My favourite Hearts shirt: Chris Simm (Hearts Shirt Collector)

Do you remember which sports shop you got your first shirt from?  We spoke to Hearts Shirts Collector, Chris Simm about his first and favourite classic Hearts shirts, Umbro diamonds down the sleeves.

Q: What is your first Hearts football shirt?

Chris: "My first football shirt was quite incredibly a Hibernian football shirt. My Grandad was a Hearts fan, but both his sons were Hibernian supporters, and my Uncle bought me a full kids kit for Christmas, I think roughly 1975 or 76? I would have been 4 or 5 years old. It was an Umbro template type kit if memory serves me correctly. I don't have any photos, but I'm pretty sure my Mum and Dad will have one somewhere."

"My first kit that I actually wanted and got myself was in 1982, and it was a long-sleeved Heart of Midlothian Umbro shirt. I got it from Thomson's Sportswear, which was a shop in Corstorphine. At the time, it was even an adventure to go there and get it. In reality, it was only 5 or 6 miles away from me, and the reason I went there was because it was the only sports shop I knew, and that was because my Mum worked across the road from it. It was the one with the Umbro diamonds down the sleeves.

It was an official Umbro kit, but the material was the shiny maroon that was used for the next season kits rather than the flat maroon style. I presume Umbro had some kind of transition with the materials they were using. You don't see them very often with the shiny material, but over the years, I have seen a few. I still have the shirt."

Q: What is your favourite Hearts football shirt?

Chris: "My favourite football shirt changes day by day, so if I was put on the spot, the 2014/15 home Hearts kit. It is relatively modern, featured a different club badge, and had no sponsor. It is an Adidas classic, in my opinion."

Q: What is your favourite football moment?

Chris: "My favourite football moment was Darren Barr opening the scoring in the 2012 Scottish Cup Final. He was the most unlikely of goalscorers, and when he scored, it was pure emotion from Barr himself and the whole crowd. It wasn't the best goal ever, but it settled the nerves and opened the floodgates."

Editor's Note: The 2012 Scottish Cup Final was a historic match for Heart of Midlothian, as they defeated their Edinburgh rivals Hibernian 5–1 at Hampden Park. Darren Barr's opening goal in the 15th minute set the tone for the match, leading to a memorable victory for the Jambos. This final was particularly significant as it was the first Edinburgh derby in a Scottish Cup Final since 1896, making Barr's goal an unforgettable moment for Hearts fans. 

Looking for an authentic kit.  Browse our collection of authentic Hearts shirts in the Football Shirt Collective here.