Q&A session with CEO Ann Budge - ANSWERS.

[redjambo]

Great answers.

 

Good to see that the corner sections, or lack thereof, were mentioned as early as Q7, but shame that the question wasn't asked directly. I know that there are many supporters, if not the majority, who will not rest easily until the question of the corner sections is resolved once and for all.

[davemclaren]

3 minutes ago, redjambo said:

Great answers.

 

Good to see that the corner sections, or lack thereof, were mentioned as early as Q7, but shame that the question wasn't asked directly. I know that there are many supporters, if not the majority, who will not rest easily until the question of the corner sections is resolved once and for all.

?

[scott herbertson]

Thanks for all the hard work that went into setting this up and producing this excellent write up.

 

Re the joint club shop I would think about getting the SRU in as well. Lots of money to be made on six nations week.

[westbow]

"The ball-park estimate for this is approximately £1M" 

[SwindonJambo]

A very big thanks from me for setting all this up and to Ann herself for the answers.  These Q & A sessions are a big help to we long distance'ers to know what's going on.  I hope Ann sticks around for as long as possible.  It's good to see that she's someone prepared to listen and change plan if a better option becomes available or obvious such as keeping the offices in the Wheatfield when it was only intended to be temporary.  We are so lucky to have her and that she's willing to do all she does when she could quite easily swan about the World on her yacht enjoying a leisurely retirement.  Top lass!

 

We could however be doing with better player recruitment and a better product on the park but that's to state the bleeding obvious.

[redjambo]

4 minutes ago, scott herbertson said:

Thanks for all the hard work that went into setting this up and producing this excellent write up.

 

Re the joint club shop I would think about getting the SRU in as well. Lots of money to be made on six nations week.

 

Now that is a *great* idea. I'm not sure how the profit-sharing would work - perhaps each stakeholder would only get income related to their own products, but it would certainly get more punters in the door, and that's more punters who could decide to buy our kit and merchandise.

[OTT]

If a joint shop could be set up my preference would be with the SRU - As I think there would be prestige attached to being sold alongside the National team (albeit rugby).

 

Regardless, good idea. Can only be to the benefit of HMFC  

[Don Dan]

2 hours ago, Maple Leaf said:

I stipulated at the start of the build that I wanted to put in extra ladies toilets but within weeks of the stand opening we had to convert two ladies toilets into men's facilities due to complaints over the poor “people flow” in the gents

 

 

As long as it was only people flow and not something like the water fall in the old Shed!! 

[Don Dan]

2 hours ago, Maple Leaf said:

We have no bank loans or external debt, and of course, we must mention that we have a set of benefactors who continue to support the club

 

 

We really are running this club properly. 

[droid]

I know it’s been done to death, but I wonder if the mysterious investors will ever come to light.

i suspect Ann’s one of them.

[Nookie Bear]

Decent stuff - there should probably be a different Q&A with Levein to get a better idea of the footballing side, but that's unlikely (and i doubt it would reveal much tbh)

 

Seeing Hearts fans so agreeable to a joint shop with hibs is a little depressing, but each to their own.

[Nookie Bear]

34 minutes ago, Boab said:

Good read but as regards Q32, you can do something about it, Ann.

You can cut allocations. 

To say there is nothing we can do is not the right answer. Be hard on the people who deserve it.

 

Yeah, basically confirmed we will treat our own fans more harshly than away fans.

[Elmore]

Thanks to everyone involved for the effort put in.  The utilisation of the exhibition looks like it could be a little gold mine for us. With things being so good off the field, I suppose that adds to us being a bit impatient to what's happening football wise.  With Ann Budge and the fans the club is in very safe hands.  Mistakes will always be made, here's hoping are learning from them and get the recruitment side of things right.  That and a bit more offensive football.  It's great reading what's happening to the club.  Right ya hobo bassas, enjoy what you've got just now.  In about eighteen months, it'll be back to real natural order.  Aberdeen are going to be stifled for about five yeas while they build their new stadium.  Rangers are due to implode any day now and that just leaves Celtic to catch.  The 4-0 means that anythings possible with more positive football.  So feck them as well.  It feels a lot better than it did after the Hibs game.  Yes!  Bring on next season.  

 

Ps. Top six this season so we can beat Hibs at home and show them what's around the corner. 

[1953]

Thanks to all involved with this. cheers.

[D4nny_]

Fantastic work guys, great work as always!

[Elmore]

17 minutes ago, Nookie Bear said:

Decent stuff - there should probably be a different Q&A with Levein to get a better idea of the footballing side, but that's unlikely (and i doubt it would reveal much tbh)

 

Seeing Hearts fans so agreeable to a joint shop with hibs is a little depressing, but each to their own.

Exactly. You'd feel like the stuff you bought would be infected in some way. Let them get a stall at east fortune market.  Money's not that important.  keep away from them. 

[Maple Leaf]

13 minutes ago, droid said:

I know it’s been done to death, but I wonder if the mysterious investors will ever come to light.

i suspect Ann’s one of them.

 

Ann was asked about this during the meeting, and she said that the benefactors wish to remain anonymous. 

[Nookie Bear]

4 minutes ago, Elmore said:

Exactly. You'd feel like the stuff you bought would be infected in some way. Let them get a stalk at east fortune market.  Money's not that important.  keep away from them. 

 

I just do not see the benefit for us.

 

Maybe we could just start selling our shirt in normal sports shops?

[iainmac]

1 minute ago, Nookie Bear said:

 

I just do not see the benefit for us.

 

Maybe we could just start selling our shirt in normal sports shops?

 

We'd only have to pay 50% of the rent? 

[Nookie Bear]

Just now, iainmac said:

 

We'd only have to pay 50% of the rent? 

 

Yep.

 

But i don't like cosy relationships with hibs. Sorry if i am being a short-sighted dinosaur, but that club detests us and we seem awfully keen to work with them. Feck 'em.

[redjambo]

Just now, Nookie Bear said:

 

Yep.

 

But i don't like cosy relationships with hibs. Sorry if i am being a short-sighted dinosaur, but that club detests us and we seem awfully keen to work with them. Feck 'em.

 

It doesn't need to be "cosy". The relationship can be hard-nosed commercial. If it generates income, all to the good.

 

[Unknown user]

1 minute ago, Nookie Bear said:

 

Yep.

 

But i don't like cosy relationships with hibs. Sorry if i am being a short-sighted dinosaur, but that club detests us and we seem awfully keen to work with them. Feck 'em.

Celtic and the rangers despise each other but them and their predecessors have a long history of collusion, I mean cooperation. 

[sairyinthat]

good and informative read that.Thanks to all concerned.

[iainmac]

4 minutes ago, Nookie Bear said:

 

Yep.

 

But i don't like cosy relationships with hibs. Sorry if i am being a short-sighted dinosaur, but that club detests us and we seem awfully keen to work with them. Feck 'em.

 

We already have a relationship with them on things like this. 

 

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/edinburgh-cheer-take-the-pledge-and-spread-christmas-cheer-across-the-capital-1-4627026

[Don Dan]

2 hours ago, Maple Leaf said:

When we took over in 2014, we had to attend a lot of meetings to prove we could run a financially viable football club. There is no reason to think Rangers are being treated any differently from any other team in that respect.

 

Maybe for the dedicate Soap Opera thread but from what I've seen Sevco are not a viable club.

[Don Dan]

2 hours ago, Maple Leaf said:

We need to view Heart of Midlothian as two businesses; or one business with two parts. One, is the football operation, which needs continued investment to keep improving. Two is the non-football business which also needs continued investment to keep building the business and helping it to grow. 

 

Maybe this is an area where once we've paid Ann back any continuation of FoH pledges could be used in one or both of these businesses.

[Elmore]

6 minutes ago, Nookie Bear said:

 

Yep.

 

But i don't like cosy relationships with hibs. Sorry if i am being a short-sighted dinosaur, but that club detests us and we seem awfully keen to work with them. Feck 'em.

Exactly!  They weren't that forth coming with congratulating us when we came out of admin. That was the club not the fans. The attitude of their fans during that period speaks for itself. I'd rather stay away from them. 

[Nookie Bear]

4 minutes ago, iainmac said:

 

We already have a relationship with them on things like this. 

 

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/edinburgh-cheer-take-the-pledge-and-spread-christmas-cheer-across-the-capital-1-4627026

 

Bit different when it comes to that kind of thing.

[EH11]

Thanks for taking the time and effort to pull the info together, appreciated.

[Deans Jambo]

1 hour ago, kila said:

Interesting read.

 

TV studio plans are different again then? They had applied for planning permission to build a studio in the pylon by the Roseburn end. To lose rows of seats in the new stand because of a TV studio being added at the top is a bit ridiculous though. Quite a lot hadn't been thought about enough (directors entrance, toilet design etc), though at least they are looking to try fix that and budgeting for it.

 

 

 

 

Harps back to the planning. Football stadiums don't require rocket science thinking. Simply having directors and corporate entrances at the back of the stand were obvious to most when the stand design was first seen.

 

For me the back of the stand/3rd floor should have been where the main suites were located and we also could have had corporate boxes with glass windows or sliding doors to the seating. One of these would have been a tv studio as it seems were getting now. 

 

Hindsight I suppose but like I say not rocket science. 

[Big Moysey]

Great work from all involved thanks. 

Good idea to involve others in a shop. You could have a big section for HMFC and SRU and a wee section for Edinburgh City and Hibs ??

[GavK1012]

Excellent read ??

[Buffalo Bill]

There’s only so much Ann would answer on the football side of things but she was positive about next season and the fact is, we will need to sign about nine new players this summer, so a Levein Q&A would be very useful. 

 

The main thing I took from the Q&A was the positive news on expected money generated from the new stand and the projected increase of turnover. When Dave and I interviewed Ann back in 2014, our turnover was £7M. Aberdeen’s was £14M. Our turnover is now £12M and is expected to rise to £15M in two years time. Aberdeen meanwhile, will need to find at least £50M from somewhere if they want to move to a field in the arse-end of nowhere. 

 

Aberdeen have, to their credit, been steady-Eddies over the last five years. We’ve been all over the place with administration, relegation, promotion, managerial-experimentation and stadium reconstruction. Where we are at this moment in time is a place where we’ve never been before because since 2014, we have been evolving, business-wise and we’ll continue to evolve until the new stand is completed and we start to generate a new and vastly improved income streams from it. 

 

The increase in turnover is therefore essential. Ann said that we will always limit ourselves to a % of the turnover to football budget (wages). Therefore, you increase the turnover. The new stand will be churning out profits in 2020. At the same time, FoH income flows directly into the club. 

 

I’ve no idea what nine players Levein will sign this summer, but I do hope that 2018/19 will be be better than season 2017/18. This season had its moments, but ultimately ended in disappointment. 

 

But as a club, we are building towards 2020, where I fully expect us to be in a very good place, both on and off the hybrid pitch. 

 

.

 

[Hendricks]

4 minutes ago, Buffalo Bill said:

There’s only so much Ann would answer on the football side of things but she was positive about next season and the fact is, we will need to sign about nine new players this summer, so a Levein Q&A would be very useful. 

 

The main thing I took from the Q&A was the positive news on expected money generated from the new stand and the projected increase of turnover. When Dave and I interviewed Ann back in 2014, our turnover was £7M. Aberdeen’s was £14M. Our turnover is now £12M and is expected to rise to £15M in two years time. Aberdeen meanwhile, will need to find at least £50M from somewhere if they want to move to a field in the arse-end of nowhere. 

 

Aberdeen have, to their credit, been steady-Eddies over the last five years. We’ve been all over the place with administration, relegation, promotion, managerial-experimentation and stadium reconstruction. Where we are at this moment in time is a place where we’ve never been before because since 2014, we have been evolving, business-wise and we’ll continue to evolve until the new stand is completed and we start to generate a new and vastly improved income streams from it. 

 

The increase in turnover is therefore essential. Ann said that we will always limit ourselves to a % of the turnover to football budget (wages). Therefore, you increase the turnover. The new stand will be churning out profits in 2020. At the same time, FoH income flows directly into the club. 

 

I’ve no idea what nine players Levein will sign this summer, but I do hope that 2018/19 will be be better than season 2017/18. This season had its moments, but ultimately ended in disappointment. 

 

But as a club, we are building towards 2020, where I fully expect us to be in a very good place, both on and off the hybrid pitch. 

 

.

 

 

Cheers for this. 

 

Is it your view that the ‘9 players’ include possibly retaining the likes of Mitchell and Naismith in that number or in addition to the existing squad? For instance if big Jon,  Mitchell, Adao, Milinkovic and Naismith all return to parent clubs / leave (as well as a good few others) are we looking at 5 to replace them plus 4 more or could a couple of them remain with the addition of 9 more? I know things are going to be fluid but curious if we are largely just replacing those who will depart or going to be significantly stronger by keeping some and adding a number of new bodies too. 

[All Out Attack]

Good work guys

[Buffalo Bill]

23 minutes ago, Hendricks said:

 

Cheers for this. 

 

Is it your view that the ‘9 players’ include possibly retaining the likes of Mitchell and Naismith in that number or in addition to the existing squad? For instance if big Jon,  Mitchell, Adao, Milinkovic and Naismith all return to parent clubs / leave (as well as a good few others) are we looking at 5 to replace them plus 4 more or could a couple of them remain with the addition of 9 more? I know things are going to be fluid but curious if we are largely just replacing those who will depart or going to be significantly stronger by keeping some and adding a number of new bodies too. 

 

I would imagine if we somehow retained (or re-signed) the five players you mentioned then we’d only need to bring in another four. 

 

This is just my feeling, but I reckon we’ll sign 10 this summer (which might include one or two from your post above). Levein has historically understated the number of signings we’ve required. 

 

.

[Hendricks]

5 minutes ago, Buffalo Bill said:

 

I would imagine if we somehow retained (or re-signed) the five players you mentioned then we’d only need to bring in another four. 

 

This is just my feeling, but I reckon we’ll sign 10 this summer (which might include one or two from your post above). Levein has historically understated the number of signings we’ve required. 

 

.

 

 

[Buffalo Bill]

The quantity of signings is one thing. The quality is another. Again, going back to Aberdeen (which in terms of league consistency has been the benchmark): they have hoovered up a lot of players I’d love to have seen us sign during the last five years. 

 

What we need is to get to that place where we don’t need to sign nine players every summer. Buying better, more expensive, consistent players is key to that. There is a marketplace above, just slightly out of reach for now. 

 

When we get to that market, we should be in position to get to cup finals, challenge for trophies and put up a decent fight in the league. 

 

Next season wont have the upheaval of Cathro, and the Murrayfield flit. I think we’ll see something approaching a tougher, classic Levein side. But I still think it will be something of a stepping-stone season, but at least heading in the right direction. Just my opinion.  

[Unknown user]

1 minute ago, Buffalo Bill said:

The quantity of signings is one thing. The quality is another. Again, going back to Aberdeen (which in terms of league consistency has been the benchmark): they have hoovered up a lot of players I’d love to have seen us sign during the last five years. 

 

What we need is to get to that place where we don’t need to sign nine players every summer. Buying better, more expensive, consistent players is key to that. There is a marketplace above, just slightly out of reach for now. 

 

When we get to that market, we should be in position to get to cup finals, challenge for trophies and put up a decent fight in the league. 

 

Next season wont have the upheaval of Cathro, and the Murrayfield flit. I think we’ll see something approaching a tougher, classic Levein side. But I still think it will be something of a stepping-stone season, but at least heading in the right direction. Just my opinion.  

Players like Berra, McLaughlin, Lafferty, Naismith and Adao are surely good examples of the next step up in quality. If 4 of that 5 are still here next season and we can add similar or better, it could be a good year. 

[feedthefox]

A great job well done, thanks to all who helped pull that together.

[wavydavy]

Thanks for the trouble you guys went to especially typing that lot out must have been a chore.

 

Am I right in thinking that the Police Viewing Box was previously going to be removed rather than as AB said is now staying in situ but being scaled back?

[primrose]

Well done everyone.  A fantastic effort.

[Kiwidoug]

New players coming in think Riccarton is terrific, the new stand and the stadium in general is brilliant and are blown away by the city centre.  Minor poetic license.

 

Sounds good but what about new players viewing  the farm, sighting the new east stand and then being taken on a tour of downtown Pilrig?

 

Hard to compete with that.  

 

Sarcastic humour I know but when you add the FoH, the comparison shows that we are lightyears ahead of our great friends.

[davemclaren]

24 minutes ago, wavydavy said:

Thanks for the trouble you guys went to especially typing that lot out must have been a chore.

 

Am I right in thinking that the Police Viewing Box was previously going to be removed rather than as AB said is now staying in situ but being scaled back?

Don’t think it was ever bring removed. 

[ford donald]

1 hour ago, Buffalo Bill said:

The quantity of signings is one thing. The quality is another. Again, going back to Aberdeen (which in terms of league consistency has been the benchmark): they have hoovered up a lot of players I’d love to have seen us sign during the last five years. 

 

What we need is to get to that place where we don’t need to sign nine players every summer. Buying better, more expensive, consistent players is key to that. There is a marketplace above, just slightly out of reach for now. 

 

When we get to that market, we should be in position to get to cup finals, challenge for trophies and put up a decent fight in the league. 

 

Next season wont have the upheaval of Cathro, and the Murrayfield flit. I think we’ll see something approaching a tougher, classic Levein side. But I still think it will be something of a stepping-stone season, but at least heading in the right direction. Just my opinion.  

 

The one thing I have noticed about Aberdeen,is they bring quality in,we have signed lots of lack of quality,not good enough.There is a big chance now to put that right.

[Crete]

Ann should be running the country as she has made a tremendous job at Hearts.

[Mundaydog]

As usual, good questions, well answered.

 

I think it would be good to know how bad it really was behind the scenes when the administrators were here and Mrs Budge came on board.

 

Reading those answers and thinking about things that have happened over the last few seasons it feels like in the background there was a massive fire that burnt everything to the ground and even now the board and the Hearts staff are still sifting through the ashes trying to work out whats still missing

[JamboGraham]

16 minutes ago, ford donald said:

 

The one thing I have noticed about Aberdeen,is they bring quality in,we have signed lots of lack of quality,not good enough.There is a big chance now to put that right.

 

I am sure I read that both Aberdeen and Motherwell have scouting teams permanently based in England looking at the lower Football League/National League. This policy does seem to be working for them both. Motherwell recruit well above their weight given available funds.

[Francis Albert]

I wasn't expecting much new to come out of this but in fact quite a bit has. Good Q&A and congrats to all involved including Ann.

 

But (you knew that was coming!) ... just a few immediate points

 

The stadium capacity of at least 20100 is now down to 20000, even before seats  are removed for the TV studio (is this a contractual requirement and does it have to be facing the pitch? Do all Premiership grounds have one and if not why do we have to? I'd be happy just to give them one of those desks at pitch side).  It is not a big discrepancy from what we were told before but it does mean we won't be seeing any 20,000 crowds at the new Tynie which is a shame. The answer on capacity also suggests that there was no absolute limit on capacity but it was constrained more by retaining the atmosphere and the uniformity of the four stands appearances. If possible and affordable I think I'd have sacrificed the aesthetics for a few more seats. On the question of future requirements I'd have liked a mention of the possibility of restricting away allocation in the Roseburn as we have in the past to meet Hearts fans demand ... but maybe this goes without saying.

 

The offices are staying under the Wheatfield, which sounds sensible. The club shop is moving across - good because having the shop inaccessible pre-match must be damaging revenue. There is no mention of whether the changing rooms and other Wheatfield undercroft facilities will move. If they are fit for purpose (which by all accounts they are) the same principle should perhaps apply as for the offices.

 

The redevelopment cost that we are now "looking at" is £15m versus the original budget of £11m + £1m contingency, with a substantial extension of timescale and reduction in scope.

 

BB says the new stand will be churning out money by 2020. But until a few months ago this was to be largely due to new hospitality facilities, which I always thought over-optimistic given that the Gorgie Suite does not regularly sell out. Now in another "lightbulb moment" we have decided the Gorgie Suite is in fact a better venue for the "Match Day Experience" than the newly designed main stand facilities, Instead we are scaling back hospitality facilities and relying on selling space to third parties for exhibitions and conferences and other third party  business uses. On what basis have we decided there is profitable demand for these things in a district of town in which commercial premises are not obviously prospering? (We have missed out on the funeral parlour which apparently is taking over Robbos).

 

I am surprised Ann is able to quote the basis on which future major decisions will be made on governance when FoH takes charge given that the governance arrangements arefar from finalised.

 

 

[Beats]

Good read that. Thanks Mrs Budge.

 

Also like to personally thank Dave, Redm and Bill for taking the time to go along to this and of course Maple Leaf for posting.