Heart_of_Midlothian_F.C._Under-20s_and_Academy

Heart of Midlothian F.C. Reserves and Academy

Heart of Midlothian F.C. Reserves and Academy

Football club

In addition to the Heart of Midlothian F.C. first team competing in the Scottish Premiership, the club also maintains a side in the Lowland Football League and various youth teams in their Academy setup.

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Reserve Team

Hearts Reserves are the reserve team of Heart of Midlothian.

Hearts were members of the Scottish Premier Reserve League from its foundation in the 1998–99 season. The league started as an U21 League but reverted to an open age group league in season 2004–05.[2] The Reserve League was abandoned for season 2009–10 due to financial constraints and a lack of support from other clubs.[3] Hearts Reserves formerly played their home games at Forthbank Stadium (the home of Stirling Albion). The team mainly consisted of Under-19 players and those on the fringe of the first team squad. Some of the first team also played when recovering from injury. The Reserves' head coach in that was Gary Locke.

In July 2018, it was reported that reserve leagues would be reintroduced in lieu of the development leagues that had been in place since 2009. The top tier of the new SPFL Reserve League featured 18 clubs, whilst a second-tier reserve League comprised nine clubs. Other than a minimum age of 16, no age restrictions applied to the leagues.[4] At the end of its first season (2018–19) several clubs intimated that they would withdraw from the Reserve League to play a variety of challenge matches,[5] but Hearts were one of those who chose to remain.[6]

Under-20 Team & development squad

The Heart of Midlothian Under-20 Team competes in the SPFL Development League previously the Scottish Premier Under 20s League.

In 2017, the Hearts academy was one of eight across the country designated 'elite' status on the introduction of Project Brave, an SFA initiative to concentrate the development of the best young players at a smaller number of clubs with high quality facilities and coaching than was previously the case.[7][8]

The under-20s play their home matches at Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir whilst training at Riccarton (Heriot-Watt University).

U20 development squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

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Honours

Reserves

  • Scottish Reserve League[9] (1955–1975)
Champions: 1958
Runners-up: 1957, 1971, 1972, 1975
  • Premier Reserve League[10](1975–1998)
Champions: 1993, 1997
Runners-up: 1996
Champions: 1999–00
Runners-up: 2003–04, 2008–09
Runners-up: 2019–20[11]
Winners: 2018–19

Youths

Winners (3): 1993, 1998, 2000
Runners-up (3): 2006, 2014, 2016
Winners: 2001
Runner-up (3): 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12

Former youth team players

References

  1. [1]
    "Ann Budge to start at Tynecastle on Monday". bbc.co.uk/sport. BBC Sport. 9 May 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  2. [2]
    "SPL Reserve League - General Information". Archived from the original on 15 January 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  3. [3]
    Reserve League scrapped, Ewing Grahame: The Telegraph, published 5 January 2009
  4. [4]
    "SPFL reintroduces reserve leagues after nine-year absence". BBC Sport. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  5. [5]
    Jack, Christopher (1 May 2019). "Rangers and Celtic set to quit SPFL Reserve League in a bid to boost Academy teams". The Herald. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  6. [6]
    Hearts to stay in Reserve League regardless of Celtic and Rangers participation, Edinburgh Evening News, 9 May 2019
  7. [7]
    "Project Brave: Scottish FA confirms eight-club academy elite". BBC Sport. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  8. [8]
    "SFA confirms Project Brave academy placings". The Scotsman. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  9. [9]
    Scottish Football Historical Archive Mirror - Scottish Reserve League
  10. [10]
    Scottish Football Historical Archive Mirror - Premier Reserve League
  11. [11]
    Hamilton Academical and Livingston Named Reserve League Champions, Scottish Professional Football League, 16 June 2020
  12. [12]
    SPFL Reserve Cup 2018–19, Soccerway

Reserves

Under-20s
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