[6] The December pay has failed to arrive,[7] and a complaint was lodged with the Scottish Premier League by the players union.

Turnover at the club fell by £1m to £6.9m, this was mainly due to an outsourcing of retail merchandise as well as a lack of significant player sales or European competition.

[26] After the match Hearts asked the SFA to clarify the decision by referee Iain Brines after appearing to give the goal on three separate occasions.

[27] to disallow an Eggert Jonsson goal for handball[28] Hearts enter the Scottish Cup at the fourth round stage.

[34] David Templeton scored early in the first half before St Johnstone equalised through Cillian Sheridan in the 78th minute forcing a replay.

[38] St Mirren beat Ross county in their replay setting up another all Scottish Premier League tie in the quarter-finals.

Hearts should have gone in at half time with a 2–1 lead but a further strike by Beattie was wrongly ruled off side by linesman Gary Cheyne.

[citation needed] With the match in injury time, referee Euan Norris awarded Hearts a penalty for a handball in the Celtic box by Joe Ledley.

[47] Beattie stepped up to score the Penalty,[46] before getting booked for taking his shirt off and his impromptu lap of honour in his celebration of the goal.

In the second leg goals from Ryan Stevenson, Andy Driver and Rudi Skácel were enough to win the tie 4–1 and progress to the play-off round with a 5–2 aggregate.

[56] Unseeded for the Play Off round Hearts drew English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur[57] in a game dubbed by the press as a Battle of Britain fixture.

Hearts were much improved in the second leg but weren't able to claw back the tie earning a 0 – 0 draw, making them only first team since Real Madrid to leave White Hart Lane with a clean sheet.

Hearts started the season under the stewardship of Jim Jefferies but after only three games on 1 August 2011, he was removed from his post as manager by owner Vladimir Romanov.

[63] Jefferies was offered a new role at Hearts of Director of football which he turned down next day,[64] marking his departure along with coach Billy Brown for the second time.

Hearts first transfer activity over the summer came on 25 May with the announcement that Jamie Hamill, John Sutton and Danny Grainger had all signed three-year contracts.

[69] Mehdi Taouil became Hearts fourth signing of the new season with Jonathan Brown, Rubén Palazuelos and Ismael Bouzid also leaving on freedom of contract.

After featuring during pre-season and with only two days remaining before the season started Hearts accepted a bid of £1.5 Million for Lee Wallace from Rangers.