Hearts to demand answers as club crest ‘defaced’ by Rangers badge at Tynecastle cup final

An image of a Rangers badge covering the Hearts emblem that adorns the floor of the home dressing was circulated online ahead of the match and sparked an angry reaction from some Jambos fans on social media.

Tynecastle chiefs have promised to launch an investigation after insisting the branding was displayed without their knowledge or consent.

Jo Potter’s Rangers Women claimed a 4-1 victory over Brian Graham's part-time Thistle side to retain the trophy won last year in front of a record crowd of 4,786.

A club statement read: “Heart of Midlothian Football Club is aware of images circulating of the Tynecastle Park home dressing room at today’s Sky Sports Cup Final.

“Although the club hands over the running of the stadium on the day to the competition organisers - the SWPL - we were involved with pre-match planning. We would therefore like to assure our supporters that we did not approve any request for dressing room branding in either dressing room for either club involved.

“It is extremely disappointing to learn that our wishes were disregarded. How this came to be is a matter for the SWPL and Rangers to sort, but needless to say no explanation will be satisfactory in our eyes or the eyes of our fans. Nevertheless, we will demand answers to ensure that our club crest is never defaced again.

“It is also regrettable that this action has taken away the focus from what was a successful cup final and another opportunity to grow women’s football in Scotland.”