The Pieman.

[Coco]

Nonsense, no Hearts supporter would have done the things he done:(

 

It is still possible for VR to do worse things than the Pieman actually did.

 

And while the Pieman was a Hearts supporter, VR isn't.

[Coco]

The " not fit for purpose" was a calculated Lie, by a conman trying to fool us.

 

The pie man was not trying to smooth over the lack of cash issue, he had commited to sell Tynecastle to A builder, ( i think it cost Vlad around 100k in costs to undo the contract) this was done to save piemans skin, get his hands on 20 million and dump us at Murrayfield is tenants.

 

 

I think it is possible that the rush to sell Tynecastle was because the Pieman had personal guarantees to the bank. The Pieman did pick the top of the property market well - he probably got peak value for the site!

 

But the reason behind the sale was because the Pieman had sanctioned too much money to Levein for players. The players were paid too much. And there were never any cuts. So far Romanov has paid the players too much, but has made cuts since then so perhaps it will not end with the sale of the stadium this time.

[Munch]

It is still possible for VR to do worse things than the Pieman actually did.

 

And while the Pieman was a Hearts supporter, VR isn't.

 

Well at least this thread is not about a new manager which is refreshing too say the least.

 

Bottom line Pieman is still getting Abuse from me and im near the Directors box where he sits.

[Coco]

Well at least this thread is not about a new manager which is refreshing too say the least.

 

Bottom line Pieman is still getting Abuse from me and im near the Directors box where he sits.

 

I think it was possible for there to be an alternative at the time. Massive cuts in the player budget, tart up the main stand, get rid of the 'Executives' ie the Pieman, try to raise a bit of capital, negotiate with the Bank to trade bit by bit out of debt. However, the Pieman was unwilling to face the wrath of the fans by getting rid of the expensive players - and chose the only other option at the time which was to sell the only other asset.

 

I think he took the wrong choice - to sell the stand rather than the players - and we are suffering for it now (though obviously 2005-6 was fun while it lasted).

[Munch]

I think it was possible for there to be an alternative at the time. Massive cuts in the player budget, tart up the main stand, get rid of the 'Executives' ie the Pieman, try to raise a bit of capital, negotiate with the Bank to trade bit by bit out of debt. However, the Pieman was unwilling to face the wrath of the fans by getting rid of the expensive players - and chose the only other option at the time which was to sell the only other asset.

 

I think he took the wrong choice - to sell the stand rather than the players - and we are suffering for it now (though obviously 2005-6 was fun while it lasted).

 

Funny thing is i spoke to him back in 99, and i asked him about the old stand, he actually came out with a good idea, he said he was going to do a similar scheme to the 500 club.

 

He was talking about it being a 1000 club, at the time i thought yes that could work.

 

Wonder why he never seen it through.

[lou]

Funny thing is i spoke to him back in 99, and i asked him about the old stand, he actually came out with a good idea, he said he was going to do a similar scheme to the 500 club.

 

He was talking about it being a 1000 club, at the time i thought yes that could work.

 

Wonder why he never seen it through.

 

Because he wanted to get the money and run

[CornhillHearts]

Your a complete f u d McGee

[Munch]

Your a complete f u d McGee

 

ITS ALL THE PIEMANS FAULT.:mad:

[brownkg]

It is still possible for VR to do worse things than the Pieman actually did.

 

And while the Pieman was a Hearts supporter, VR isn't.

 

NO NO NO it is not possible for VR do do worse things because we had sold the ground to line CPR's pockets even more and he was marching off into the sunset with a big cheque and ne'er a backward glance at us playing as tennants of Murrayfield slowly bleeding to an ultimate death. The only good to come out of that was SOH which at least showed anumber of fans were willing to try and do something constructive.

Should VR go down the same road, and surely that is a great big IF because no one will buy HMFC out with all the debt he has acrrued to his own companies , then the SOH2 that would arise would be better organised and prepared.

And before the brickabt start flying from the people who have nothing better to snipe that somebody was paid for SOH work ask yourself if you are rich enough to give up your work for 6 months to run a campaign to save HMFC

[ando]

NO NO NO it is not possible for VR do do worse things because we had sold the ground to line CPR's pockets even more and he was marching off into the sunset with a big cheque and ne'er a backward glance at us playing as tennants of Murrayfield slowly bleeding to an ultimate death. The only good to come out of that was SOH which at least showed anumber of fans were willing to try and do something constructive.

Should VR go down the same road, and surely that is a great big IF because no one will buy HMFC out with all the debt he has acrrued to his own companies , then the SOH2 that would arise would be better organised and prepared.

And before the brickabt start flying from the people who have nothing better to snipe that somebody was paid for SOH work ask yourself if you are rich enough to give up your work for 6 months to run a campaign to save HMFC

who gave up work ?

[Imeantasong]

Chris Robinson stands accused of being a Hearts fan with lofty ambitions for the club.

He overspent in the quest for glory ( as did many other chairmen ), just ask Motherwell, Livingston, Dundee, Airdrie, Leeds, Nottingham Forest......... and the rest. If you look at the level of debt accrued in these years you can include Celtic, Rangers and even Hibs.

 

At least we won a Scottish Cup under his tenure.

 

He sold a very successful company ( Wheatsheaf catering) in order to invest in Hearts and chase his dream.

 

If he had kept his head down, bought a season ticket every year and continued with his very successful company, he would be better off, less stressed, free from abuse and probably live five years longer.

 

The fact he still turns out every week to watch the club he loves says it all.

And a big ego didn't come into it?

 

And he was always less than totally arrogant in his dealings with the fans?

 

I agree other clubs were over-spending too, and ambition is something we all want.

 

He also had a knack for looking and sounding like he was talking down to everyone including previous business partners. Probably because he was.

 

He certainly didn't appear to listen.

[JamboAl]

I think it is possible that the rush to sell Tynecastle was because the Pieman had personal guarantees to the bank. The Pieman did pick the top of the property market well - he probably got peak value for the site!

 

But the reason behind the sale was because the Pieman had sanctioned too much money to Levein for players. The players were paid too much. And there were never any cuts. So far Romanov has paid the players too much, but has made cuts since then so perhaps it will not end with the sale of the stadium this time.

 

Think you're a bit off the beam there. Levein was appointed Head Coach, not manager, and was subjected annually to CUTS!

We won the cup in '98 with JJ and Robinson speculated to accumulate on the back of this basing his sums on a crowd increase. Instead,the following season the crowd decreased and that was the start of the downward spiral. People like Stephane Adam were given better contracts, a move which most supporters would have backed at the time, or we would have lost them. He never recovered.

[Imeantasong]

Think you're a bit off the beam there. Levein was appointed Head Coach, not manager, and was subjected annually to CUTS!

We won the cup in '98 with JJ and Robinson speculated to accumulate on the back of this basing his sums on a crowd increase. Instead,the following season the crowd decreased and that was the start of the downward spiral. People like Stephane Adam were given better contracts, a move which most supporters would have backed at the time, or we would have lost them. He never recovered.

Crowds certainly didn't increase as expected, as prices were going up due to the new stands also.

 

We froze season ticket prices if bought before the cup final, and increased the price after that. No probs there.

 

I think it was a bit unlucky our first trophy win came at that time as the expected surge in crowds didn't happen due to financial factors, not exactly in the board's control.

 

Bear in mind also that 500 Club members got their money back plus ?100, in ?100 per season instalments. That meant a lot of season tickets (probably) being sold at ?100 under value for 6 years.

 

Like I said, the money men should have been taking these factors into account when projecting income. That seems to be where the failings started.

 

I can see what the previous poster meant about the Pieman showing a bit ambition, but if it was a manager who failed so badly...?

 

He just wouldn't admit early enough.

[david mcgee]

And a big ego didn't come into it?

 

And he was always less than totally arrogant in his dealings with the fans?

 

I agree other clubs were over-spending too, and ambition is something we all want.

 

He also had a knack for looking and sounding like he was talking down to everyone including previous business partners. Probably because he was.

 

He certainly didn't appear to listen.

 

Wouldnt disagree with anything you say.

I have already said he was no hero.

 

His PR was non existant, now we have a boss that listens and then does the exact opposite.

 

He does however employ a PR man who makes coco the clown look like Jeremy Paxman.

[JamboAl]

Crowds certainly didn't increase as expected, as prices were going up due to the new stands also.

 

We froze season ticket prices if bought before the cup final, and increased the price after that. No probs there.

 

I think it was a bit unlucky our first trophy win came at that time as the expected surge in crowds didn't happen due to financial factors, not exactly in the board's control.

 

Bear in mind also that 500 Club members got their money back plus ?100, in ?100 per season instalments. That meant a lot of season tickets (probably) being sold at ?100 under value for 6 years.

 

Like I said, the money men should have been taking these factors into account when projecting income. That seems to be where the failings started.

 

I can see what the previous poster meant about the Pieman showing a bit ambition, but if it was a manager who failed so badly...?

 

He just wouldn't admit early enough.

 

Because the capital given by fans went to the new stand we were effectively losing ?600 over the period at the gate for everyone who contributed. The money men should have taken these factors into account but it is crystal gazing: you make best guesses which ultimately prove to be right or wrong. Had they been right we would have been hailing them as geniuses. Robinson gave it his best shot and he was proved wrong. He eventually got out of his depth but I believe his Heart was in the right place. Whether he should have taken such a salary in the circumstances is a different matter.

[david mcgee]

Because the capital given by fans went to the new stand we were effectively losing ?600 over the period at the gate for everyone who contributed. The money men should have taken these factors into account but it is crystal gazing: you make best guesses which ultimately prove to be right or wrong. Had they been right we would have been hailing them as geniuses. Robinson gave it his best shot and he was proved wrong. He eventually got out of his depth but I believe his Heart was in the right place. Whether he should have taken such a salary in the circumstances is a different matter.

 

Totally agree with your comments, I would only surmise that he upped his salary in the last couple of years because he realised his dream was over and he had to recoup his outlay.

[Munch]

Because the capital given by fans went to the new stand we were effectively losing ?600 over the period at the gate for everyone who contributed. The money men should have taken these factors into account but it is crystal gazing: you make best guesses which ultimately prove to be right or wrong. Had they been right we would have been hailing them as geniuses. Robinson gave it his best shot and he was proved wrong. He eventually got out of his depth but I believe his Heart was in the right place. Whether he should have taken such a salary in the circumstances is a different matter.

 

He was for sure out of his depth, he ran the club into the ground, took a hefty wage whilst doing it, then tried to punt the stadium to get 20 odd million, then he sold us out to Vlad for a chunky profit.

 

I know where he sits.

[kissthebadge]

Too many comments are off the mark here. Robinson was CEO of a plc, he also had a significant stake in the club. This stake was personal. His salary at the time was in-keeping if not below market rate for somebody in that position.

 

He can be blamed to a degree for the mess we ended up in prior to the sale of tynecastle however selling the land was the only viable option.

 

It was HBOS who were calling-in the debt and given the personal guarantees at stake, selling the ground was inevitable.

 

Remember it was CPR who help bring VR in and get his feet under the table. The HBOS debt was taken over by UBIG et al and thus removed the need to sell the ground.

 

CPR's attitude towards the fans was poor however he cannot be called "a liar", especially when you pair him up against Romanov!

 

It is beyond me why people would rather hurl abuse at CPR than Romanov. It's probably because one continues to attend games whilst the other sits in another country playing Football Manager.

 

.

[ando]

Too many comments are off the mark here. Robinson was CEO of a plc, he also had a significant stake in the club. This stake was personal. His salary at the time was in-keeping if not below market rate for somebody in that position.

 

He can be blamed to a degree for the mess we ended up in prior to the sale of tynecastle however selling the land was the only viable option.

 

It was HBOS who were calling-in the debt and given the personal guarantees at stake, selling the ground was inevitable.

 

Remember it was CPR who help bring VR in and get his feet under the table. The HBOS debt was taken over by UBIG et al and thus removed the need to sell the ground.

 

CPR's attitude towards the fans was poor however he cannot be called "a liar", especially when you pair him up against Romanov!

 

It is beyond me why people would rather hurl abuse at CPR than Romanov. It's probably because one continues to attend games whilst the other sits in another country playing Football Manager.

 

.

 

yes he can be called a liar

[kissthebadge]

yes he can be called a liar

 

Fair enough, I should have said "as much of a liar". Still, in comparison to our current regime?.

[Eggo]

Thinking back on last season when the team was going through rough times, it was murder having no one in the stand to direct abuse at,if the same happens this coming season, I for one will vent my anger at the Pieman, this fat oaf still sits in the Directors box in his free seat.

So if no one from Lithoania is there its the pieman who gets the abuse because this in my opinion is all his fault.

 

Should i get the tin hat on, or anyone else feel the same?

 

 

That would put the ball right into his court,as he would look on that as celebrity status....which he craved all along in his time at Hearts.

[MacDonald Jardine]

Too many comments are off the mark here. Robinson was CEO of a plc, he also had a significant stake in the club. This stake was personal. His salary at the time was in-keeping if not below market rate for somebody in that position.

 

He can be blamed to a degree for the mess we ended up in prior to the sale of tynecastle however selling the land was the only viable option.

 

It was HBOS who were calling-in the debt and given the personal guarantees at stake, selling the ground was inevitable.

 

Remember it was CPR who help bring VR in and get his feet under the table. The HBOS debt was taken over by UBIG et al and thus removed the need to sell the ground.

 

CPR's attitude towards the fans was poor however he cannot be called "a liar", especially when you pair him up against Romanov!

 

It is beyond me why people would rather hurl abuse at CPR than Romanov. It's probably because one continues to attend games whilst the other sits in another country playing Football Manager.

 

.

 

That was always his argument.

It may well have been below market rate for a competent CE.

For him?

[Frankenstein Jambo.]

Totally agree with your comments, I would only surmise that he upped his salary in the last couple of years because he realised his dream was over and he had to recoup his outlay.

 

At Hearts expense!

[Therapist]

he cannot be called "a liar",

 

I attended the egm when Jim Clydesdale's comments suggested he is.

 

 

 

 

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/spl/Tynecastle-sale-gets-goahead.2564149.jp

[kissthebadge]

I attended the egm when Jim Clydesdale's comments suggested he is.

 

 

 

 

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/spl/Tynecastle-sale-gets-goahead.2564149.jp

 

 

As was I. I seem to remember at the time that it was the various 'advisers' who told Robinson that the pitch couldn't be lengthened. Given that the man has spent most of his working life in the catering industry, I can't imagine he was an authority in architecture.

 

That being said, it doesn't excuse the fact Robinson made the statement. Whether it was a bare-faced lie is another thing.

[Munch]

That would put the ball right into his court,as he would look on that as celebrity status....which he craved all along in his time at Hearts.

 

Not with the abuse he is going to get, he is going to wish he was never born:mad:

[Munch]

I attended the egm when Jim Clydesdale's comments suggested he is.

 

 

 

 

http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/spl/Tynecastle-sale-gets-goahead.2564149.jp

 

I was there as well, and i know Jim Clydesdale through work, he just laughed when i asked him if the Pieman knew, the stadium could be altered at a minimum expense to meet UEFA Standards.

[Munch]

It is still possible for VR to do worse things than the Pieman actually did.

 

And while the Pieman was a Hearts supporter, VR isn't.

 

The jury is still out on Vlad, The pieman was convicted and found guilty as charged of daylight robbery.:mad:

[Eggo]

Not with the abuse he is going to get, he is going to wish he was never born:mad:

 

 

 

LETS HOPE THE FAT ****EHOUSE GETS IT TIGHT:mad:

[Munch]

LETS HOPE THE FAT ****EHOUSE GETS IT TIGHT:mad:

 

The pieman has not had any abuse for a while, its time to make this fat greedy/swidler/liars life a misery again.:mad:

 

I know where he sits.

[Colonel Kurtz]

The pieman has not had any abuse for a while, its time to make this fat greedy/swidler/liars life a misery again.:mad:

 

I know where he sits.

 

Thgere is an empty seat in the front row most weeks,The Russian Robbers

Nyet Romanov

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

Nonsense, no Hearts supporter would have done the things he done:(

 

OK, lou, you are the Chief Executive.

 

You know that the only access to funding the club on a going concern is to indicate to the bank that you will realise the primary asset, otherwise administration is on the cards.

 

Now you also know that trading while insolvent is illegal and can put you in the tin.

 

What do you do?

 

Robinson had no option but to realise the asset but[/b what he also should have done was resign due to his incompetence and, along with other shareholders, seek a capital injection. However, he was restricted in that with the covenant that both he and Deans signed with SMG.

 

Those aren't excuses for him, it was a synopsis of the situation.

 

What happened then, of course, was a political battle rather than anything to do with the interests of HMFC. Not one of the so-called Hearts "monied" supporters came out with any credit.

[Munch]

OK, lou, you are the Chief Executive.

 

You know that the only access to funding the club on a going concern is to indicate to the bank that you will realise the primary asset, otherwise administration is on the cards.

 

Now you also know that trading while insolvent is illegal and can put you in the tin.

 

What do you do?

 

Robinson had no option but to realise the asset but[/b what he also should have done was resign due to his incompetence and, along with other shareholders, seek a capital injection. However, he was restricted in that with the covenant that both he and Deans signed with SMG.

 

Those aren't excuses for him, it was a synopsis of the situation.

 

What happened then, of course, was a political battle rather than anything to do with the interests of HMFC. Not one of the so-called Hearts "monied" supporters came out with any credit.

 

Fair point, However the pieman bashed on with accepting the SMG Money, against Les Deans advice, hence there fall out, the SMG Money was the doomsday scenario because they had the option to get it back in either funds or shares, pieman never considered they would ask for it back in cash, the interest payments were making the debt higher and higher.

 

Total mismanagement, he should NOT BE ALLOWED to darken our door step again.

[vilenin]

The jury is still out on Vlad,

 

It's becoming increasingly hard to believe that the jury hasn't found Romanov guilty yet. The Pieman was an arrogant arse with the world's most punchable face, but Romanov will destroy the club entirely before he's finished.

[doctor jambo]

The board should have removed CPR- end of

They didnt

hmmmm, what do we have now?

[NoseLikeMahe]

He came in and spent money the club did not have to win the Scottish cup and then when he realised he was in over his head - he tried to flog the stadium.

 

He is a money grabbing bassa and he always will be.

 

 

Pop quiz... Who was he talking about?

 

The only difference is one of them is only part way through that process.