Alan Anderson: Hearts pay tribute to one the finest servants in their history after his death at 85

Hearts have paid tribute to former captain and club stalwart Alan Anderson, who has died at the age of 85.

Alan Anderson made 475 appearances for Hearts over 13 years and supported the club. He has died at the age of 85

One of the finest servants in the club’s history and a lifelong supporter despite growing up in Leith, the former defender spent 13 years at Tynecastle from 1963 and 1973, making 475 appearances. Nearly half of those were as captain.

Widely regarded as one of the most reliable centre-halves ever to don a maroon shirt, Anderson also scored 31 goals for Hearts, won five Scotland caps while at Tynecastle and was inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame in 2018.

He made his debut in a 2-1 home win over Dunfermline in January 1964. Over a decade later, he made his final bow in maroon as the Jambos drew 0-0 with St Johnstone in April 1976.

Paying their respects, the club described Anderson as “one of the finest-ever servants of Heart of Midlothian Football Club”.

A statement added: “He might have been brought up in the streets of Leith, a short distance from Hibernian’s ground, but his heart was always maroon.

“The heartfelt sympathy of everyone connected with Heart of Midlothian is extended to his wife, Annette, and his family for their great loss. Alan Anderson was a Hearts man through-and-through.”

Brought up Leith, a short distance from Hibernian’s Easter Road ground, Anderson represented Leith Primary Schools and played for Edinburgh in the Scottish Schools’ Cup.

Alan Anderson in action against Hibs at Easter Road in season 1969/1970

He played for United Crossroads Boys Club and briefly for Dalkeith Thistle juniors before joining Falkirk in June 1958.

He had a short spell on loan to Alloa Athletic before moving to Millwall in September 1959. While in London, he finished his apprenticeship as a compositor and won the Fourth Division title.

In July 1962, a £10,000 fee took the centre-back to Scunthorpe United, but he never settled and in November 1963, at the age of 23, he joined Hearts for a bargain £1,500.

The 6ft 1in defender became a rock at the heart of the Jam Tarts defence for more than a decade, making 537 appearances – 475 of them in competitive games – and scoring 31 goals in competitive matches.

Alan Anderson wins a header at Tynecastle in 1973/1974. The centre-back was renowned for his aerial prowess

He played in the 1968 Scottish Cup final defeat against Dunfermline, the 1971 Texaco Cup final loss to Wolves, and was in the team that missed out on the Scottish title on goal average in 1964-65.

Anderson proudly represented the club in the summer of 1964 at the New York Soccer League and later prestigious tours of Ireland, the USA, Norway and the Netherlands. In 1965-66, he played in Europe for Hearts and helped the team reach the 1976 Scottish Cup final that season, although he missed the Hampden match.

He retired in 1976 to pursue a successful career as a publican, sports shop proprietor and hotelier.

Two years ago, Anderson was awarded a Scotland cap after a 53-year wait when the Scottish FA recognised his appearances in the 1967 Oceanic Tour.

Alan Anderson in action for Hearts in 1975/1976 - his last season before retiring

Anderson played in seven of Scotland’s nine matches on the trip during May and June that year. Five of the fixtures were upgraded to full international status to earn him a retrospective cap from the Scottish Football Association more than five decades later.

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