Former The Voice singer who is Hearts' 12th man in title bid

Bilbo Baggins and The Tremeloes singer Colin Chisholm says appearances on Top Of The Pops and The Voice have been eclipsed by singing "The Hearts Song" to a packed Tynecastle as his favourites chase a first Scottish title since 1960.

The 73-year-old season-ticket holder sang an updated version of the song in 1986 that reached number 92 on the UK Singles Chart.

He was invited down from his seat to sing on the pitch before Aberdeen's visit on 28 February, it went down so well he did likewise for wins over Motherwell and Rangers - and he will do so again as Falkirk visit on Wednesday.

"I've done a lot, I've done Top of the Pops, Supersonic, Sunday Night at the London Palladium with Don Williams, I've done The Voice, when Tom Jones hit his button and invited me on to his team in 2013, but it's nothing in comparison to what I'm going through on the pitch - the euphoria," Chisholm told BBC Sport Scotland's YouTube channel., external

"The first one was against Aberdeen and they've incrementally got better every time I've done it and the last one against Rangers, I could hardly believe the volume. I couldn't hear the in-ear monitor and the backing track, which is quite important.

"It's like the Colosseum at Tynecastle, you're surrounded. It's an incredible feeling."

Bilbo Baggins, named after the famous literary hobbit, had the same manager as the Bay City Rollers, peaked at number 42 on the UK charts in 1978 with "She's Gonna Win" but had their hopes of a revival thwarted in 2014 by Lord Of The Rings writer JRR Tolkien's estate.

Now, though, Chisholm is enjoying his own personal return to the spotlight.

"I've sat in the stand all these years, but I'd been fairly much under the radar as far as being recognised as the singer of the 1986 Hearts Song," he said.

"But now it's like 'local celebrity's come good'. Everybody's been absolutely fantastic with me, it's been a joy. I don't know how many selfies I've done – it's well into the hundreds since the Aberdeen game."

Former Hearts midfielder Ryan Stephenson suggested inviting Chisholm to sing had been "a masterstroke" by head coach Derek McInnes as motivation for fans and players alike.

"I've flown out to Alicante after the Aberdeen game and I think I could have flown without a plane - my feet literally didn't touch the ground," Chisholm said.

"I had a text from Derek the following day on my birthday - that blew me away as he didn't have to do that."

Chisholm, who lives a mile from the stadium and has been a Hearts fan from the age of eight, lost both his parents in a car crash when he was 21.

He has his dad's Ace of Hearts Club membership card from 1971 in his breast pocket at every game and it will be there again on Wednesday for what could be the performance of his life if he can help inspire Hearts to victory over Falkirk.

If reigning champions Celtic lose in Motherwell at the same time, Derek McInnes' side will lift the trophy. If not, it will go to a final-day, head-to-head showdown at Celtic Park.

"As soon as the music starts and I've started singing, I'm off and running, I'm fine," he said. "I only become nervous and tense watching the game - and the last few games, it's been very difficult for everyone.

"This feeling of tension and stress, people aren't enjoying the football very much, it's just horrendous.

"But, whatever happens on Wednesday, it's still in Hearts' hands. The crowd have to do everything we can because the boys are probably feeling gutted after the weekend [when Celtic trimmed their lead to one point]."

Chisholm admits that, while most Hearts fans have been supportive, some feared his singing might jinx their chances as they look to avoid the last-day disappointment of 1986, when Dundee beat them 2-0 to hand the title to Celtic.

"I was there behind the goal with my head in my hands when the second goal from Albert Kidd went in," he recalled. "But this is a different ball game.

"I just feel there's a movement here. A feeling of wellbeing within the club. There's a camaraderie I've seen first hand within the players and between the players and McInnes. This is our time."