Hearts ticket call to reward 'special breed' of fans is spot on but I share nerves over lack of signings - Ryan Stevenson

Hearts fans have stepped up to the mark before a ball is kicked once again – now it’s time for the players, managers and those in the big seats to do likewise.

Record Sport ’s exclusive that the Jambos are to slash the away allocation at Tynecastle next season to accommodate their bumper season-ticket sales is fantastic news for the club. Especially after the way the season ended, which might have seen supporters turned off if it had been any other club.

But I’ve always said the Hearts support are a special breed. Let me paint the picture of what they mean to me. There’s a tattoo of me and my oldest boy Carter leading Hearts out to play Celtic at a packed Tynecastle a decade ago that covers my back. The wee man was just three but was mascot and I was captain. The place was absolutely rocking. We lost the game but two things that were and are so close to my heart are now etched on my body for life.

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It means the world to me. Just like the Hearts support. Through good times and bad times, they always back the team in numbers. They always buy their season tickets and merchandise.

The brass tacks of it is that they are the ones who push the club forward. Even when we were in turmoil in my second spell at the club, they were fantastic. They obviously pulled the club out the mire after that too.

But their support every time I pulled on the maroon jersey made me think I was the luckiest guy in the world. There was a reason why my career went downhill as soon as I left Hearts and that’s because of the void it left in my life.

As well as getting shoppers access to sale prices in the coming 2023 Prime