大象传媒

Spring 2020, and the country is in lockdown. All Scottish football is suspended, and Hearts are in crisis. Their already difficult season has taken an extraordinary turn for the worse. With no money coming in, chairman Ann Budge is working hard to keep the business afloat, and with the team trailing at the bottom of the table, relegation looks inevitable.

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic is being felt across Scottish football, and restarting the league is looking unlikely. The SPFL decide that clubs should vote to end the three lower leagues, with the Premiership being decided later down the line. Controversy surrounds the vote, and Hearts are left upset with the result, which sees the leagues ending early and promotion and relegation being determined by points per game.

The Premiership looks set to follow the lower leagues, but Ann Budge is determined to find a way to keep her club from going down. Working from her home in the capital, she is at the forefront of league reconstruction talks. After a couple of failed attempts at reconstruction and Hearts destined for the Championship, Ann and Partick Thistle begin legal proceedings against SPFL.

As lockdown eases, Tynecastle begins to slowly open up. Fans show their support by spending their cash in the shop and ticket office, while the hospitality team get creative, turning the pitch into a restaurant for the night. Although the Foundation of Hearts has had to postpone the transfer of ownership, it sees pledge numbers go through the roof as supporters continue to donate to help the club.

Hearts focus on rebuilding both the team and club ahead of the start of the season. There is an emotional farewell from Daniel Stendel before Hearts legend Robbie Neilson replaces him as manager. After five months away from training, Robbie takes his new team on an extended pre-season. With friendlies and cup games to play, football is finally back at Tynecastle.

After an unsuccessful battle in the court and boardroom, Hearts' fight is over, and the club is officially relegated to the Championship.

Everyone at Hearts is building up to the start of a season with a difference as preparations are made for a fan-free Tynecastle with stringent Covid protocols in place. Finally, October arrives, and it鈥檚 time for Hearts to kick off the season and begin their pursuit of an immediate return to the top flight. And it鈥檚 the start they all dreamed of: a 6-2 hammering of title rivals Dundee.