jimmy Murray deserve special recognition for their contributions in the earlier rounds. Here is how the Jambos lined up in their 2-1 victory over Third Lanark in the 1959 Scottish League Cup final, the season they last won the league:

Gordon Marshall – Goalkeeper

In 1978, Marshall hung up his gloves after playing for Nottingham Forest, Hibs, Celtic, Aberdeen, and Arbroath. The only English player in the team, the legendary Jambo goalkeeper, made his debut at the age of 17 and won two league titles and three League Cups at Tynecastle before moving south of the border to play for Newcastle United for £17,500. After retirement, Marshall was frequently found in his Newsagents in Edinburgh’s West End, which he continued to run after his playing days. His sons Gordon Jr. and Scott also went on to have successful football careers.

Bobby Kirk – Full back

After playing for Raith Rovers and Dunfermline Athletic as a child, Kirk left Fife for Gorgie in 1955, where he would play for the remainder of his career, totaling 364 appearances. With all 12 of his goals for Hearts coming from penalties, including two against Hibs in a 6-1 hammering at Tynecastle in 1956, he was a flexible defender who could play on either side. Throughout his tenure at Hearts, he was never booked and was known for being quiet and well-mannered. He spent two decades working as a physiotherapist with Linlithgow Rose, one of several lower division Scottish clubs, in his senior years.

George Thomson – Full back

Thomson was part of a successful Hearts trio that won two First Divisions and two Scottish League Cups, along with Marshall and Kirk. While still a youngster, the utility player progressed through Tynecastle’s youth system until breaking into the starting lineup in 1957. Before joining colleague Alex Young at Everton for a total of £55,000, he made 171 appearances and scored 17 goals for Hearts. After a stint at Brentford, he would retire in 1968. Thomson’s attractiveness earned him the nickname 007 while he was a member of Hearts.

Andy Bowman – Right half

He was born in Pittenweem and played for Scottish schoolboys before being signed by Chelsea on his seventeenth birthday. He played just one game at Stamford Bridge before joining Hearts for a £1000 transfer fee. He played in 135 games for The Jambos, but if he hadn’t had two of the best wing-halves in the team’s lengthy history, Dave Mackay and John Cumming, in front of him, his total would have been much higher. Following stints with Stenhousemuir, Hamilton Academical, and Newport County, he resigned in 1968 and worked for Scottish and Newcastle brewers in his post-football career. At the beginning of the 1980s, his son Dave also played for Hearts.

John Cumming – Centre half

Cumming would spend almost twenty years at Tynecastle after joining Hearts from Carluke Rovers as a youth. During the 1950s, Hearts won numerous games because to the combination of him and his right-hand man, Dave Mackay. With four League Cup trophies, two league crowns, and one Scottish Cup, Cumming is still the most decorated Hearts player in history. Regarding his teammate, Mackay stated, “John never had a bad game.” It was either a really good game or a really fantastic game. In 1967, he hung up his boots and continued to serve as a trainer at Hearts before going back to work in the steel sector.

Billy Higgins – Left half

A contemporary defensive midfielder who put out fires for The Jambos, Higgins made 197 league appearances over his ten years at Tynecastle before moving to South Africa to play for Durban City. For Hearts, he scored 21 goals and showed a propensity for scoring in crucial matches. The midfielder scored the equalizer in a 4-3 triumph over Celtic in 1963. Two years later, in a 1-1 draw with Rangers in a league game, he also scored a crucial goal.

Gordon Smith – Right wing

Smith, who played for Hibs for eighteen years and was a member of “The Famous Five,” is the only person to have won a Scottish Championship with three Scottish clubs. In 1959, he bravely moved to Gorgie. Before signing, the winger had surgery on his ankle, yet he played 42 games for Hearts before his career ended. Despite being dismissed by many after leaving Tynecastle, he signed with Dundee at the age of 37 and led the Tayside team to First Division victory in 1962. After hanging up his boots, he founded a pub in Edinburgh called “The Right Wing,” which was named after his favorite spot on the field.

Ian Crawford – Inside Forward

Smith bravely moved to Gorgie in 1959 after spending 18 years at Hibs and being a member of “The Famous Five.” He is the only person in history to win a Scottish Championship with three Scottish clubs. Prior to signing, the winger had surgery on his ankle; yet he played 42 games for Hearts before his career was cut short. Even though many people wrote him off after he left Tynecastle, he signed with Dundee at the age of 37 and helped the Tayside team win the First Division in 1962. He named his preferred spot on the field “The Right Wing” and started a pub in Edinburgh after hanging up his boots.

Alex Young – Centre Forward

“Sandy” Young began his senior career at Tynecastle in 1955, when Walker granted him his debut at the age of 18. He was a goal machine for the Jambos and the scorer of the game’s winning goal. Following five fruitful years at Hearts, the striker went to Everton with Thomson for a total of £55,000, leaving Edinburgh for Merseyside. He would spend almost ten years at Goodison Park, where he helped the Toffees win three major titles. Eight Scotland caps were awarded to him for his club play, primarily under Ian McColl. When he retired in 1969, he assisted in managing his

family’s soft furnishings wholesale company. Additionally, he was inducted into the Halls of Fame of both Everton and Hearts. Below is a photo of him playing for the Scotland under-23 team alongside fellow Jambo Johnny Hamilton.

Bobby Blackwood – Inside Forward

Blackwood, a ten-year Gorgie resident and another accomplished Hearts attacker, scored 37 goals in 136 games. After spending £12,000 on a move to Ipswich Town in 1962, he played for the Suffolk team for three years. In 1966, he suffered a broken jaw playing for Colchester United in a match against QPR after relocating to Essex. He returned to play for Hawick Royal Albert in the Scottish Borders shortly before he retired.

Johnny Hamilton – Left wing

Last but not least, Hamilton scored the game’s first goal against Third Lanark and was a consistent goal threat throughout his twelve years at Tynecastle. The versatile winger, who could play on either the left or the right, scored an incredible 157 goals in 496 Hearts games. He briefly played for Watford in the latter stages of his career before returning north of the border (in football terms) to Berwick Rangers in 1968. He spent five years coaching Hearts after retirement, and in his latter years, he operated a newsagent on Edinburgh’s Slateford Road.