How Hearts continue to create unwanted feats after latest loss

The defeat to Celtic on Saturday left Hearts bottom of the Premiership table.

It also meant they have not won any of their opening eight fixtures in all competitions, losing seven, making it the worst-ever eight-game spell to start a campaign.

It isn't yet the longest winless run to start a season.

That arrived in the 1921/22 season when Hearts didn't taste victory until their 10th fixture. They did, however, draw four of their first nine, including three of the first five in the league.

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The failure to win any of their first five league games of a season isn't anything new. This season makes it the 10th time a Hearts team have 'achieved' such a 'feat'.

The most recent was the infamous 2019/20 campaign. Defeat to Motherwell at Tynecastle Park led to protests outside the ground with the team bottom of the table. That five-game spell did have two draws and the team would win their sixth league game against Hibs.

This five-game spell and the solitary draw against Rangers on the opening day of the season is, however, the worst points return since 1900/01 when Hearts lost six of their first seven.

Winless starts to a league campaign:

2023/24

P: 5 W: 0 D: 1 L: 4

2019/20

P: 5 W: 0 D: 2 L: 3

2000/01

P: 5 W: 0 D: 4 L: 1

1978/79

P: 5 W: 0 D: 2 L: 3

1976/77

P: 9 W: 0 D: 7 L: 2

1974/75

P: 7 W: 0 D: 2 L: 5

1921/22

P: 9 W: 0 D: 4 L: 5

1918/19

P: 5 W: 0 D: 2 L: 3

1900/01

P: 7 W: 0 D: 1 L: 6

1897/99

P: 6 W: 0 D: 3 L: 3