Heart of Midlothian chairman Calum Paterson has urged Scottish football authorities to provide more clarity and apply greater consistency when making major decisions.
Reflecting on his first year in the role during an interview with the club’s media team, Paterson expressed pride in Hearts’ challenge for a first league title in 66 years while admitting disappointment over the way the campaign concluded.
The Edinburgh club led the Premiership standings for 250 days but ultimately finished two points behind Celtic following a dramatic defeat in Glasgow on the final day.
Lawrence Shankland opened the scoring for Hearts, but the defending champions struck twice late on to secure a 3-1 win. Celebrating home supporters then entered the pitch, forcing the visitors to leave quickly amid concerns about their safety.
Paterson said the final week had been challenging for several reasons. He explained that the club was unhappy with the unusual decision requiring the side that led the table at the split to play its last match away from home.
He described the events following the final whistle as entirely unacceptable from Hearts’ point of view.
Paterson added that the club sought advice and clearly communicated its concerns to the relevant football authorities. He said the wider game would benefit from greater openness and a more consistent approach to important decisions.
He also stressed that strong standards and reliable procedures are especially important during decisive stages of the season, adding that improvements remain necessary.
The SPFL outlined its scheduling reasons in April, noting that Celtic were due to host three post-split fixtures compared with two for Hearts. Local derbies cannot be staged on the final day because of public-safety considerations, preventing both Glasgow or Edinburgh clubs from playing at home across the last two rounds.
After Hearts narrowly missed the chance to end four decades of Old Firm dominance, Paterson said the conclusion was extremely painful, particularly given the effort made by the players and coaching staff.
He felt their work merited a more rewarding result but said they should still receive recognition for delivering an outstanding campaign.
Paterson also acknowledged supporters’ dissatisfaction with the club’s communication after the season ended, accepting that its position should have been explained more clearly.
He assured fans that the club had taken every available step to defend Hearts’ interests and had not overlooked the events of the previous season.
Paterson concluded that the priority must now be to strengthen Hearts for the current campaign and the years ahead, while keeping supporters better informed throughout that process.
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