Tynecastle Rising: Hearts, Belief and the Season that Changed Scottish Football

For decades, the Scottish title race has followed a familiar pattern. In 2025/26, Heart of Midlothian came close to breaking it.Tynecastle Rising tells the story of a season when an unfancied Hearts side mounted a sustained challenge to Old Firm dominance and forced a shift in what felt possible within the Scottish game. Under Derek McInnes, belief grew week by week at Tynecastle as results, performances and momentum combined to turn a strong start into something much more serious.Following the campaign as it unfolded, the book captures the matches, the players and the atmosphere around the club, while placing the run within the wider context of Scottish football. It traces how expectations changed over the course of the season, not only among supporters but across the league itself.The rise of Hearts as genuine title challengersThe key matches and turning points across the seasonThe final-day drama at Celtic ParkThe experience inside Tynecastle as belief took holdAn honest account of a season that did not end with the title, but changed the belief across Scotland that a club like Hearts can still challenge the Old Firm's dominance. Read more