Mark Donaldson 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Thanks to everyone @IpswichTown for their hospitality tonight and continuing support for Paul Mariner’s book. 30% of profits from each sale via @ITFC_PlanetBlue will be donated by the club to The Brain Tumour Charity.

He has the pace. He has the power. Will tomorrow be his finest hour? My piece on Claudio Braga for ESPN ahead of Saturday’s title decider at Celtic Park espn.com/soccer/story/_…

From Foundation of Hearts inception to the brink of potentially the club's finest hour. theguardian.com/football/2026/…

The Scottish FA’s Key Match Incident panel say Hearts should have been awarded a penalty at Fir Park for the challenge on Alexandria Kyziridis by Tawanda Maswanhise. scottishfa.co.uk/media/14591/38…

SATF 405 - 'Pandemonium' A lot to unpack this week for @Amoruso1998 & @DonaldsonESPN Now available on all formats… YouTube: youtu.be/Y11rcvnMV3I Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sca… Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/5RgN52… Sponsored by @EdinburghSigns 📸 @jameschristie2

@RobDawsonESPN No chance!!

@DonaldsonESPN Hope your nerves are ready for tomorrow!

A really nice ‘bigger picture’ look at Hearts by my ESPN colleague @RobDawsonESPN espn.com/soccer/story/_…

@Jay_J_Robinson @RobDawsonESPN Amazing!!

@DonaldsonESPN @RobDawsonESPN Friend asked if I heard about the title race in Scotland. I started rambling on about Hearts. He looked at me confused. Told him the Hartford Athletic commentator supports them so I’ve been keeping an eye on it. So I got somewhat invested in Hearts through Hartford Athletic

SATF 405 - ‘Pandemonium’ A lot to unpack this week for @Amoruso1998 & @DonaldsonESPN Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sca… YouTube version will follow… Sponsored by @EdinburghSigns

Lost in the ongoing melee of last night but really important. It was sad that Hearts’ team and staff didn’t receive the ovation and send off they deserved amid a weird scene. A wonderful and monumental season (only the second unbeaten in league games at home since 1958).

Celtic’s penalty was certainly a debatable decision. Impossible to be definitive either way, hence current widespread inquest, so they really should have stayed with original on-field. No pen. Understandable anger amongst Motherwell and Hearts coaches, players and supporters. Hearts now travel to Celtic Park for a title decider. The Foundation of Hearts, which owns 75% of the club, has called “on those responsible for the officiating of Saturday’s match to ensure that the highest standards of decision-making are applied, so that the game is decided by the players on the pitch and the team is given the fair opportunity it has earned”. Strong words. North and South of the Border the quality of officiating - and consistency – has been questioned this season. The problem is not the technology but those using it. There are some very competent officials about. But more are needed. Whether the Fir Park hand-ball was the worst decision ever is a moot point. Here are a few that spring immediately to mind, clear-cut mistakes, bound to trigger some frustrated flashbacks, in no particular order…. Diogo Dalot on Jeremy Doku, somehow only a yellow. Michael Keane on Doku, somehow only a yellow. Jordan Pickford taking out Virgil van Dijk. Harry Kane foot up on Andy Robertson. Tomas Soucek stopping a shot from Conor Gallagher with his hand. Rodri hand-ball against Everton. On it goes. Elliot Anderson on Ollie Watkins, cleared on review, mad. Kelechi Iheanacho denied a goal for Celtic against Braga when VAR ruled he’d handled when the ball came off his cheek. Gabriel not being dismissed for lowering his forehead into Erling Haaland. Luis Diaz punished for a non-existent offside when scoring for Liverpool against Tottenham. Lee Mason left his VAR job “by mutual consent” and PGMO apologised after he failed to draw the lines and spot Christian Norgaard offside in the build-up to Ivan Toney scoring for Brentford, costing Arsenal two points. And many others. The problem isn’t the technology; it’s the people using it, with the additional issue in Scotland of whether there is sufficient investment in the technology infrastructure. VAR is the safety net - but currently with too many holes.

Seeing his son have such an influence as the VAR at Fir Park last night would have made dad Hugh proud. Just a shame Andrew struggled to produce a Top Answer when called upon…

@MMcEwanGolf 👏👏👏

Bryson looking like he's walking down the touchline after seeing his Stranraer team concede a late winner at home to Dumbarton.

@shebahn 😉❤️

‘We have been extremely concerned by a number of decisions in the last two rounds of fixtures which have had a significant impact on outcomes for Hearts and others. The club shares these concerns and has made representations to the football authorities seeking clarification’

@AndyM1874 @TEnglishSport The throw-in is legal, only needs to be part of the front foot on the line, but every other point is more than fair

@TEnglishSport @DonaldsonESPN The throw in is not legal, foot is well over the line and Nicholsons hand is only in that position due to his arm being lifted by Trusty. For Beaton to make that decision with a 5 second look is astounding. And for them not to check the legality of the throw in is incompetence.

Late finish. Profoundly grim that a penalty could be given for that and in those circumstances. A shocking call.

‘On The Whistle - Hearts 3-0 Falkirk’ Instant reaction from a dramatic night in Scottish football, both in Gorgie and at Fir Park youtu.be/dJ7Vh8qrLmI

It’s not quite Tynecastle… COME ON HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN!! ❤️🇱🇻🙏

@IanMurrayMP ❤️🇱🇻

A night of huge emotions for me. Jambo family forever. Lifted over the turnstiles as a lad by my dad who passed at 39 just shy of the title charge in ‘86. Having sat with administrators saying 2 me Hearts were dead to the brink of the title is too much to comprehend. #believe