Generous Hearts fans unite with club to provide free tickets for every remaining home game this season

Generous Hearts supporters have joined forces with their club to provide free tickets for underprivileged fans for every remaining home game this season.

Liam Corbett, Rab Lockhart and Liam Anderson from This Is My Story Podcast helped raise £7,500 in cash to buy tickets for those who can’t afford to attend Tynecastle Park.

Hearts officials responded by matching that amount in tickets. As a result, 100 free briefs will be given out for each outstanding league match starting tomorrow against Aberdeen.

Subsequent fixtures against Livingston, Hibs and at least two post-split games – one of which should be against Rangers – will also see tickets distributed.

Hearts fans have pulled together with their club to help provide free tickets.

Donations to the podcast’s initiative came from as far away as Australia and Brazil. Some from well-known former Hearts players like Ryan McGowan and Allan Preston also contributed alongside some members of the current first-team squad.

“We started raising cash for tickets for the Livingston Scottish Cup tie last month but the Big Hearts charity had a similar scheme for that game,” explained Corbett.

“I asked the club if they wanted to get involved and they said they might be able to match our donation, not in money but in ticket value. At that point we had about £3000 and were blown away. Now it’s at £7,500.

“So in total we had around £15,000 worth of tickets including the club’s input. Hearts suggested we could spread that over all the home games to the end of the season, which would be enough for 100 tickets per game.

“I spoke to Rab and Liam because they had kicked the whole thing off and asked me to help. It’s just totally snowballed since then. From Rab and Liam buying four tickets between them for the Livingston match to give away free, it’s now at £15,000 worth of tickets. It’s amazing.”

As lifelong Hearts fans, all three have been touched by the emotional stories encountered whilst executing their plan. A similar ticket drive for December’s home game against Rangers exposed them to the difficulties some ordinary supporters face.

“I got a message from somebody’s girlfriend explaining that her boyfriend hadn’t been well for the past year,” said Corbett. “He used to go to Hearts games home and away with his dad and brothers but since Covid they’ve missed it. Their kids hadn’t been to Tynecastle either.

“I said we’d get them four tickets and she couldn’t believe it. Then her boyfriend sent me a text saying he was in tears and saying we’d made his year.

“We chapped his door with Gary Locke to give him the tickets and he nearly fainted. He was blown away, couldn’t stop talking about it. He kept saying: ‘I cannae believe you’re in my house.’

“Gary was class. When the fan and his family arrived at Tynecastle on the Sunday for the game, Gary had arranged for them all to get Hearts jackets, the full kit, training gear, everything.

“Another guy messaged and said he’d been out of work for two years since Covid. He was a labourer and was going down to Manchester and London for interviews. He hadn’t been to a game because he couldn’t afford it. We sent him four tickets and, again, he couldn’t believe it when Gary showed up to hand them over.”

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