A Tale of Two Seasons: The Fall and Rise of Heart of Midlothian

There & Back Again provides a fan’s eye view of two of the most momentous seasons in Hearts’ 140-year history, covering unthinkable calamity and ultimate salvation. Perilously close to extinction after their Lithuanian owners became insolvent, the book relives Heart of Midlothian’s year in administration, starting out on minus 15 points with a team composed of under-20s and a few seasoned pros on half-wages. First-hand, game-by-game experience of the season traces media perception of events on and off the pitch, and the attitudes of opposing supporters. After the bittersweet denouement of relegation comes the club’s return from the brink as fans’ group the Foundation of Hearts and businesswoman Ann Budge pave the way for fan ownership. And so to the following season’s promotion campaign, the newly remodelled club finding itself locked in a three-way promotion battle with Rangers and Hibernian, breaking records along the way to winning the title.