rossmaroon Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Billy Dodds writes in todays Sun that many clubs are on the verge of bankruptcy and oblivion (and barely disguises that Hearts are one of the possibilities). His reasoning is very sound: the "Credit Crunch", economic downturn, declining crowds, loss of interest in a dull product. Is he right? Are Hearts in better shape than many others (UBIG profits up, Vlad is Lithuanian man of the year); are Hearts likely to fold first? Should the fans of all teams start mobilising to affect change (as Celtic fans did at Kilmarnock recently)? Will a January Sale lead to an inevitable collapse? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alwaysthereinspirit Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Billy Dodds writes in todays Sun that many clubs are on the verge of bankruptcy and oblivion (and barely disguises that Hearts are one of the possibilities). His reasoning is very sound: the "Credit Crunch", economic downturn, declining crowds, loss of interest in a dull product. Is he right? Are Hearts in better shape than many others (UBIG profits up, Vlad is Lithuanian man of the year); are Hearts likely to fold first? Should the fans of all teams start mobilising to affect change (as Celtic fans did at Kilmarnock recently)? Will a January Sale lead to an inevitable collapse? Dodds isn't smart enough to have written anything in the Sun and that includes a Hagar comic piece. As for a dull product. He's part of the problem in the way he caters to the OF week in and out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossmaroon Posted December 12, 2008 Author Share Posted December 12, 2008 Yes, but should we not all be discussing this matter now? It could be argued that we are the last generation of FANS. As a teacher, I talk to kids every day, and I am very worried at the complete lack of interest in something that we look on as being as important as Oxygen. The next generation of fans does not exist! (Unless 1 in 30 counts). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carl Weathers Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Vlad is Lithuanian man of the year Say what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Bill Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Yes, but should we not all be discussing this matter now? It could be argued that we are the last generation of FANS. As a teacher, I talk to kids every day, and I am very worried at the complete lack of interest in something that we look on as being as important as Oxygen. The next generation of fans does not exist! (Unless 1 in 30 counts). I think we're looking at the possibility of a January fire-sale of our better players. If that's the case, then it just another kick in the goolies, that follows all the other bad stuff that's happened since 05/06. If we sold Berra, Driver, Kingston and Bruno: our season will porbably be over, in terms of ambition for 08/09. But then the short/medium term safety of the club might be guaranteed because of it. Is that a price worth paying? I think it sucks. But I also think it's a price worth paying if it means theres a 09/10, 10/11, 11/12. Maybe one day, the Romanovs will sell up, move on and leave us with a club to support and stadium to watch them in. I conclude that we've just not been very lucky with owners. I still have hope. Buffalo Bill . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magicTs Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Vlad is Lithuanian man of Doesn't say much about the rest of the male population of Lithuania ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewYorkJambo Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I think we're looking at the possibility of a January fire-sale of our better players. If that's the case, then it just another kick in the goolies, that follows all the other bad stuff that's happened since 05/06. If we sold Berra, Driver, Kingston and Bruno: our season will porbably be over, in terms of ambition for 08/09. But then the short/medium term safety of the club might be guaranteed because of it. Is that a price worth paying? I think it sucks. But I also think it's a price worth paying if it means theres a 09/10, 10/11, 11/12. Maybe one day, the Romanovs will sell up, move on and leave us with a club to support and stadium to watch them in. I conclude that we've just not been very lucky with owners. I still have hope. Buffalo Bill . Unfortunately I reckon that the day that Vlad walks away - unless he has a change of heart and approach beforehand - will be the end of Hearts. His bank profits did increase - they made 21million pound this year - but Hearts' debt is sky rocketing and his business' HAVE to be effected by the global financial crisis. There is no reason they wouldn't be when every financial institution in the world is feeling it. He IS a successful businessman so why is he managing the club the way he is? His recklessness is truly worrrying. Tynecastle is worth less and less by the day yet the debt continues to rise (at least we are led to believe it does). Those two things don't marry up well. Yes, I would now say I'm anti-Vlad, but I'm genuinely worried that in years to come there may not be a Heart of Midlothian. I know people will attack my 'negativity' butt it's the way I feel. I'd love to be proved wrong and to see that Vlad has some grand plan. But very little he has done since arriving has inspired confidence or led me to believe that is the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john brownlee Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Yes, but should we not all be discussing this matter now? It could be argued that we are the last generation of FANS. As a teacher, I talk to kids every day, and I am very worried at the complete lack of interest in something that we look on as being as important as Oxygen. The next generation of fans does not exist! (Unless 1 in 30 counts). As a teacher you should be aware of what Mr Romanov and Hearts are doing to expand kids interest in football BTW when was the last time you were at Tynecastle or were you havin' a P****s at halftime Bit of advice if you are a good teacher then for the sake of scottish football get them interested. There are plenty of subjects that could be linked to football just use your imagination and skills that your were taught at TTC BTW you don't have my grandson in your class because all he thinks about is football and not just Hearts or is he the one in 30 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alwaysthereinspirit Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Doesn't say much about the rest of the male population of Lithuania ! I'm sure Mad bribed the judges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewYorkJambo Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Bit of advice if you are a good teacher then for the sake of scottish football get them interested. As big a Hearts fan as I am, I'd prefer that you focused on things like maths and english! Yes, the community stuff Hearts are doing is commendable. But will it be enough to stem the flood of money we are losing? No chance. PLUS, does Vlad actually sanction the small decisions like community coaching or just the major ones like transfers, manager sackings etc. I'd suggest the latter although I admit - before it is pointed out - that I'm only guessing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Ross Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Guess work seems to be popular these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewYorkJambo Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Guess work seems to be popular these days. I agree -but with the lack of information, and when we do get some it's often down right lies, that comes out the club what else can fans do but guess? It's not guesswork that we are dangerously in debt. Or that Vlad's football decisions very often make little or no sense and worsen the club. For the moment I'm glad he's still there - but only because there is no alternative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WorldChampions1902 Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Billy Dodds is a first class mod edit He is simply jumping on a bandwagon that 'all and sundry' have jumped on these past few months, hoping he can say, "I told you so", at a later date. Unfortunately for mod edit BD, just like any other critic of the VR/UBIG regime, they are simply trying to second-guess what our esteemed 'custodians' will do next. Note the use of the word 'custodians' because make no mistake, that is all they are. What mod edit BD fails to grasp is that should the worst case scenario ever become reality, Heart of Midlothian Football Club will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes. BD is a t*t. He wasn't a particularly good footballer. He was and still is a p*ss-poor pundit. In essence, he is not worth a fraction of a nano-second of our attention. Rant over. Merry Christmas :xmasgrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamboGraham Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I am very worried at the complete lack of interest Worried...yes! But perhaps not really surprised... 118 League Championships to date in Scotland, 93 won by two clubs. Only two clubs winning the title since 1985 Out of the last 60 trophies to be won in Scotland only 12 have not gone to the Old Firm and even then 7 of these have gone to Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs... Any kid in primary school right now will only have our Scottish Cup win in 2006 and Hibs/Livi (just!) in the League Cup as any inspiration that non-old firm football is something worth bothering with. I was fortunate enough to be born in the late 70's and as a kid saw one of the most competitive periods in Scottish football during the 80's. The other thing that locks kids in is the experience of a live match and heading to the match...however, here we have another problem. Tomorrow for a father to give his two sons the same football experience as my Dad gave to me and my brother it would cost (just to get in the ground) ?52 at Dundee United ?59 at Celtic Park Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamboinglasgow Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Billy Dodds writes in todays Sun that many clubs are on the verge of bankruptcy and oblivion (and barely disguises that Hearts are one of the possibilities). His reasoning is very sound: the "Credit Crunch", economic downturn, declining crowds, loss of interest in a dull product. Is he right? Are Hearts in better shape than many others (UBIG profits up, Vlad is Lithuanian man of the year); are Hearts likely to fold first? Should the fans of all teams start mobilising to affect change (as Celtic fans did at Kilmarnock recently)? Will a January Sale lead to an inevitable collapse? he is simply doing what a few pundits are doing at the moment, which is shouting panic in football and when asked why just say credit crunch. To say credit crunch is not really an explanation. There are much more complex things to look at in finance in football than just saying that economies bad so football will go under. Of course pundits at the gate is a major issue for football and if people feel they can not afford it than clubs may suffer but tv income is also a big factor, the main leagues have big tv deals which have been agreed and will be hard for the tv stations to get out of, that should safegaurd many teams. Hearts may be forced to sell players in January but I dont think it will be a fire sale. I remember speaking to someone who was a director at hearts before Romanov and they said that Hearts needed to sell a player for at least ?2m every season. And for whats it worth I feel that hearts are heading towards profitabilty and should turn over a profit in the next results. A few years like that and we will be out of debt. As for Billy Dodds, if we had a degree in economics and had extensivly studied football finance and the economy than I may listen to him, but to me he is sounding like one of those people with "the end is nigh" sandwich boards who if you asked them why they think that would just say random things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redm Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Just read Dodds' article and I'm left wondering what the point was in writing it at all....did he just want to remind everyone that times are tough? :xmaseye: Cos other than that, it says bugger all. It's a pile of utter crap, even by Sun standards.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamboGraham Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 He IS a successful businessman so why is he managing the club the way he is? His recklessness is truly worrrying. Bravado created by an incredible first season in charge followed by two years of panic before finally in recent months a sense of reality hits and Hearts are now in a period of cost cutting and Romanov has put sensible football men in charge of both off field and on field activity. Despite all the rumour and speculation I actually feel quite confident in the long term future of our club right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Ross Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I agree -but with the lack of information, and when we do get some it's often down right lies, that comes out the club what else can fans do but guess? It's not guesswork that we are dangerously in debt. Or that Vlad's football decisions very often make little or no sense and worsen the club. For the moment I'm glad he's still there - but only because there is no alternative. I don't mind people who support Heart of Midlothian and are worried doing it. It's knobends like Dodds who do it for money that pi55es me off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rossmaroon Posted December 12, 2008 Author Share Posted December 12, 2008 I am impressed by the rhetoric so far. However, can Hearts emerge stronger out of this slump; or will we be relegation fodder? *For the record I think we will be ok and if VR disappears we will look after our own house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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