Remembrance 2009 At Tynecastle

Last updated : 09 October 2009 By hearts-mad newsroom
This year's service will take place in the absence of the famous Heart of Midlothian War Memorial.

The memorial, which was erected in 1922, is in temporary storage due the to current Edinburgh tramworks. However the club has been assured that the Memorial will return to its home at Haymarket junction for the service in 2010.

Following discussions with groups such as McCrae's Battalion Trust, the Federation of Hearts Supporters, Heart of Midlothian Shareholders' Association and the Friends of the Heart of Midlothian War Memorial, the club will host this year's service within Tynecastle Stadium.

One of the most iconic photographs in the history of Hearts was set against the back drop of the Main Stand at Tynecastle in 1914 when the Hearts team was pictured as a group for the final time before a number of the players enlisted for the Great War.

Hearts' place in the history of the country has since been widely acclaimed and supporters and members of the general public will have a chance to pay their respects at Tynecastle to the players, shareholders, supporters and members of the wider community who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Full details of the Remembrance Service at Tynecastle, which takes place on the day following the home game against Hibs, will be released in due course.

A club spokesperson said: "There was no greater team in the history of Heart of Midlothian Football Club than the team of 1914. As the first group of players in Britain to enlist for the war they are rightly lauded for their courage. Their actions provided the impetus for many more players and supporters of clubs around the country to enlist and their sacrifice will never be forgotten.

 "This year, in the temporary absence of the Heart of Midlothian War Memorial at Haymarket, we will welcome everyone to Tynecastle on Sunday 8th November to allow them to pay their respects. It is fitting that the same Main Stand, in front of which the team of 1914 was pictured, remains in place today and will provide a historic backdrop to our Remembrance Service."