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THE OFFICIAL: "LET'S ALL LAUGH AT HEARTS"


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Unfortunately, this is yet another example of why there is almost no point in time horizons of more than one season for fans of non-OF teams in Scotland. If you manage to secure a manager that can deliver any form of 'success' like 3rd place, cup win or a European run then you have very little possibility of keeping him. Thats why I am all for McGhee, he will give us a good season next year and beyond that is a lottery.

 

Absolutely. If McGhee gets off to a flyer in season one and Mowbray has a shocker ...

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  • 1 month later...

Bizarre. Very, very bizarre.

 

 

Hearts are poised to offer Avram Grant a return to football after the former Chelsea manager forged an unlikely alliance with the Scottish club's colourful Lithuanian owner, Vladimir Romanov. Grant, who has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea 14 months ago, has struck a close friendship with Romanov having been introduced to him by Roman Abramovich. The Chelsea owner and Romanov are firm allies on account of business dealings in the former Soviet Union.

 

Hearts are now attempting to piece together what a senior club figuretoday described as an "ideal scenario" where Grant replaces Anatoly Korobochka as director of sport at Tynecastle. Korobochka, who is set to take a job in Russia or Germany, left Hearts in midweek. Moves will now be made within the next fortnight to find Korobochka's successor, with Grant rapidly emerging as Romanov's preferred candidate. "It is premature to say he [Grant] will be employed," added the source. "But he and Mr Romanov will talk about it."

 

One sticking point will be Grant's salary demands, given that Romanov has implemented drastic cost-cutting in an attempt to balance the books at Hearts. It may be that the former Portsmouth director of football accepts an advisory role with Romanov's business, the Ukio Bankas Investment Group, with a wider remit; another source in Lithuania has revealed Grant has ambitions of moving into football club ownership.

 

Two other clubs, FBK Kaunas of Lithuania and the Belarussia team MTZ-Ripo, are also sponsored by Romanov's companies. Intriguingly, Romanov recently moved into the world of basketball ownership by taking over debt-ridden Zalgiris, based in Kaunas.

 

Grant is known to have visited Romanov in Lithuania several times in recent months, and he was present when the Hearts manager, Csaba Laszlo, visited for a meeting with the owner. Grant has attended Lithuanian football matches with Romanov and was also present in Hamburg as Hearts lost a pre-season match to St Pauli this month.

 

Romanov's hiring and firing of managers and backroom staff has proved a constant backdrop to his four years in charge of Hearts. Nine coaches have taken over, with Laszlo last season becoming the first to manage a full campaign in charge, guiding Hearts to third in the Scottish Premier League and the Europa League's final qualifying round. Romanov favours having a sporting director in place in order to supply a conduit between himself and the head coach.

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http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/heartofmidlothianfc/Trouble-at-Hearts-as-tax.5507979.jp

 

Trouble at Hearts as tax bill goes unpaid

 

Published Date: 30 July 2009

By CHRIS MARSHALL and LAURA CUMMINGS

HEARTS are facing a bid to force them into administration after the taxman launched a legal bid to recover unpaid debts, the Evening News can reveal today.

A petition for a "wind-up" action was lodged against the Tynecastle club on behalf of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) at the Court of Session this week.

 

The action could ultimately lead to Hearts being forced to sell assets or even to cease trading altogether should the outstanding bills not be paid in time.

 

The club would face a ten-point deduction from the Scottish Premier League if it was to go into administration, a penalty previously handed out to Gretna FC.

 

A spokesman for the Court of Session confirmed that the petition had been lodged, but said no action had been taken since and no court dates had been set.

 

A spokesman for HMRC added: "A warrant has been served to the Court of Session on Hearts Football Club."

 

However, officials would not comment on the amount of money at stake, saying the action was being taken as a "last resort".

 

In the past the club has avoided similar action by settling bills before reaching court.

 

The Evening News understands that a number of legal actions were launched against the club to recover debts last year, but were all settled.

 

Lothians MSP George Foulkes, a former Hearts chairman, said the latest development would "send shivers down the spine" of Hearts fans and would further divide opinion over controversial owner Vladimir Romanov.

 

He said: "I think Mr Romanov and his colleagues have taken things to the wire before as far as paying bills are concerned. So far the club has survived, but it's certainly not good for the nerves. Everybody just crosses their fingers and hopes it goes away.

 

"Most fans have always had mixed feelings about Romanov, but he has given (manager] Csaba Laszlo a relatively free hand to choose players and pick the team. We came third in the league and we're in the Europa League. If Chris Robinson was still there, we'd probably be in the First Division and playing in front of 5,000 people at Murrayfield."

 

The news comes just months after Hearts said it had managed to reduce its overall debt by 16 per cent from £36.25 million to £30.48m.

 

On releasing its annual accounts for the year to July 2008 earlier this year, the club said it had been helped by the high-profile transfers of players, including Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon and Czech striker Roman Bednar.

 

Hearts blamed an administrative glitch for problems paying players' wages last season and have also faced having its water cut off after reportedly running up thousands of pounds in unpaid bills.

 

A spokesman for the club said: "We are meeting the agreed payment schedule with HMRC. Perhaps HMRC does not trust football clubs as most of them have outstanding payments to the tax authorities these days and they have taken a precaution to place a petition in case we do not perform. The payment will be on time as agreed."

 

Chairman of the Hearts Supporters Trust, Derek Watson said: "For many years Hearts under different regimes have always paid bills at the last minute and I think most people know that, so it would have to go a bit further before people got worried – they're used to it by now."

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A spokesman for the club said: "We are meeting the agreed payment schedule with HMRC. Perhaps HMRC does not trust football clubs as most of them have outstanding payments to the tax authorities these days and they have taken a precaution to place a petition in case we do not perform. The payment will be on time as agreed."

 

Chairman of the Hearts Supporters Trust, Derek Watson said: "For many years Hearts under different regimes have always paid bills at the last minute and I think most people know that, so it would have to go a bit further before people got worried – they're used to it by now."

 

What happened here? Did the reporter ask to speak to the two most deluded people involved with Hearts?

 

Most football clubs owe HMRC money, so thats why HMRC slapped in a last resort winding up order, because that way if it went through they're guaranteed not to get the full amount owing ::).

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ukio Bankas, Romanovs banking group have recorded profits of only 1.1 million profit for the first six months, down 91% on previous years

 

 

not long till the mini huns go bang ????

 

Was just reading about that:

 

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Hearts-chief-Vlad-sees-bank.5541712.jp

 

Although the bank itself is not directly linked to Romanovs support of Hearts it aint gonna help him to improve their predicament  ;D

 

They certainly won't be appearing on the high street of Edinburgh any time soon. Been open for a year with 7 staff and zero customers  :lolabove:

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