Immortality beckons - but Hearts must overcome Celtic & weight of history

For Heart of Midlothian, the tantalising, scarcely-believable, bottom line is this: after 66 years they may be crowned champions of Scotland on Wednesday.

A large asterisk must sit beside that sentence, of course. For history to happen, Hearts must beat Falkirk at Tynecastle and Celtic lose to Motherwell at Fir Park.

Few can see it turning out this way, but Hearts' home record is exceptional and Motherwell have already beaten Celtic this season. Schooled them, in fact.

That was in Wilfried Nancy's time, though. A relative lifetime ago.

There's been so much change at Celtic, Martin O'Neill's wise counsel dragging the team forward and back into contention after the dismal days under Nancy.

They're still playing catch-up, though. Still chasing and knowing all the while that one slip of their own against Jens Berthel Askou's impressive and dangerous side and it could be curtains.

Despite trailing Hearts by a point, Celtic are the bookies' favourite to win the title again. The cold-blooded odds-layers have rarely bought into the Hearts fairytale, most of them reckoning that Celtic would come good in the end.

The mere fact that Hearts have come this close is trippy. Thirty-six games played, 3,240 minutes across 10 months, table toppers since September and they have arrived at this point.

In their greatest league season since falling on the last day 40 years ago, they've been doubted along the way. Laughed at in the beginning when Tony Bloom bought into the club and said they could split the Old Firm in one season, and questioned in December when they dropped points in four games in a row.

Scepticism came in waves in late spring when they lost to two of the bottom six and then drew with Livingston, plumb last in the Premiership.

Injuries hampered them then as they hamper them now, but Hearts kept the show on the road. 'Believe' is the Tynecastle mantra, the gospel the manager Derek McInnes has preached.

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On Monday afternoon, it was quiet in the Tynecastle Arms, the storied boozer in the footprint of the stadium. A pub but also a strange kind of museum.

A pair of boots in a glass box (John Robertson's first pair, local legend has it); a plaque commemorating the 5-1 Scottish Cup final win against Hibs; walls full of photographs, glorious moments captured in time.

Will there be more recent ones now? Those nursing their pints on Monday weren't sure. They want to say yes but they don't want to get their hopes up either.

They fear heartbreak. They've had it before. A few of them were there on the last day at Dens Park in 1986 when a dream turned into their greatest nightmare.

One man's father was there in 1965 when they were denied again. Trauma passed down the generations.

"I didn't know what to do with myself afterwards," says Mark of that afternoon in 1986 when the league slipped through their fingers in defeat against Dundee.

"I remember the goals that beat us and I remember this incredible feeling of wanting to get the hell out of there as fast as possible. I remember walking forever to get the bus and all the way along I saw grown men in tears and being consoled by their sons and daughters.

"That sticks with me. Children comforting fathers, not the other way around."

Mark believes - or wants to believe. That business at Fir Park on Saturday has rattled him, though. Him and many others in maroon.

At 1-1, Hearts' Alexandros Kyziridis hit the deck after an apparent trip from Tawanda Maswanhise. Referee Steven McLean didn't give the penalty. VAR invited him to take another look.

Still he stuck by his decision, to the fury and astonishment of Jambos' everywhere. McInnes says Willie Collum, head of referees, has confirmed that an error was made.