Almost 133,000 people squeezed into Hampden on April 21, 1956 - the last time Hearts and Celtic met in a Scottish Cup final.

It was Hearts' first appearance in the showpiece for 49 years, but Ian Crawford eased the nerves by firing them into a two-goal lead inside 48 minutes.

And although Mike Haughney pulled one back for Celtic, Alfie Conn made sure Hearts' name was on the cup ten minutes from the end.

Hearts' club photographer Ron MacNeill was only 11 at the time - but retains special memories of the day.

"My dad took me on the train, there were lots of trains, over 20 I believe," he recalled.

"We were all crammed in these old compartment-type carriages, just full of Hearts fans, very buoyant, on their way to Hampden.

"The thing that remains uppermost in my memory was the huge crowd, the place was just awash with people being a wee boy getting carried along.

"The noise, the singing, the whole atmosphere was something you hadn't experienced before.

"It went by in a blur. I do remember that the game started and the next thing I know Hearts were up. The people around about me were going absolutely crazy.

"Grown men going off their trolley, really, and the next thing I really remember was the cup being presented and we were all heading out the stadium trying to get back to Edinburgh to see what was going to happen in the town, which of course exploded. Edinburgh just went crazy."

The Hearts museum has a display dedicated to the triumph, described by manager David Allen as a very significant moment in the club's history.

He said: "It was such a big event because they hadn't got to the Scottish Cup final in 49 years.

"The joy and relief people felt in 1998 [when Hearts also won the cup] was far more compounded in 1956, because you'd have had to be in your mid-50s to remember them winning the cup in 1906.

'We get people who were at the game who get tears in their eyes when they see it.

"It's absolutely amazing the pleasure they get from saying 'I was there'."