Hearts V Dundee match preview

Last updated : 05 August 2004 By Stewart Morrison
At Last, the new season is upon us. After weeks of tennis, golf and cricket, the proper ball game is back!

Euro 2004 apart, summertime in Scotland as usual suffered a severe lack of winners, as Coulthard, Monty and Scotland's cricket team all came within a whisker of coming last.
But! not to worry! Hearts are back! Fresher and more hungry than ever before! After a long and hectic pre-season, the one that really matters is here.
SPL Championship 2004/05.
Hearts are 200/1 to win the league, and are also 200/1 to win the UEFA Cup!! But the progress shown in the past few seasons as far as catching the old firm are concerned, Hearts are in a better position than ever before. The aquisition of midfielder Michael Stewart, and Scotland internationalist Jamie McAllister will help bolster the Hearts squad to try to put an end to the old firm domination.
Dundee are the hosts in the first SPL hurdle. Hearts travel north over the bridges knowing that a great start is essential to show the rest of the SPL that we really mean business. Dens Park has proven to be a good ground for Hearts in recent years only losing once in the league since October 1999. Last season saw Hearts victorious on two occasions,a 2-1 victory with De Vries and Maybury on target back in January, and a 3-1 win at Tynecastle featuring second half goals from Hartley, Pressley and Joe Hamill's second senior goal for the club. The first meeting of last season saw Hearts come back from 2 goals down to draw 2 each with Weir and Pressley on target. Dundee also knocked Hearts out of the CIS cup in the quarter finals 1-0. Bobby Linn scored the solitary goal for the dark blues.
Mark De Vries, Jamie McAllister and Kevin McKenna are all to miss the league opener on Saturday, and Andy Webster is struggling to be fit. Not the greatest of preparations for a team with a skeletal squad. Stephen Simmons also misses out after breaking a foot in the 3-1 reversal from Hibs in the midweek East of Scotland shield.
Lets all hope that during these dire financial times along Gorgie Road that the great Heart of Midlothian can all pull together and GET RIGHT BEHIND THE TEAM!

This is a season of hope. We all hope that we can win silverware, we hope the boycotters swallow their pride, and support the TEAM, we all hope the finances can be sorted, we all hope to stay in Gorgie.
We all hope.