Australian Hearts fans make 12k mile journey to Edinburgh to see title race games

A group of Hearts fans living in Perth, Australia, have traveled 12,000 miles to watch their teams run-in towards the Premiership title.

Terry McCluskey is one of eight Hearts fans originally from Edinburgh, alongside Stuart and Gill Sinclair, Kenny Flockhart, Aaran Rennie, Scott Barrett, Liane Brown, to have made the trek from Australia as the Jambos seek to seal their first Scottish league championship in more than 60 years.

Jacqui McCluskey, Terry’s wife with whom he moved to Perth from Edinburgh 17 years ago, said the team has a 350-strong supporters club in Western Australia.

She said: “We meet up at the pub for the bigger games, like Hearts v Hibs, or semi finals or finals. Some of them had been humming and hawing, and a couple of them actually booked.

“And then my husband decided he was coming for the last five games. So he's been over for the last five games. Another guy came on Thursday, so he's here for the last three games. Two people flew in on Sunday night. I think if they're going to do it, they want to be here.”

Terry has been able to take in four of the final five games, but is resigned to watching the final game away from Celtic Park.

The Western Australia Hearts supporters club has around 350 members | Jacqui McCluskey

Jacqui said: “His brother's got a season ticket, and he was in Greece for the first game, so he gave him his season ticket. Another somebody else was on holiday, so he's cut tickets for four games, but he's not got one for the Celtic game. He doesn't expect to get one.

Jacqui continued: “Hopefully we will watch it in the pub. But I've seen something on the news today that maybe the Corn Exchange, you've got something, maybe somebody's put a big screen somewhere, but we might go to the Tynecastle Arms or something like that.”

Nerves are frayed as Hearts fans prepare for the penultimate fixture of the season against Falkirk tonight, before taking on Celtic in what is likely to be a title decider.

Jacqui said: “Terry has been saying most of the season, I don't think we'll do it, but I think that's just him psyching himself up to think it's not going to happen.”

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Whilst Terry might not be confident going into the last run of fixtures, they have been spreading the Hearts gospel nonetheless.

Eight Hearts supporters from Australia have trekked over for the run-in | Jacqui McCluskey

Jacqui said: “Funnily enough, in Perth, there's a lot of Scottish people, especially in the north. One of Terry’s Rangers supporting mates actually put $50 on Hearts to win the league at the beginning of the season. So everybody's rooting for us.

“We were on a cruise in South America in February, and we've got a couple from New Zealand and a couple from Byron Bay. And every week they text us to see what's the score is.”

And should Hearts clinch the title, it’ll be an extra special birthday gift for Terry.

Jacqui said: “He's actually 70 on Monday. We've not planned anything, because, if they win, they'll just be wanting to party. So we've not planned anything. We might be lucky if we go for lunch on Tuesday, or something.”