Bazzas right boot Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 6 hours ago, SectionDJambo said: If we mean having won 2 Scottish Cups under Romanov, including a 5-1 victory over Hibernian, then it is worse. If we mean things were more under control under Romanov, then maybe not. I think the managerial merry go round, the interference and almost going out of business is the issue with Romanov. The admin, hours from liquidation probably the biggy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taffin Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 27 minutes ago, kimosavi said: I do feel as distant with the club and its owners as i did back when Romanov was in charge Apart from that, well that's the only comparison i can see I feel more distant than ever. At least when Vlad hired a dreadful manager you knew he'd sack them soon enough 😂😂 Interestingly a lot of people seem to repeat the mantra that Craig is the problem, not Ann. Was Malofeev his fault or Vlad's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkirkhmfc1874 Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 13 minutes ago, Taffin said: I feel more distant than ever. At least when Vlad hired a dreadful manager you knew he'd sack them soon enough 😂😂 Interestingly a lot of people seem to repeat the mantra that Craig is the problem, not Ann. Was Malofeev his fault or Vlad's? Dreadful manager like george burley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoPo Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 8 hours ago, SpruceBringsteen said: 50% of the Romanov era was dugshite. 60% of the Robinson era was dugshite. I'd say about 40% of this era so far has been dugshite. So, er, nah tbh. 40% 😂😂🤦♂️🤦♂️ One Championship title does not equate to 60%. Try 70% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uilleam Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 in Ann Budge we have a person who fought to save our club used her own money and as she said her credit card to pay for items for the club we she deserves the respect of the supporters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Findlay Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 9 hours ago, Geoff Kilpatrick said: Mr Romanov was a winner. No he wasn't. The players were winners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamhammer Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 I enjoyed the rollercoaster then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voiceofreasonfortheseason Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 4 hours ago, i8hibsh said: I know under the humour and bravado our current situation is one better for Hearts. However, Hearts don't feel too much like Hearts anymore and I had more fun in 1 minute under Romanov than the past 4 years under Budge. Romanov meddled with the team but never touched the club. We were still very much Hearts. Budge does not meddle with the team but does so very much with the club. She is re-designing a club to suit herself and that is bad. I have given you the benefit of the doubt on here before, I sometimes agree with a lot you have to say but comments like this do really make me think you are a Hibs fan on the wind up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Dan Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Read this! https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/hearts/ann-budge-had-to-use-her-own-credit-card-on-hearts-business-after-bank-turned-down-club-1-4998730 Ann Budge has revealed she had to use her own credit card on Hearts business after her takeover because the club’s bank manager refused to issue one. The Tynecastle owner was yesterday welcoming delegates to the Edinburgh Sports Conference at the Signet Library in Edinburgh. She delivered a speech that sought to illustrate the difference between running an IT business with a turnover of £50 million – as she had done – and one where the turnover was around £5m initially. It was a miracle it was even that since Hearts were in administration at the time; trust was also in short supply. She quickly discovered that scrutiny is in inverse proportion to turnover. Few people in the street wanted to know her when she was calling the shots at Newell & Budge, the IT consultancy firm she helped found in 1985 and then sold in a deal worth more than £40m. “One of the main differences I have found in football is you have to justify every business decision constantly in front of the media and indeed supporters,” she said. “In my previous life I had a turnover in excess of £50m, I had between 100 and 200 corporate clients and over 1,000 in my workforce but I could walk around Edinburgh with total anonymity; no one knew who I was at all and that was terrific. I then took over a football club with a turnover of just over £5m at the time – of course we do have over 15,000 clients if I count as clients those supporters who come to Tynecastle on a regular basis. And the media and supporters want to know what is going on all the time.” One person who wasn’t interested in what she had to say at the time was the bank manager I had to use my own credit card to facilitate purchases and that was despite having paid off our debts and having a million sitting in the bank. I could still not get the bank manager to give us a credit card, because we were a football club.” Another difference she found between her new life and her old life is that none of her customers used to come to her former place of work and “rip up seats, spray-paint toilets and shout abuse”. She has learned to accept dealing with the ugly side of the game. “We have a full set of hospitality offerings. I find myself running a pub, and we have a restaurant – and there are challenges getting a profit from running a pub and from running a restaurant; they are quite different. We also run a museum, a charity, of course a retail business. “We have to do all these things as a football club. Over the last few years we have built a new stand at our home ground: for a long time it felt as though I was running a construction company. It was close to an £18m development and that’s no small undertaking while we were trying to do all these other things. But if we are ever to get out of this position of basically fighting for survival it has to be because we are building a sustainable business regardless of what is going on on the pitch.” Budge remains confident that despite Hearts and Hibs both having endured poor starts they will be challenging for a European place in the business part of the season. “But we are only four games into the season, I have not given up hope yet. I should probably say: watch this space. I am confident both Edinburgh clubs will be fighting for a spot in Europe at the end of the season.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sagan Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share Posted September 6, 2019 Sounded good until the last paragraph then it went a bit mental. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boab Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Talking of the bold yin, any sightings ? I want to know when he’s drawing the names for the Lunch with Vlad thingy for buying a ST. Never forget ! I want ma lunch !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast Boy Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 13 minutes ago, Dannie Boy said: Read this! https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/hearts/ann-budge-had-to-use-her-own-credit-card-on-hearts-business-after-bank-turned-down-club-1-4998730 Ann Budge has revealed she had to use her own credit card on Hearts business after her takeover because the club’s bank manager refused to issue one. The Tynecastle owner was yesterday welcoming delegates to the Edinburgh Sports Conference at the Signet Library in Edinburgh. She delivered a speech that sought to illustrate the difference between running an IT business with a turnover of £50 million – as she had done – and one where the turnover was around £5m initially. It was a miracle it was even that since Hearts were in administration at the time; trust was also in short supply. She quickly discovered that scrutiny is in inverse proportion to turnover. Few people in the street wanted to know her when she was calling the shots at Newell & Budge, the IT consultancy firm she helped found in 1985 and then sold in a deal worth more than £40m. “One of the main differences I have found in football is you have to justify every business decision constantly in front of the media and indeed supporters,” she said. “In my previous life I had a turnover in excess of £50m, I had between 100 and 200 corporate clients and over 1,000 in my workforce but I could walk around Edinburgh with total anonymity; no one knew who I was at all and that was terrific. I then took over a football club with a turnover of just over £5m at the time – of course we do have over 15,000 clients if I count as clients those supporters who come to Tynecastle on a regular basis. And the media and supporters want to know what is going on all the time.” One person who wasn’t interested in what she had to say at the time was the bank manager I had to use my own credit card to facilitate purchases and that was despite having paid off our debts and having a million sitting in the bank. I could still not get the bank manager to give us a credit card, because we were a football club.” Another difference she found between her new life and her old life is that none of her customers used to come to her former place of work and “rip up seats, spray-paint toilets and shout abuse”. She has learned to accept dealing with the ugly side of the game. “We have a full set of hospitality offerings. I find myself running a pub, and we have a restaurant – and there are challenges getting a profit from running a pub and from running a restaurant; they are quite different. We also run a museum, a charity, of course a retail business. “We have to do all these things as a football club. Over the last few years we have built a new stand at our home ground: for a long time it felt as though I was running a construction company. It was close to an £18m development and that’s no small undertaking while we were trying to do all these other things. But if we are ever to get out of this position of basically fighting for survival it has to be because we are building a sustainable business regardless of what is going on on the pitch.” Budge remains confident that despite Hearts and Hibs both having endured poor starts they will be challenging for a European place in the business part of the season. “But we are only four games into the season, I have not given up hope yet. I should probably say: watch this space. I am confident both Edinburgh clubs will be fighting for a spot in Europe at the end of the season.” Sounds like someone who understands modern football more than many of our fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Absolute Scenes Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 @Sagan have a day off, every day its a new thread. Going to tell you something that might blow your mind - repeating the same guff over and over again wont make things change. Give it a rest mate, have a pint (on me) and enjoy life Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Potter Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 This can be the cause of this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boab Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 6 minutes ago, Icon of Symmetry said: Sounds like someone who understands modern football more than many of our fans. It does but there are many fans who can understand that and still have a distain for many of the things that go on in the modern game. I don’t think it’s a contradiction to agree that clubs need to be sustainable but fear that with the way football is now, some of the old passions are lost somehow. I welcome the rise in ultra type movements across Europe and the belief among them that it is their game, and always will be, regardless of corporate takeovers and need to make huge profits. Call me a dinosaur...i’m happy with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Dan Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 19 minutes ago, Icon of Symmetry said: Sounds like someone who understands modern football more than many of our fans. Indeed. That’s why I posted it so that certain posters see just how many balls Ann is juggling to stabilise the finances of the Club. I wonder if certain posters will have the balls to to give her credit where credit is due. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast Boy Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Just now, Boab said: It does but there are many fans who can understand that and still have a distain for many of the things that go on in the modern game. I don’t think it’s a contradiction to agree that clubs need to be sustainable but fear that with the way football is now, some of the old passions are lost somehow. I welcome the rise in ultra type movements across Europe and the belief among them that it is their game, and always will be, regardless of corporate takeovers and need to make huge profits. Call me a dinosaur...i’m happy with that. That’s modern football, I’m afraid. She understands that, and she is keeping Hearts up with that. Many people don’t like the direction modern football has taken, and I agree on many of the things that annoy people. However, it would be insanity to not move with those changes. If we tried to just ignore the dam bursting in front of us and go on with life the way it was before, we would just be washed away in to obscurity. This isn’t Hearts changing, it’s football. The folk who blame Budge for modernising us are either wilfully ignorant, or just churlish. Its not Budge I get annoyed with when I read articles like this, it’s the folk who have been brokering Scottish Football’s sponsorship and TV packages for the last few decades. Until our game gets more money in the till we will struggle in Europe and in profile. We are maximising our income in other ways, but it still falls short in comparison to other leagues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NB GIN Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 10 hours ago, Geoff Kilpatrick said: Mr Romanov was a winner. He was a horrible cretin that has conned people out of pensions funds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boab Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 3 minutes ago, Icon of Symmetry said: That’s modern football, I’m afraid. She understands that, and she is keeping Hearts up with that. Many people don’t like the direction modern football has taken, and I agree on many of the things that annoy people. However, it would be insanity to not move with those changes. If we tried to just ignore the dam bursting in front of us and go on with life the way it was before, we would just be washed away in to obscurity. This isn’t Hearts changing, it’s football. The folk who blame Budge for modernising us are either wilfully ignorant, or just churlish. Its not Budge I get annoyed with when I read articles like this, it’s the folk who have been brokering Scottish Football’s sponsorship and TV packages for the last few decades. Until our game gets more money in the till we will struggle in Europe and in profile. We are maximising our income in other ways, but it still falls short in comparison to other leagues. Of course. We have to move with the times, as much in life as in football, which are inextricably linked no matter how much people try and separate them. We should never lose sight of what football is to many though. It’s more than a business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XB52 Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 10 hours ago, Sagan said: At least we knew Romanov was off his nut. This is just down right deceit. Can you not just piss off to whatever board you infest and leave this one to the Hearts fans. Come on mods, surely you have seen enough to boot this numpty out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodge Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Another troll for the ignore list. Former banned poster most likely. Over 600 posts in a month 🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackal Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Same shit different thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SectionDJambo Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 How much better things would have been if Ann Budge has just not bothered getting involved with Heart of Midlothian. If she had just let her critics band together to sort out the administration, instead of her, all would now be better. Or maybe not. Similar to the attitude that prevailed towards another person who put himself out to save Hearts, Wallace Mercer, once the danger is over, people start thinking they can do it all better. Mostly people who wouldn’t know how to begin running a football club, which carries the responsibility of shaping some peoples lives and determining how happy they are going to be. It can be a thankless task with some negative attention which must make the likes of Ann Budge wonder why she ever got involved. She’s probably made mistakes, but I wouldn’t think she repeats the same ones too often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busby1985 Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 2 trophies and champions league football vs non alcoholic beer and the vida league winners. Being serious. Vlad pretty much killed us and left us for dead. Budge has stabilised the business and football club then propelled it into the modern age and the club has never been healthier. Not only that but the future is bright and nothing she has done so far leads me to believe that not to be the case. The one black mark against her name is the Levein saga. I think once everything is settled and what happens with Levein happens, she herself will say she got that relationship wrong. Imagine having an owner and manager having a great relationship, won’t someone think of the children 😭😭. Jokes aside, I think she’ll understand that next time she’ll have to stay a little more professional so we don’t end up in a similar situation. Ive been the biggest shouter for Levein to go, have been for months. The most annoying thing for me about the situation is we have never had a better footing, facilities and finances etc etc to actual perform on the park. 2006 we challenged the old firm with pandemonium in the back ground. 2012 we won our greatest ever result amongst a back drop of players not being played, an absent owner and the threat of death. Now all we have to moan about is korma at half time, zero % beer and the grass on the pitch. We’ve never had it so lucky off the field. That’s what makes our under performance on it so annoying, for me. The right man in the dugout could propel us to unheard of heights for our club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DETTY29 Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 1 hour ago, Sagan said: Sounded good until the last paragraph then it went a bit mental. Shouldn't have mentioned Hibs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadj Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 4 hours ago, Gashauskis9 said: He’d have wanted 30. Next game, he’d be playing up front in drag. 😂 6 hours ago, i8hibsh said: I know under the humour and bravado our current situation is one better for Hearts. However, Hearts don't feel too much like Hearts anymore and I had more fun in 1 minute under Romanov than the past 4 years under Budge. Romanov meddled with the team but never touched the club. We were still very much Hearts. Budge does not meddle with the team but does so very much with the club. She is re-designing a club to suit herself and that is bad. Im sure this is not Rod Taylor but you travelling forward 350million years to Holyrood Park in order avoid the next eruption. Whilst here and waiting for time to pass you shout in “ughs and grunts” then some passer by realises its i8 and translates and posts it on here. Then you travel back the 350million years to your quiet home in the caves surrounding Arthurs Seat. Hopefully this process will only be repeated until the Cretaceous-Paleogene event catches you unaware and wipes life out. So only another 284million years for us to suffer your posts. 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eyesandears Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 1 hour ago, XB52 said: Can you not just piss off to whatever board you infest and leave this one to the Hearts fans. Come on mods, surely you have seen enough to boot this numpty out. I assumed that with the name Sagan it was clear he is the ultimate "green jersey" (TdF followers will recognise this) and very clear he's Hibs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gorgie Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 People love an over reaction. Aye we are dug shite on the park just now but the club it's self is safe as houses. Managers and players come and go but the club remains here at Tynecastle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamboAl Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 12 hours ago, Sagan said: At least we knew Romanov was off his nut. This is just down right deceit. I think some posters are as well. Same theme, every thread. Try SUPPORTING the team instead of your perpetual sniping across every thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dallas Green Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Christ. Whilst I enjoyed most of Romanov's era. Two SC wins, excellent top class players and of course, Rudi. The ending was brutal, and not knowing if we were going to have a club was torture. Whilst we can't afford mega bucks to pay players anymore, I'd rather our owner wasnt trigger happy and our club was financially managed well. In no way is this worse than the romanov era, an era in which we finished seasons in the bottom half of the table and also were relegated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armageddon Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Joined on the 3rd August - 35 days ago. 617 posts in those 35 days. That's 17.62 posts per day. Give it a ******* break, just trying to get your post count up at a prolific rate. You're either a Bot or a Hobo ... or a Hobo that loves the Bot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Burgundy Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 1 hour ago, DETTY29 said: Shouldn't have mentioned Hibs. Correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vlad Magic Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 They growth the club is experiencing is incredible. It won’t be long before we can legitimately and securely pay top earners 10k a week. The jump in class of player that affords us will be dramatic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seymour M Hersh Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 2 hours ago, NB GIN said: He was a horrible cretin that has conned people out of pensions funds That was Gordon Brown. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martoon Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 26 minutes ago, busby1985 said: 2 trophies and champions league football vs non alcoholic beer and the vida league winners. Being serious. Vlad pretty much killed us and left us for dead. Budge has stabilised the business and football club then propelled it into the modern age and the club has never been healthier. Not only that but the future is bright and nothing she has done so far leads me to believe that not to be the case. The one black mark against her name is the Levein saga. I think once everything is settled and what happens with Levein happens, she herself will say she got that relationship wrong. Imagine having an owner and manager having a great relationship, won’t someone think of the children 😭😭. Jokes aside, I think she’ll understand that next time she’ll have to stay a little more professional so we don’t end up in a similar situation. Ive been the biggest shouter for Levein to go, have been for months. The most annoying thing for me about the situation is we have never had a better footing, facilities and finances etc etc to actual perform on the park. 2006 we challenged the old firm with pandemonium in the back ground. 2012 we won our greatest ever result amongst a back drop of players not being played, an absent owner and the threat of death. Now all we have to moan about is korma at half time, zero % beer and the grass on the pitch. We’ve never had it so lucky off the field. That's what makes our under performance on it so annoying, for me. The right man in the dugout could propel us to unheard of heights for our club. That's what is driving me up the wall. We've wasted so much time, and opportunity. A better head coach, making better signings and we could have had a very good time the last few seasons with the resources at hand. If anything the upgrade in signings over the summer has increased the frustration. The squad is not perfect, probably never will be, but it is good enough to provide us with attacking football, frequent good results and a top 4 finish. There's nothing to indicate that will happen while Levein is head coach or deciding who is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgan Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 3 hours ago, Harry Potter said: This can be the cause of this thread. Experience talking, Harold? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i8hibsh Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 2 minutes ago, Vlad Magic said: They growth the club is experiencing is incredible. It won’t be long before we can legitimately and securely pay top earners 10k a week. The jump in class of player that affords us will be dramatic. In what way do you see growth? Our crowds are dwindling, fans are switching off and we have not won a league game in 5 months. I struggle to think of anything Mother Budge is doing that is making us grow as a football team. I know I am starting to bore myself with this shit but people need to wake up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fort Vallance Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Woke up every morning during the Romanov time knowing something was going to happen that day. Some bad, some glorious, but always something ! Nobody in their right mind wants to see the club that close to the edge again (as it was before Vlad arrived) and how he left it. But anyone who says they're enjoying the current borefest more than that time is telling porkies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgan Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 13 hours ago, farin said: He can grip his reaction. 😄 Probably was, whilst composing the thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Burgundy Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 3 minutes ago, i8hibsh said: In what way do you see growth? Our crowds are dwindling, fans are switching off and we have not won a league game in 5 months. I struggle to think of anything Mother Budge is doing that is making us grow as a football team. I know I am starting to bore myself with this shit but people need to wake up. The women's team are getting better, maybe they'll get another twenty folk through the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin_T Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 The great players and the cup wins were fun, the players not getting paid and nearly going bust not so much. The club is currently on the soundest footing it has ever been on and is one inspiring head coach appointment away from being in a very good place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i8hibsh Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 2 minutes ago, Ron Burgundy said: The women's team are getting better, maybe they'll get another twenty folk through the door. I really want to see the actual numbers for our ladies team. Money in money out numbers.There is absolutely no way in the world this side of the 'business' can support and justify the numbers going in. What gets me as this is 'growth' to some people. I'd welcome the ladies team if it generated good numbers and justified the effort, time and expense but it doesn't. It is there to make Ann Budge look and feel good. And that is why I am so against it. Unless the men's team benefit from an action we take off the field it is a waste of time, effort and expense. And we are absolutely drowning in pointless activities right now. We are a charity with Mother Budge walking about as a missionary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Section Q Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 We're more financially stable than the mad vlad era but the footie is dire. Our ST sales are gradually falling in the last couple of seasons. If we don't manage top six I think that would show up badly in next season' sales. Also, the longer the players continue on low confidence then it becomes much harder to lift them. Hard to see our way out of this with Levein as coach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i8hibsh Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 1 minute ago, Section Q said: We're more financially stable than the mad vlad era but the footie is dire. Our ST sales are gradually falling in the last couple of seasons. If we don't manage top six I think that would show up badly in next season' sales. Also, the longer the players continue on low confidence then it becomes much harder to lift them. Hard to see our way out of this with Levein as coach. Budge is seemingly budgeting for 6th place now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Kintner Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 3 hours ago, Dannie Boy said: Read this! https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/hearts/ann-budge-had-to-use-her-own-credit-card-on-hearts-business-after-bank-turned-down-club-1-4998730 Ann Budge has revealed she had to use her own credit card on Hearts business after her takeover because the club’s bank manager refused to issue one. The Tynecastle owner was yesterday welcoming delegates to the Edinburgh Sports Conference at the Signet Library in Edinburgh. She delivered a speech that sought to illustrate the difference between running an IT business with a turnover of £50 million – as she had done – and one where the turnover was around £5m initially. It was a miracle it was even that since Hearts were in administration at the time; trust was also in short supply. She quickly discovered that scrutiny is in inverse proportion to turnover. Few people in the street wanted to know her when she was calling the shots at Newell & Budge, the IT consultancy firm she helped found in 1985 and then sold in a deal worth more than £40m. “One of the main differences I have found in football is you have to justify every business decision constantly in front of the media and indeed supporters,” she said. “In my previous life I had a turnover in excess of £50m, I had between 100 and 200 corporate clients and over 1,000 in my workforce but I could walk around Edinburgh with total anonymity; no one knew who I was at all and that was terrific. I then took over a football club with a turnover of just over £5m at the time – of course we do have over 15,000 clients if I count as clients those supporters who come to Tynecastle on a regular basis. And the media and supporters want to know what is going on all the time.” One person who wasn’t interested in what she had to say at the time was the bank manager I had to use my own credit card to facilitate purchases and that was despite having paid off our debts and having a million sitting in the bank. I could still not get the bank manager to give us a credit card, because we were a football club.” Another difference she found between her new life and her old life is that none of her customers used to come to her former place of work and “rip up seats, spray-paint toilets and shout abuse”. She has learned to accept dealing with the ugly side of the game. “We have a full set of hospitality offerings. I find myself running a pub, and we have a restaurant – and there are challenges getting a profit from running a pub and from running a restaurant; they are quite different. We also run a museum, a charity, of course a retail business. “We have to do all these things as a football club. Over the last few years we have built a new stand at our home ground: for a long time it felt as though I was running a construction company. It was close to an £18m development and that’s no small undertaking while we were trying to do all these other things. But if we are ever to get out of this position of basically fighting for survival it has to be because we are building a sustainable business regardless of what is going on on the pitch.” Budge remains confident that despite Hearts and Hibs both having endured poor starts they will be challenging for a European place in the business part of the season. “But we are only four games into the season, I have not given up hope yet. I should probably say: watch this space. I am confident both Edinburgh clubs will be fighting for a spot in Europe at the end of the season.” “Deceit” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OmiyaHearts Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 What's the OP previous username? Strange posting behaviour for an apparent newbie. Major attention seeker and drama queen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i8hibsh Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 "Both Edinburgh clubs" Oh just **** off will you Budge! Who gives a **** about the other one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Beni of Gorgie Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 8 minutes ago, i8hibsh said: I really want to see the actual numbers for our ladies team. Money in money out numbers.There is absolutely no way in the world this side of the 'business' can support and justify the numbers going in. What gets me as this is 'growth' to some people. I'd welcome the ladies team if it generated good numbers and justified the effort, time and expense but it doesn't. It is there to make Ann Budge look and feel good. And that is why I am so against it. Unless the men's team benefit from an action we take off the field it is a waste of time, effort and expense. And we are absolutely drowning in pointless activities right now. We are a charity with Mother Budge walking about as a missionary. The way the world is going, I think you are going to struggle. Go and read about the BBC and what they are currently doing to readdress situations with equality, it will give you a greater understanding of how the world is and where it is going, and judging by your constant diatribe, I think you have an issue with women rather than Hearts running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i8hibsh Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Just now, Sir Gio said: The way the world is going, I think you are going to struggle. Go and read about the BBC and what they are currently doing to readdress situations with equality, it will give you a greater understanding of how the world is and where it is going, and judging by your constant diatribe, I think you have an issue with women rather than Hearts running. It's because I don't like Budge and don't support our ladies team right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Beni of Gorgie Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 3 minutes ago, i8hibsh said: It's because I don't like Budge and don't support our ladies team right I would never have guessed, you are portraying yourself as being extremely bitter in truth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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