FOLLOW US ON TWITTER | FACEBOOK
Hearts ambassador Gary Locke has urged the club’s supporters to make sure they drown out the noise of 6,000 Aberdeen fans at Murrayfield.
The Dons have already sold that number of tickets for Saturday’s match at the 67,000 capacity stadium.
Hearts will play games against Aberdeen, St Johnstone and Rangers at the home of Scottish rugby while their new £14 million main stand is being built.
Craig Levein will also begin his second spell as Hearts manager against the Premiership leaders this weekend and former club captain and manager Locke insists it is imperative that the Gorgie faithful make sure the clash feels like a ‘home’ match.
He said: “There’s nothing better when you come out with a huge Hearts support following you.
“It gives you that bit of a lift and hopefully we can go and get three points. It’s a huge game for us.
“The club is trying everything possible to make sure we have a big support getting behind the team.
“It’s three really big games at Murrayfield. Aberdeen and Rangers will probably bring more supporters than they normally would.
“It’s important we make sure we outnumber them, and that everybody turns up in huge numbers and gets behind the team.
“I was at the European games and you saw the support we had there so we’re looking for more of the same. It’s going to be difficult.
“It’s a pity we’re not going to play at Tynecastle for another couple of months, but we’ve got to take advantage of the bigger stadium.
“I’m sure the Hearts fans will do that. They’ve supported the club so well over the last three or four years, continually putting their hands in their pockets.
“We’re asking them for another big effort for three games at Murrayfield before we come back here.
“Let’s try and get as many bums on seats as we can.”
Locke, meanwhile, has backed Craig Levein to unite the Hearts supporters following Ian Cathro’s disastrous eight month reign, even though the appointment of the former Scotland manager is not universally popular.
Speaking to Hearts TV, he added: “It’s a really good appointment by the club. Ann Budge had touched on the fact we needed an experienced manager.
“I certainly feel there’s been a wee bit of a split in the support for maybe the last six or seven months.
“Now we’ve got a new manager in place so it’s time for everyone to rally round, get right behind the club and get right behind the team, encourage the team as much as possible and hopefully we can have a good season.
“You need to get results and Craig knows that and the most important thing is for me is for the supporters to get right behind the manager and the team, it’s the only way we’ll be successful.
“Coming to game and criticising the players doesn’t help. We’ve got to get behind the players.
“Things are looking positive and I don’t think we’re a million miles away.”
Locke knows deadline day signing Ross Callachan well from his time as Raith Rovers manager and insists the 24-year-old has the potential to become a fans’ favourite.
Locke added: “He’s very similar to myself – a Bonnyrigg lad and Hearts daft, so that’s a good start.
“He’s a fantastic player. When I was manager of Raith, there were a lot of clubs interested in him.
“At that time, there was a development fee to pay and a lot of clubs were probably put off by that.
“He’s got all the attributes to be a really good player for Hearts.
“He’s box-to-box, he can get about the pitch, he does like to put himself about and he’s got a goal in him.
“I’m very confident he’ll come here and do really well. If he does that, he’ll become a fans’ favourite.”
