what is the end game?

[FarmerTweedy]

There's no reason why Hearts cannot remain on this steady trajectory.

 

However, looking at previous non-OF clubs who have maintained 3^rd-4^th position in the league come May (Hibs, Motherwell, Aberdeen etc). It?s evident that it is hard to maintain any method of consistency.

 

For me the only logical next step is to upgrade the stadium and to buy Riccarton outright. There has been a conveyor belt of young talent coming through the club in the past decade, going back to Gordon and Berra, that has brought millions into the club. The only way to preserve Hearts as being the 3^rd best club in Scotland is to produce actual quality that can be marketed to EPL sides through involvement in the national set up. Just look at the team in 2002-03 with Pressley, Webster and Severin and then in 2005-06 with Gordon, Berra and Hartley. Granted, not all players came through the youth set up, but all of the aforementioned players made their name at Tynecastle. Hopefully the likes of Nicholson, Paterson, King, Hamilton and Walker will be the next batch?

There's absolutely zero chance of buying Riccarton, it's going to be a multi-sport centre of excellence funded substantially by the government. We're lucky we're going to have access (for a fee) to use such a facility, we'd almost certainly never be able to afford anything like it by ourselves.