Scotland's Game

[jambos are go!]

I would say that Vlad was the most significant individual in our history so far. But likely to be supplanted by Anne Budge. But no Vlad no Anne Budge. Vlad was the vehicle by which we got rid of massive debt and remained at Tynecastle. He lost a fortune and there were innocent victims. Given his investment we would have achieved more but did not probably due to his tinkering. I would point out Vlad lost money whereas Mercer, Robinson and Deans made money out of their investments in Hearts IIRC.

 

Early in last nights program it is pointed out that as far as the rest of the world is concerned Scottish Football is the Old Firm and they are the major pillars of our game. Sad but true. Yes we can survive without them but our status would be reduced to that of true European Minnows.

 

As made clear the big mistake was not to take the decent deal on offer from Sky and persist with the pie in the sky that was SPLTV. Robinson and Hearts were at the centre of that fiasco and in retrospect the OF were devious but right. Mind you if such a lucrative Sky deal was in place there is no way they would have let Rangers be kicked out of the SPL

[Cut The Crap]

I must have missed this glorious ten years some seem to think we enjoyed under Romanov. To me it was a rudderless mess overseen by graceless shysters.

[All roads lead to Gorgie]

Like him or loath him the crowds we are getting now are in a lot of ways to do with Vlad. We jumped from around 11/12k to circa 16k after he arrived and all have remained largely loyal since. The base is stronger than before his arrival and that is a positive amongst the numerous low points of the Vlad years.

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

I was there. I was in the Gorgie Suite when he walked into that AGM/EGM.

 

I was in Braga as things were gathering pace and recall talking to George Foulkes about the situation. I was as happy as anyone when VR came into the club but I knew he had to be slightly crazy....he had to be. I was wary as I'd read how we were his 4th option and knew his plans would involve bringing in players from Lithuania but I was comfortable with that as we would still have Tynecastle.

 

Yes...we had some wonderful times....it was never ever dull and the interest then probably laid the foundations for many of the supporters going now.

 

But we were badly run as a club. Horrendously in fact. We will probably never know the full scale of the ridiculousness of the decisions and money squandered on outrageous signings. The guy had completely lost the plot.

 

To take us as close to absolute death as he did is unforgivable. He will not be remembered as a saviour of Hearts by me...he will be the remembered as the who almost killed us. He nearly ended it all.

But it didn?t. Not up for a statue , don't misunderstand me, he is never coming back.

 

Lessons have been learned and we move on with huge optimism

[Maroon Sailor]

I must have missed this glorious ten years some seem to think we enjoyed under Romanov. To me it was a rudderless mess overseen by graceless shysters.

Give me the Mercer, Macdonald and Jardine years every time watching the likes of Robbo, Colquhoun and Levein.

[Hearts007]

very good watching and all hearts owners have played their part in some way or another.For me the main one was Mercer not Vlad IMO

 

also No mercer= Hobo Kenny Waugh

[Five to One]

Funniest interview last night was with George Burley. He commented on how Ibrahim Tall arrived to train with the squad on trial, but Burley didn't think he was good enough. A few days later Vlad signs him for Hearts and he turns up for photos with Burley who had no idea what was going on. 

 

Was preposterous at the time and even more so looking back. 

[Maroon Sailor]

Funniest interview last night was with George Burley. He commented on how Ibrahim Tall arrived to train with the squad on trial, but Burley didn't think he was good enough. A few days later Vlad signs him for Hearts and he turns up for photos with Burley who had no idea what was going on. 

 

Was preposterous at the time and even more so looking back.

 

" We can win the league but I buy the players that was the message from Vladimir Romanov "

[Thomaso]

Funniest interview last night was with George Burley. He commented on how Ibrahim Tall arrived to train with the squad on trial, but Burley didn't think he was good enough. A few days later Vlad signs him for Hearts and he turns up for photos with Burley who had no idea what was going on. 

 

Was preposterous at the time and even more so looking back. 

 

Burley was wrong then - Tall finally got the opportunity to prove that he WAS good enough!

[Thomaso]

very good watching and all hearts owners have played their part in some way or another.For me the main one was Mercer not Vlad IMO

 

also No mercer= Hobo Kenny Waugh

 

No Vlad = no SC wins = no Tynecastle

[DH1986]

Burley was wrong then - Tall finally got the opportunity to prove that he WAS good enough!

 

Tall was pretty average tbh.

[Hearts007]

Thomaso, on 02 Sept 2016 - 11:15 AM, said:

No Vlad = no SC wins = no Tynecastle

Yep as I said each have played their part

[Five to One]

Burley was wrong then - Tall finally got the opportunity to prove that he WAS good enough!

Never a Centre Back in a million years. 

[Cut The Crap]

Burley was wrong then - Tall finally got the opportunity to prove that he WAS good enough!

 

Tall was certainly good enough for a team to finish second in the league some distance behind Celtic.

 

I think Burley had higher ambitions though.

[Five to One]

No Vlad = no SC wins = no Tynecastle

Had to sail pretty close to the wind to get there! But yes, it somehow worked out. 

[DH1986]

We can only speculate we would not have won the SC without Vlad.

 

Nobody knows for sure......when you look at the list of clubs who've won it recently...anything is possible.

[Maroon Sailor]

THAT HOUSE WILL STAY OPEN

 

AND THE FANS WILL MAKE SURE IT STAYS OPEN

 

(COS WE ARRA THE PEEPUL)

 

We ARE the people and they'll never be taken away fae us

[Pans Jambo]

Although the pie man would have left us homeless and within two inches of or club's life

Probably but I just dont understand the Romanov love in. He shat on us at the end and was a constant embarrassment. The Burley episode was the beginning of the end.

Some of those fly by night 'managers' were just brutally bad and then he gave us THAT chairman. His Wimp son. Cringe. 

I appreciated Rudi and Takis etc but what about the rest? After Burleys squad was disassembled most of them were 3rd division standard at best.

Anyway, its history now and thank god for oor Ann. Onwards and upwards.

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

Tall was a decent player. Maybe not as good as those he was brought in for but of a good standard

[Footballfirst]

Truth of the matter, I cant bring myself to hate him, even though the media as quoted last night painted him as a Bond Villain, and the media just dont get he in all probability actually cared about us.

 

I was taken by your stance on Vlad after all we now know.  Swap yourself for a Rangers fan and Vlad for SDM and you might understand why many Rangers fans do not see SDM as the villian,

 

In many ways Vlad and SDM were similar, although perhaps on a slightly different scale., each had a passion for their respective clubs, self promotion, signing good players, winning trophies, spending other people's money, tax dodges etc.

[Mikey1874]

Quite enjoyed the programme but I think it got the time line and reason for our downfall wrong.

 

I thought Romanov's business and crucially his Bank collapsed meaning then the Banks administrators came looking to us to pay our debt.

The BBC programme painted a picture of the Lithuanian authorities uncovering embezzlement as the reason for our collapse. The program even stated that Romanov's businesses had survived the economic crash.

It might seem like a minor incorrect detail but for me its not. The programmes narrative allows the accusation of Hearts (throw their owner) being guilty of embezzlement, which we are not.

 

Asides that the story of our fans self determination for survival was as an inspiring tale you will ever see in Scottish football.

Yes

 

The last paragraph was a nice surprise. Presentation is a skill. Maybe they didn't intend it and we're seeing the best out of the programme. But Tom English, the way Ann Budge came across was presented /edited was very positive.

[Maroon Sailor]

Next week is about the demise of the National team

 

John Collins - If you don't want to play for your country then there is something wrong with you

 

Hope Duncan Ferguson looks in

[Hearts007]

Maroon Sailor, on 02 Sept 2016 - 11:42 AM, said:

Next week is about the demise of the National team

 

John Collins - If you don't want to play for your country then there is something wrong with you

 

Hope Duncan Ferguson looks in

Or in the case of Broonaldo..thank christ

[Mikey1874]

Next week is about the demise of the National team

 

John Collins - If you don't want to play for your country then there is something wrong with you

 

Hope Duncan Ferguson looks in

Collins stopped playing after his pal Gary McAllister got booed in that game v Czech Republic. Patriotic attitude.

[Craigieboy]

Next week is about the demise of the National team

 

John Collins - If you don't want to play for your country then there is something wrong with you

 

Hope Duncan Ferguson looks in

Can't wait.

[Hagar the Horrible]

I was taken by your stance on Vlad after all we now know.  Swap yourself for a Rangers fan and Vlad for SDM and you might understand why many Rangers fans do not see SDM as the villian,

 

In many ways Vlad and SDM were similar, although perhaps on a slightly different scale., each had a passion for their respective clubs, self promotion, signing good players, winning trophies, spending other people's money, tax dodges etc.

Thats why I get it?  There is an ancient Scottish/Chinese curse "may you live interesting times"  we got that with Vlad,  we woke up in a Las Vegas hotel room married to a hooker with a massive tattoo of her on your back, you know the next while might be interesting, you buy into it because lest face it the sex is good.  but you cant let her meet your parents, and you know it wont last, but you enjoy the journey and hope you get out without a dose of something nasty, the divorce is amicable and you get to keep your house.

 

Rangers fans behave like we still do with Vlad, see an attack on SDM/Whyte/Green and King as an attack on their clubs and them.  And you are so right SDM is not a villain to the average Rangers fan as you cannot every take away the feeling of joy when you win trophies, go on Euro trips etc, getting the better of your rivals.  The thing is we are all prepared to pay the price for it,  but the later the better!

 

The thing is Vlad was no where near as bad as SDM in all aspects, but there were very similar indeed,  but who got the worse press, who is still shielded from the press? Vlads behavior was identical to SDM, but who causes the most damage?

 

We have learned nothing from this, King is in power, but because in truth he may be a Glib and Shameless Liar and a convicted criminal and another foreign owner, he might actual have the best interests in Rangers at heart.  But that does not alter that the authorities have let another Vlad in, with rapturous applause.  History will repeat itself.

 

Vlad was a necessary evil, he bought us time, he did outstay his welcome, but we are beyond it now, and in a period of stability I have not enjoyed for years and years, but I am enjoying the boredom stability brings. I thank him for the good stuff and for the most part forgive him for the bad?  Take from it experience, learn from it and move forward to an new era, and the flight home from Vegas!

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

I was taken by your stance on Vlad after all we now know. Swap yourself for a Rangers fan and Vlad for SDM and you might understand why many Rangers fans do not see SDM as the villian,

 

In many ways Vlad and SDM were similar, although perhaps on a slightly different scale., each had a passion for their respective clubs, self promotion, signing good players, winning trophies, spending other people's money, tax dodges etc.

A shite analogy. Murray bought Rangers after they had done the hard yards of rebuilding the ground and bringing in Souness. Vlad, on the other hand, saved us from a horrible demise.

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

The demise of the National team. That assumes it was ever any good. Worst thing that ever happened to us was the break up of the Eastern Bloc. Perestroika was pish!

[Lord Beni of Gorgie]

Thats why I get it?  There is an ancient Scottish/Chinese curse "may you live interesting times"  we got that with Vlad,  we woke up in a Las Vegas hotel room married to a hooker with a massive tattoo of her on your back, you know the next while might be interesting, you buy into it because lest face it the sex is good.  but you cant let her meet your parents, and you know it wont last, but you enjoy the journey and hope you get out without a dose of something nasty, the divorce is amicable and you get to keep your house.

 

Rangers fans behave like we still do with Vlad, see an attack on SDM/Whyte/Green and King as an attack on their clubs and them.  And you are so right SDM is not a villain to the average Rangers fan as you cannot every take away the feeling of joy when you win trophies, go on Euro trips etc, getting the better of your rivals.  The thing is we are all prepared to pay the price for it,  but the later the better!

 

The thing is Vlad was no where near as bad as SDM in all aspects, but there were very similar indeed,  but who got the worse press, who is still shielded from the press? Vlads behavior was identical to SDM, but who causes the most damage?

 

We have learned nothing from this, King is in power, but because in truth he may be a Glib and Shameless Liar and a convicted criminal and another foreign owner, he might actual have the best interests in Rangers at heart.  But that does not alter that the authorities have let another Vlad in, with rapturous applause.  History will repeat itself.

 

Vlad was a necessary evil, he bought us time, he did outstay his welcome, but we are beyond it now, and in a period of stability I have not enjoyed for years and years, but I am enjoying the boredom stability brings. I thank him for the good stuff and for the most part forgive him for the bad?  Take from it experience, learn from it and move forward to an new era, and the flight home from Vegas!

Loving it!

 

[DH1986]

I find it funny that CPR is viewed differently than VR.

 

CPR got us that elusive Scottish Cup and made an attempt to move us on by building 2 stands and giving JJ money for players. His mismanagement left us ?20 million plus in debt and on the verge of losing our home. But SOH and VR came along and we didn't.

 

So.....VR saved us from losing our home....spent money on players and delivered 2 Scottish Cups. His mismanagement left us still ?20million plus in debt, with no stadium improvements of note and was forced out leaving us on the verge of dying. Withins days of ****ing dying....then Ann Budge and FOH came along and we didn't.

 

I'd rather lose my house than die tbh.....but thankfully neither worse case scenario happened.

[Macros]

It was nice to get recognition, to an extent, on the programme from Tom English for what we as a support managed to do, but a pity about the guff from Alex Thomson around the 48 minute mark about Rangers fans being among the most devoted and loyal in the world..................they let there club die. He has been outspoken, rightly enough, about the cheating that went on at Ibrox through the EBT scandal, perhaps he didn't want to alienate himself too much from the club by sticking up for their fans, but let's face it, we managed through hard work and sacrifice by thousands of people to pull ourselves back from the abyss, the vast majority of Rangers fans sat on their fat arses and waited for a saviour to ride in on a white charger and now have another Dodgy Dave at the helm.

[Mr Sifter]

I have always admired Pressley. He was a fantastic captain of our club.

 

He is vilified by a moronic element of our support, simply because he made a stand against an imbecilic owner who treated our club in a truly shameful manner.

 

Those who abuse Pressley should remember that he lived through what was going on within the club and the bizarre place it had become under that regime.

 

His actions at Tynecastle whilst playing for Celtic weren't particularly well judged but equally weren't aimed at our fans. To listen to Pressley speak it's fairly clear he had a strong affinity to our club and was sad the way things ended.

 

The blind support, even now by some, of the Russian simply serves to illustrate how many stupid ignorant people are out there.

Utter rubbish Spencer.

[Thomaso]

Never a Centre Back in a million years. 

 

Played there in the 2006 final, and never put a foot wrong.

[Thomaso]

I do love a good Pressley Vlad debate.

 

Both did great things and awful things. In a roundabout way Romanov has actually contributed to our position today. Not by inteniton of course but had that stadium gone we would have been liquidated, no doubt.

 

Pressley was a great captain but he thought he ran the club, he didn't. He to this day is full of misplaced self importance.

 

Vladimir was random but in his culture the boss is the boss. It was his money and no matter how misplaced in his own dream world he was when he bought us we allowed a deal with not quite the devil but a devilish fool.

 

One last thing to remember our debt peak was 40 million, it reduced to 25 million. I don't think he ever wanted to break us he was simply a shocking businessman with extravagant dreams.

 

Let us look forward, now that chapter is over, but it is some story and one that I am immensely proud to have been even a small part of

 

Absolutely nailed it!!

[Shooter McGavin]

Quite enjoyed the second instalment, Even though I don't really care about the national team I'm looking forward to seeing some of the controversial stuff thats happened with them.

[The Skip]

The program was good, it glossed over a lot of issues and it was edited as a magazine, each main subject could have had a whole show on its own and not done it Justice.

 

My thoughts though and I criticise Rangers fans for the same thing is : it is OK for us to slag off Romanov but not the media?

 

Vlad good stuff, saved the club and the stadium from certain doom, brought in a great squad, won 2 cups gave us one helluva ride, made us the only show in town.

Vlad bad stuff: hit the self destruct button every time it was going well, too many managers, too many players, The Fax machine! put us ?25m in debt to himself rather than the ?20m in debt to the bank the Pieman got us into!!!!!! and you could go on! The Monster??

 

Truth of the matter, I cant bring myself to hate him, even though the media as quoted last night painted him as a Bond Villain, and the media just dont get he in all probability actually cared about us.

 

Compare that to SDM??? Last nights sportsound apart from laughing at the "Big Hoose must stay open" guy, nobody brought up during their preview of the show how bad and how big a role David Murray actually played in this? It was all Whyte who was the bad guy. No talk of Green either????

 

I dont agree with a lot of stuff Tom English says, but I respect what he says and the way he says it, at least he opens up debating points. Tom Last night was spot on Blaming SDM for the mess at Glibco. Good on the BBC for allowing it, however shame on the BBC for none of your on the books paid staff backing him up. Good on Thommo as well.

 

But lets paint a massive picture of how bad SDM was, He brought in a never ending stream of players, he forced the managers to play them. He cheated with the EBT's he broke the rules by not disclosing the dual contracts..CHEATED the entire sport. He killed off Airdrieonians for a mere ?30k which he spent more on mint sauce for his succulent lamb, This in turn allowed Gretna in, and Airdrie Utd took over Clydebank, so he killed off 4 clubs including Gretna by allowing them to be born!

 

The other point of note, was it was clear most chairmen were going to allow Newco straight back to the top, until the fans demonstrated backbone and a moral compass something that the SFA the SPFL and our clubs lack, yet the fans are the ones pillared. Stephen Thompson admitted this, and if you heard the full Wee Fergus interview who made it clear that the fans were wrong because money should come first, and Celtic and even Rangers ARE Scottish football, even though we all hate celtic like some bullying big brother, their needs must come first as they fill every ground in the country.

 

WE came out smelling roses granted even with the 2 shameful attacks by Lennon on that fan asking for his autograph and the vicious assault on McCoist.

 

Hibs must be spewing!!! We were praised

 

The other point of note was Roger claiming that one club in particular sabotaged the SPF TV deal by leaking all to SKY, he hinted that it was the OF and we can guess which one it was. Still it is one serious accusation and stinks of industrial espionage and insider dealing. Still no backbone by all member clubs allowing this to go without impunity.

 

Still the sad thing is the game is promoted by the powers at bee by just 2 clubs who use their hatred and biggotry of each other as a selling point for a TV deal, Big Brother, Jeremy Kyle, the X factor, eat your heart out. Scottish football knows no low

Good post.

 

To be honest the program is set up to be a look back at the events in Scottish football rather than an in depth look at the main problems with our game. Even if the BBC were to treat it as any sort of in depth journalism it would still gloss over the main issues and point fingers in the wrong direction.

 

It was good to hear some kind words about us saving our club and seeing Bryan Jackson doing that press conference again really reminds us of how bad a situation we were in, some very sensible words from Mrs Budge as well. They did take it away from us a little when they were talking about the Romanov takeover and said we turned our back on a local business man with long links to the club (Robinson) and backed a mysterious European banker with questionable motives, felt like a cheap shot when they knew how bad a situation we were in at the time.

 

Graham Speirs kissing Neil Lennons arse, saying he refused to take any abuse lying down as if he was some sort of people's champion and hinting that all the abuse he got was sectarian related when in all honesty he got abuse because he behaved like an arrogant prick on the pitch. The question they should be asking is why did Martin O'Neill not get the same abuse as Lennon did but they won't.

 

Like I say pointing fingers in the wrong direction....

[Thomaso]

Utter rubbish Spencer.

 

Correct!!

 

Pressley was never vilified by Hearts fans for making a stand against Vlad - he was supported by the vast majority.

 

He was however "vilified" for ramming it right up these same Hearts fans that had supported him, with his mindless childish antics that day!!

[Seymour M Hersh]

Actually, we do. We know what Hearts debts were, we know what Cala were offering was less than that debt and we know we had to pay for site clearance. Oh and Cala weren't paying as a lump sum.

 

In short, we were screwed.

 

I believe as per all commercial conveyancing deals in Scotland it would have been paid in 3 parts. With the final part being paid when the flats were completed. We as a club would be liable as GK says for the demolition and clearance of the land. I think this might be where the first payment is made then next when the building starts and finally when it's completed. So 3 payments of ?6.6m over how many years?  I think we may well have sunk without a trace without Romanov's intervention. Pierat had no realistic plan for our survival as a club (and don't ever try telling me Muddyfield was a viable option). He was more universally hated than Romanov and I doubt the fans would have rallied so magnificently had he still been at the helm. 

[Seymour M Hersh]

Fantastic post

 

Absolutely and love the reference to rangers as Glibco. I'll have to use that from now on copyright HTH of course.

[reaths17]

Correct!!

 

Pressley was never vilified by Hearts fans for making a stand against Vlad - he was supported by the vast majority.

 

He was however "vilified" for ramming it right up these same Hearts fans that had supported him, with his mindless childish antics that day!!

being an ex hun and knowing what kind of fan would crawl out the woodwork for a game against the tims it was mindless. not childish, funny, romanov getting  the what goes around comes around treatment, made me laugh.

 

i was on side with pressley but at no time was anything rammed up me and i'm sorry to hear you and others had trouble sitting down after that game, not disappointed though.

[Thomaso]

being an ex hun and knowing what kind of fan would crawl out the woodwork for a game against the tims it was mindless. not childish, funny, romanov getting  the what goes around comes around treatment, made me laugh.

 

i was on side with pressley but at no time was anything rammed up me and i'm sorry to hear you and others had trouble sitting down after that game, not disappointed though.

 

You think that all the Hearts fans insulted that day by Pressley's pathetic antics had all "crawled out the woodwork" just because we were playing Celtic??

 

Glad you found it all a "laugh" - very strange sense of humour there, but each to there own.

[Spencer]

Utter rubbish Spencer.

Thanks.

 

Care to elaborate it is that it?

[Thomaso]

Thanks.

 

Care to elaborate it is that it?

 

See my post #441

 

and this "listen to Pressley speak" bit - not once have I heard him say he regretted his actions in front of Hearts fans that day, nor have I ever heard him express any "affinity" for anything or anybody other than himself!

[Bauld]

Lovely piece on .net by someone watching.

 

 

NAE NOOKIE 12:18 PM Today

Interesting 2nd episode.

 

Even at the time Gretna were at their height can there have been any fans who weren't asking the question, how can a club from a town of 3,000 people with no wider large population in proximity sustain itself as a premier league club? ... there was no chance that they would ever survive the demise of Mileson.

 

As for Hearts ....... It would be churlish to deny that when it came to the crunch their fans stepped up in impressive numbers. But what they have to accept is that it became necessary for them to do that because they had ignored the writing on the wall for years, even when their own players were asking questions they ignored it, even when chairmen of other clubs were asking where Hearts were getting the money from they ignored it. When fans of other clubs, not just us, were asking questions they ignored it.

They without doubt were a huge factor in saving the club ... but the unpalatable truth is that they were as responsible for the fact that it needed saving as mad Vlad was.

 

The biggest myth surrounding Hearts continues to be dutifully regurgitated by the media and that is that the club is fan owned or on the way to being fan owned. If they mean its owned by a Hearts fan they are right. If they mean its owned by the wider Hearts support they are wrong, they don't own a bloody stick and after years of pouring in money they still don't own so much as a light bulb and with them being asked to help fund this proposed new stand from FOH contributions it will be years before that process even starts.

The money they are putting in is financing the club, but for that money they receive nothing in return apart from having a club to support .... they will pay to upgrade the ground, but once that is done and Hearts finally begin the process to pass the club over to the fans they will still have to pay for the privilege of owning what they have already paid for.

 

Hibs fans own north of 20% of Hibs but the club isn't fan owned, Hearts fans own nothing of Hearts and yet the media tout it as a model of fan ownership .... Its a funny old world.

 

 

 

 

So our money we pour into the club is not doing anything but fund a new stand and we'll be paying for nothing but a club we already paid for......Right.

 

See that squad we have that's challenging in the upper ends of the premier league? That's funded by us and will continue to be funded by us as we go on to great success in the future.

 

 

 

Now do you see that club still languishing in the championship? That's all your 20% has got you so far.

[Spencer]

See my post #441

 

and this "listen to Pressley speak" bit - not once have I heard him say he regretted his actions in front of Hearts fans that day, nor have I ever heard him express any "affinity" for anything or anybody other than himself!

This is beyond debate it would seem

 

[Spencer]

Lovely piece on .net by someone watching.

 

 

NAE NOOKIE 12:18 PM Today

Interesting 2nd episode.

 

Even at the time Gretna were at their height can there have been any fans who weren't asking the question, how can a club from a town of 3,000 people with no wider large population in proximity sustain itself as a premier league club? ... there was no chance that they would ever survive the demise of Mileson.

 

As for Hearts ....... It would be churlish to deny that when it came to the crunch their fans stepped up in impressive numbers. But what they have to accept is that it became necessary for them to do that because they had ignored the writing on the wall for years, even when their own players were asking questions they ignored it, even when chairmen of other clubs were asking where Hearts were getting the money from they ignored it. When fans of other clubs, not just us, were asking questions they ignored it.

They without doubt were a huge factor in saving the club ... but the unpalatable truth is that they were as responsible for the fact that it needed saving as mad Vlad was.

 

The biggest myth surrounding Hearts continues to be dutifully regurgitated by the media and that is that the club is fan owned or on the way to being fan owned. If they mean its owned by a Hearts fan they are right. If they mean its owned by the wider Hearts support they are wrong, they don't own a bloody stick and after years of pouring in money they still don't own so much as a light bulb and with them being asked to help fund this proposed new stand from FOH contributions it will be years before that process even starts.

The money they are putting in is financing the club, but for that money they receive nothing in return apart from having a club to support .... they will pay to upgrade the ground, but once that is done and Hearts finally begin the process to pass the club over to the fans they will still have to pay for the privilege of owning what they have already paid for.

 

Hibs fans own north of 20% of Hibs but the club isn't fan owned, Hearts fans own nothing of Hearts and yet the media tout it as a model of fan ownership .... Its a funny old world.

 

 

 

 

So our money we pour into the club is not doing anything but fund a new stand and we'll be paying for nothing but a club we already paid for......Right.

 

See that squad we have that's challenging in the upper ends of the premier league? That's funded by us and will continue to be funded by us as we go on to great success in the future.

 

 

 

Now do you see that club still languishing in the championship? That's all your 20% has got you so far.

That's the type of delusional shite I expect is rampant on .net

[Thomaso]

This is beyond debate it would seem

 

 

Best drop it then Spencer.

[Thomaso]

Lovely piece on .net by someone watching.

 

 

NAE NOOKIE 12:18 PM Today

Interesting 2nd episode.

 

Even at the time Gretna were at their height can there have been any fans who weren't asking the question, how can a club from a town of 3,000 people with no wider large population in proximity sustain itself as a premier league club? ... there was no chance that they would ever survive the demise of Mileson.

 

As for Hearts ....... It would be churlish to deny that when it came to the crunch their fans stepped up in impressive numbers. But what they have to accept is that it became necessary for them to do that because they had ignored the writing on the wall for years, even when their own players were asking questions they ignored it, even when chairmen of other clubs were asking where Hearts were getting the money from they ignored it. When fans of other clubs, not just us, were asking questions they ignored it.

They without doubt were a huge factor in saving the club ... but the unpalatable truth is that they were as responsible for the fact that it needed saving as mad Vlad was.

 

The biggest myth surrounding Hearts continues to be dutifully regurgitated by the media and that is that the club is fan owned or on the way to being fan owned. If they mean its owned by a Hearts fan they are right. If they mean its owned by the wider Hearts support they are wrong, they don't own a bloody stick and after years of pouring in money they still don't own so much as a light bulb and with them being asked to help fund this proposed new stand from FOH contributions it will be years before that process even starts.

The money they are putting in is financing the club, but for that money they receive nothing in return apart from having a club to support .... they will pay to upgrade the ground, but once that is done and Hearts finally begin the process to pass the club over to the fans they will still have to pay for the privilege of owning what they have already paid for.

 

Hibs fans own north of 20% of Hibs but the club isn't fan owned, Hearts fans own nothing of Hearts and yet the media tout it as a model of fan ownership .... Its a funny old world.

 

 

 

 

So our money we pour into the club is not doing anything but fund a new stand and we'll be paying for nothing but a club we already paid for......Right.

 

See that squad we have that's challenging in the upper ends of the premier league? That's funded by us and will continue to be funded by us as we go on to great success in the future.

 

 

 

Now do you see that club still languishing in the championship? That's all your 20% has got you so far.

 

They always need a Hearts 'sookie blanket' to cling on to!

[The Treasurer]

Lovely piece on .net by someone watching.

 

 

NAE NOOKIE 12:18 PM Today

Interesting 2nd episode.

 

Even at the time Gretna were at their height can there have been any fans who weren't asking the question, how can a club from a town of 3,000 people with no wider large population in proximity sustain itself as a premier league club? ... there was no chance that they would ever survive the demise of Mileson.

 

As for Hearts ....... It would be churlish to deny that when it came to the crunch their fans stepped up in impressive numbers. But what they have to accept is that it became necessary for them to do that because they had ignored the writing on the wall for years, even when their own players were asking questions they ignored it, even when chairmen of other clubs were asking where Hearts were getting the money from they ignored it. When fans of other clubs, not just us, were asking questions they ignored it.

They without doubt were a huge factor in saving the club ... but the unpalatable truth is that they were as responsible for the fact that it needed saving as mad Vlad was.

 

The biggest myth surrounding Hearts continues to be dutifully regurgitated by the media and that is that the club is fan owned or on the way to being fan owned. If they mean its owned by a Hearts fan they are right. If they mean its owned by the wider Hearts support they are wrong, they don't own a bloody stick and after years of pouring in money they still don't own so much as a light bulb and with them being asked to help fund this proposed new stand from FOH contributions it will be years before that process even starts.

The money they are putting in is financing the club, but for that money they receive nothing in return apart from having a club to support .... they will pay to upgrade the ground, but once that is done and Hearts finally begin the process to pass the club over to the fans they will still have to pay for the privilege of owning what they have already paid for.

 

Hibs fans own north of 20% of Hibs but the club isn't fan owned, Hearts fans own nothing of Hearts and yet the media tout it as a model of fan ownership .... Its a funny old world.

 

 

 

 

 

Don't know about anyone else, but  I make my monthly contribution to FoH  for exactly that reason

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

Don't know about anyone else, but I make my monthly contribution to FoH for exactly that reason

Correct