Hearts have condemned offensive graffiti outside their Tynecastle ground aimed at their manager, Robbie Neilson, as a “gross insult” and “pathetic act of vandalism”. Pictures emerged on Sunday of the words “fuck off Neilson”, spray painted across the club’s crest mosaic on the ground outside the main stand.
The Foundation of Hearts, a fans’ group who are the club’s majority shareholders, strongly criticised the act in a tweet on Monday. “An utterly shameful, pathetic act of vandalism at Tynecastle yesterday. If this was really the act of a Hearts ‘supporter’, it’s a gross insult to the badge and, perpetrated on [the Foundation of Hearts Plaza], named for the fans who did so much to save the club, it’s a shocking insult to all of them,
Neilson has come under pressure from supporters in recent weeks after a run of five defeats in six matches, culminating in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at 10-man Kilmarnock. Aberdeen have cut the gap in the race for third place in the Scottish Premiership, from 11 points down to one. Hearts also exited the Scottish Cup in March, losing 3-0 to Celtic in the quarter-finals.
Neilson returned to Hearts for a second spell as manager in the summer of 2020 and led the club to promotion from the Championship and then a third-place finish in the Premiership, as well as two Scottish Cup final defeats – to Celtic in the delayed 2020 final and to Rangers last season’.
The Kilmarnock manager, Derek McInnes, also offered Neilson his support on Monday. “Nothing really surprises me,” McInnes said when asked about the graffiti. “Robbie’s in charge of a good team there and they’re sitting third in the league. I think on the evidence of the last couple of seasons, he’s deserving of better than that.
County remain in the relegation playoff place, two points above Dundee United, after suffering a third straight defeat. The manager, Malky Mackay, was unhappy with the penalty decision. “I’ve looked at the penalty about half a dozen times and I can not believe that’s where the bar is set with VAR,” he said.
“Clubs are paying for this. I look at standards and there are mistakes all over the place. It’s going to cost jobs, it’s going to cost clubs promotion, relegation, Europe.”
The Celtic manager, Ange Postecoglou, was pleased with a hard-fought win that extends the side’s winning run to 15 games in all competitions. “We were wasteful in front of goal and that keeps them in the game,” the Australian said. “It’s then edgier than it should be, but overall the lads handled it OK. There was steel and character in the group to get the job done
