Danny Wilson, the Heart of Midlothian captain, has urged supporters to revel in every moment of their title celebrations after completing their rehabilitation from one of the bleakest periods in the club's history.
Six hundred and forty-two days. That is the length of time that has passed since the Tynecastle outfit entered administration following the disastrous financial mismanagement of Vladimir Romanov.
Points deductions, transfer embargoes, redundancies and relegation followed as the very existence of this 141-year-old institution was placed in serious doubt. Throughout it all, supporters remained resolute. Fund-raising efforts seemed never-ending, while fans' group Foundation of Hearts garnered over 8000 members.
Tynecastle Stadium has been packed to the rafters week-in, week-out this term as Hearts trampled all those before them in their bid to return to the Premiership. Little wonder, then, that Wilson believes the party which will undoubtedly ensue against Queen of the South on Saturday will provide a fitting reward for the maroon hordes.
"It will be an incredible occasion at Tynecastle. It will be full, as it always is and it will be a great day for us and a game we are all desperate to play in," he said. "More than that, it's a chance for us to pay back the fans for their support. They've been fantastic. This is what they deserve after some tough years.
"Hopefully this is their club back on the road to recovery now that we are back in the Premiership - where this club deserves to be. I've been part of things at Hearts for a few years now and been through bits and pieces, and experienced things that you never want to see happen at a football club.
"As a result, we've found ourselves in a league we didn't want to be in. We wanted to still be in the Premiership. But it's one of those things we've had to deal with, and we have done that well."
As the lyric from the iconic 'Hearts Song' goes: "Though we sometimes go down we can aye go back up".
And Hearts' ascension has been achieved with the utmost of style, with Saturday's 3-0 win against Falkirk - secured thanks to goals from Jamie Walker, Genero Zeefuik and James Keatings - was typical of their dominance.
Despite the presence of fallen giants Rangers and city rivals Hibs in the Championship, the Jambos have been peerless and have lost just one league match.
They require just four more wins to register a record points total of 90, usurping Hibs tally of 89 on their way to promotion in 1999. Another 16 goals in their remaining seven matches will see them hit 100 goals for the first time since Airdrieonians in 1974.
"If you had said to me at the start of the season it was going to go like this I probably wouldn't have believed you," acknowledged the Scotland international. "The way the season has panned out, we have been going about our business in the right fashion and we've got our results out on the pitch. However, if I was asked whether I thought the gap would be this big, it would be a 'no'.
"It has been a difficult challenge in the last few months. Since maybe late December and early January people have had us installed as champions.
"It's been tough to put what everyone is saying about you to one side. But by-and-large we have done that. We've only had one defeat and one draw since the turn of the year and that's pretty good going."
Hearts claimed the lead against Falkirk after 28 minutes when Osman Sow charged into the box before delivering a cut-back to Jamie Walker. Unsurprisingly, the in-form winger made no mistake in slotting beyond MacDonald from point-blank range for his 11th goal of the season.
Hearts doubled their lead within two minutes of the restart, with Walker once again involved. This time he was the one darting to the byline and sending a dangerous cross into the box which was only half-cleared by the Bairns defence, allowing Zeefuik to power a right-footed shot into the net from six yards.
James Keatings put the game to bed after 80 minutes, curling home a super finish after an incisive pass from Callum Paterson - ending a five-game run without a goal.
Falkirk boss Peter Houston, magnanimous in defeat against his former employers, said: "We were beaten by the better team and I wouldn't try to deny that. We were up against a very good side in Hearts, with dangerous players in good positions.
"They pass the ball well, are incisive and have plenty going for them but the disappointing aspect is we didn't really lay a glove on them."
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