Tom Purdie: 3 books

The Scottish Junior Cup has been in contention since 1886 and is one of football's oldest trophies. With over 160 teams competing each year, the knockout competition is an important part of life in those towns and villages that regularly field a team. There have even been times when the tournament's...

In November 1914, Hearts led the Scottish First Division. In the middle of a debate about the morality of continuing professional football during the First World War and a campaign to shame footballers into joining up, eleven Hearts players enlisted in Sir George McCrae’s battalion on 25 November....

Saturday 23 October 1954 was a dank and dreary, wet afternoon in the city of Glasgow. Dismal it may have been but not for the thousands of Hearts fans standing on the vast slopes of Hampden Park who had just witnessed their team defeat Motherwell 4-2 in the final of the Scottish League Cup, the first...