Hearts fan spends a year meticulously recreating 1980s Tynecastle as scale model

He's a lifelong Hearts fan whose aim was to conjure up old memories of the bustling Tynecastle terraces in the 1980s.

The scale model of a 1980s Tynecastle. Pic: Eddie Shields

And now, after a year of dedication, Costorphine man Eddie Shields has finally finished building his replica scale model of the old stadium.

The detail is impeccable. Using photographs and YouTube videos of old games as points of reference, he created the structure from a mixture of model wood, plastic and cardboard, and glued matchsticks in place to create features like the old wooden benches.

With oil and watercolour painting as hobbies, Eddie was also able to skilfully apply acrylics to perfect key details such as advertising boards and signs.

The 35-year-old, who as a child went to Hearts home games with his father in the '80s, said the building of a new stand at Tynecastle last year prompted him to start the project.

He said: "I built it originally for myself as the whole motivation was to relive the old days. None of the four stands from back then exist anymore."

Eddie Shields with his Tynecastle scale model. Pic: submitted

But Eddie says he has already contacted the football club to ask if they would house it in the club's museum, adding: "If Hearts could take it on, that would be great.

"If someone made me a substantial offer it might change things, but at the moment it's more for the supporters. Many of the older supporters in particular are very keen on memorabilia.

"The feedback I've been getting on the model all seems to be positive as well."

Eddie said his proudest part of the model replica is the 'shed' in the southwest corner of the stadium, which he fondly recalls is where the most dedicated home fans were situated in the ground.

A keen golfer, he said he mainly worked on the 3ft by 2ft scale model on days outside of the spring and summer golf season.

Eddie says he has also started planning to build a scale model of Easter Road from the 1980s, and hopes to recreate the old Murrayfield stadium with its grandstand and big embankments.

Many major sporting venues were changed from terraced to all-seater stadiums following recommendations made in the 1990 Taylor Report into the Hillsborough Disaster the year before, in which 96 Liverpool fans were killed and many more were injured.

Eddie, who works in a bank in Edinburgh, added: "I've got the day job but I've always been creative and wanted to make money out of those creative talents. I've done oil paintings and watercolours but I feel like I've got more scope with something like this."