Reaping the rewards of sorting it out ourselves

[Chuck Berry]

17 hours ago, davemclaren said:

Ach, we football fans are fickle creatures. A tough disappointing Euro campaign and 6th in the league at Xmas and we will be calling for her head. 😎

 

Oh yes indeed.

[Brick Tamland]

Great OP and some great comments. 

I love Hearts, and I’m fortunate that I have 2 sons who love them too and that we spend quality time at every home game. 

Ann Budge has been absolutely fantastic for our club and has us on a footing that we could have dreamed of not that many years ago. 
The infrastructure she has built, a lot of which has received a fair bit of unjustified criticism, will see us thrive in the future as the investment in the first team increases. 

I always look forward to a new season but more so for this one, could be quite a special season. 

[jamboozy]

Great OP, Great club, Great times…………..and getting better.

[Finlay James]

Great thread, so proud of Hearts and everything we have achieved.  Next step is some trophies and when we get that first one, they will come in droves.

[sac]

Great op, I think our board also realise the importance of European football and the extra revenue and kudos it brings to the club.

Also the addition of the hotel and other income streams only adds value to our portfolio & I’m sure the board are continually looking at other ways of adding to it.

we are in a great position just now & would like to see us closing the gap on second place long term, without the fear of those behind us.

[jamboinglasgow]

29 minutes ago, sac said:

Great op, I think our board also realise the importance of European football and the extra revenue and kudos it brings to the club.

Also the addition of the hotel and other income streams only adds value to our portfolio & I’m sure the board are continually looking at other ways of adding to it.

we are in a great position just now & would like to see us closing the gap on second place long term, without the fear of those behind us.

 

I do think one thing the club realised early when Budge took over is the importance of building up non-football related revenue. Football related revenue can go up and down as is the unpredictable nature of it, so having that base level revenue from non-football operations means that the club can always build from there. The hotel at the moment is jewel in the crown of that and feels the end of this stage of building up and investment. I do think they will look to more ways to generate revenue in the future and I wouldn't be surprised if they might come up with some innovative plan that is away from the stadium.

[Hearts1975]

I genuinely believe that her appointments to the board, including appointing McKinlay and Savage, have been a masterclass in terms of progress on, and off the pitch. 

 

The managerial appointment is so so important but it just goes to show that if you get the right people, in the right positions, what can be done. The proof is there for all to see. 

 

If we keep the momentum, and keep our noses ahead, I am certain we will all look back one day, and realise that this was a pivotal period, in the clubs history. 

[DesertDawg]

In summary, never underestimate the quality of fans that we have.  🍷

[Penrices left boot]

On 10/07/2024 at 17:57, davemclaren said:

Ach, we football fans are fickle creatures. A tough disappointing Euro campaign and 6th in the league at Xmas and we will be calling for her head. 😎

 

Xmas?

 

September.. everyone will be fat, unfit, naclue and a Fred on here calling for a clear out of everyone and everything.

It's already happened the season just past.

 

Some football fans aren't fickle,  they're just bat shit mental- Up and down more than a woman of the nights knickers.

 

 

[Ked]

Where as as a support we rallied.

The leadership has been sound.

What is comforting is we are a football club foremost .

Long after I'm gone my small amount every month mean this club goes on.

Cracking opener.

Some club.

[i wish jj was my dad]

Brilliant thread. Excellent points. 

[rocketman19]

47 minutes ago, DesertDawg said:

In summary, never underestimate the quality of fans that we have.  🍷

Absolutely! Best supporters in the world , we're demanding for sure and we have lots of different opinions but the one thing we all agree on is HMFC is forever 

[Der Kaiser]

I stopped my season ticket back in 2014/15 as I simply couldnt afford it. 

Fortune allowed me back 2 years ago with my youngest son joining me and it's been really special for me that he's experiencing some great times and European football as well.

 

He's not seen a derby win in the flesh.

He's not been away to the wee team.

He's not seen a trophy win.

 

I just want to tick these 3 moments off for him now.

[johnking123]

Think there will be some changes in coming months. But we are in best situation in my lifetime .

[jamboinglasgow]

25 minutes ago, johnking123 said:

Think there will be some changes in coming months. But we are in best situation in my lifetime .

 

What changes do you think are coming?

[One five]

37 minutes ago, Selkirkhmfc1874 said:

Absolutely! Best supporters in the world , we're demanding for sure and we have lots of different opinions but the one thing we all agree on is HMFC is forever 

This👍

[Watt-Zeefuik]

On 10/07/2024 at 09:23, Shooter McGavin said:

Yep, you only need to look at the nick of some of the clubs around us, the stadium they're playing in and the way they market themselves, to know we're very lucky.

 

A lot of clubs are run by dysfunctional, blazer wearing, bowling club level committees.

 

"Foundation of Hearts" is aptly named. In any construction project, the foundation work is some of the longest and the least interesting.

 

Get it right, though, and you can do all kinds of fancy modifications on the building above it. Get it wrong and everything you do above it is for naught and will come crumbling down.

 

As I understand it, before Mercer, we'd were run by the blazer-wearing bowling club. We then had three owners or groups, each with some initiative but also with a wild streak that was more pronounced than the next.

 

While there were some disappointing results on the pitch, particularly in 2019/20, in the front office we were finally clearing out the cobwebs and the zaniness. And now we're strong top to bottom, and the results on the pitch have begun to reflect that.

 

Very exciting times.

[Robbo-Jambo]

On 10/07/2024 at 16:47, Vlad Magic said:

There are points in life where very significant things happen but only realised after the event. Not that they are taken for granted. They just mould themselves in and gradually make a big difference over a long period of time.

 

I would suggest Ann joining the club falls into this category. The gradual growth of the club from her joining to now is remarkable. It’s almost hardly been noticed baring in mind the length of time it’s taken. Steady increments here and there. Improve this, improve that.

 

Fast forward to now and if you were to make a list of what we have now compared to what we did, how much we can spend compared to what we could back then, how much we have improved on and off the pitch.

 

That list would be long!!!!!!!!!

Good poat

[Byyy The Light]

On 11/07/2024 at 11:09, jamboinglasgow said:

 

I do think one thing the club realised early when Budge took over is the importance of building up non-football related revenue. Football related revenue can go up and down as is the unpredictable nature of it, so having that base level revenue from non-football operations means that the club can always build from there. The hotel at the moment is jewel in the crown of that and feels the end of this stage of building up and investment. I do think they will look to more ways to generate revenue in the future and I wouldn't be surprised if they might come up with some innovative plan that is away from the stadium.

Should just create an FOH investment fund and get Anderson to manage it. Pay in the monthly FoH contributions for the next 10 years.