Hearts miss TV cash as cup replay stays on schedule

Published on Friday 10 February 2012 01:28

CASH-STRAPPED Hearts have missed out on a timely £80,000 windfall after it was decided that their Scottish Cup replay with St Johnstone next week will not be screened live on Sky TV.

The Tynecastle club is being pursued by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs for £150,000 this week, and the playing squad’s monthly wages are due to be paid on Thursday next week. Hearts have struggled to pay their players on time in recent months, and tried to raise funds at the end of January by selling goalkeeper Marian Kello – but he refused to move.

The cup fifth round replay, following last Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Tynecastle, scheduled for Tuesday night at McDiarmid Park, provided an opportunity for the clubs to earn an estimated £80,000 each if the game could be moved to the Thursday night for television. But St Johnstone confirmed last night that, although talks have taken place over moving the game back by two days, this will not happen.

A statement from the Perth club said: “The club is aware about conjecture that the game may have been switched to next Thursday for live television coverage and we can confirm that the SFA have been in extended dialogue with Sky TV and UEFA regarding that possibility. Uefa permission was required due to there being Europa League fixtures that evening.

“However, it has now been confirmed that the game will not be televised and will go ahead on the original planned date.”

Yesterday, Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov admitted that the outstanding tax bill has yet to be settled.

HMRC lodged a petition at the Court of Session earlier this week saying Hearts had eight days to settle the bill or face liquidation.

“I don’t know what’s going on at Hearts, I’m not in Scotland at the moment,” Romanov told Russian news agency RIA Novosti. “All monies due to the footballers have been paid. It’s probably just that the tax service hasn’t been paid.”

This week’s ultimatum is the third move to wind up the club in four months. The club fended off liquidation attempts in August, November and December after tax bills were settled at the last minute.

A Hearts statement on Tuesday said the club was “confident” the latest debt would be paid in time.

• Second Division title chasers Arbroath have added experienced central defender Chris Innes to their squad until the end of the season. The 35-year-old has played only one game so far this season, when he turned out for East Fife in September.

• Cowdenbeath skipper Jon Robertson will be re-united with his former Central Park manager, Danny Lennon, next season after agreeing to join St Mirren. The 22-year old signed for the Fife club from Murieston Boys Club after being released by Hearts and made his debut in 2008.

Comments

There are 13 comments to this article

Order by:

• Newest first
• |
• Oldest first

Page 1 of 1

• 1
• Show all

13

First Green

Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 12:01 AM

Baldrick ,for me, to regularly challenge for honours is to get to semi finals and finals in both cups and be up at top of league challenging leader(s) till late in season (last 2 or 3 games). You haven`t won the LC for almost 50 years and only been in one (?) final in that time. In SC you`ve had 2 wins in 50 years and been humiliated in a few other finals. In league the freak season 85-86 was a complete exception and 26 years ago, since then no suggestion of a challenge to win league. Our record in same period is also terrible (3 LC triumphs plus a few other finals,a few SC final defeats,one of them after 2 replays and et,and apart from odd season in 70s no strong challenge in league though we have been in strong positions at halfway stage as recently as two years ago). So both clubs have underperformed. Hearts have spent a fortune to fail, now lets see what Hibs can do in the next decade while Hearts recover from the excesses of the last decade.

• Report Unsuitable

12

Baldrick

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 11:34 PM

11* In one sense you are right but you fail to mention that while Hearts regularly challenge for honours, Hibs never do. That's why the derby record is so one-sided.

• Report Unsuitable

11

First Green

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 09:27 PM

#8 You sound really bitter. Your club`s situation is really getting to you which is understandable. How long have you been watching Hearts? In last 49 years Hearts have won 2 major trophies, Hibs 3 (not including Drybrough Cups), both terrible records.

• Report Unsuitable

10

Peterperfect

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 03:43 PM

#4 the campaign should have started when mad Vlad 1st took over. Did you honestly not see this coming from the start? from the quick turnover of managers re meddling in team selections, unaffordable hyper wages, Lithuania FC etc? It was a minor BOOM.....A medium FIZZLE and and a BUST.

• Report Unsuitable

9

Anglo Jambo

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 02:22 PM

Hearts have been badly run. I would have rather have gone to Murrayfield to pay home matches than be in debt. I thought I maybe wrong when Tynecastle was saved. What is good about having a stadium without a team. If things are that bad then the club has to off load players and should have done in he transfer window. We all know that Templeton is worth more than £400000. WE could have taken that then had add on deals. People will not go out in the cold when a game is on tv. Loyal season ticket holders will but few others.

• Report Unsuitable

8

Portsmouth 657

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 01:50 PM

#5 Does your incoherent ramblings constitute a worthwile comment? Eh no. jog on. Ruined?? More than happy to compare Revenue, Cup Wins, Gates - Home or Away, Head to head results against the small club from Leith. You should know all about ruined. Rod should be knighted.

• Report Unsuitable

7

m6jambo

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 12:14 PM

Post 6 A plonker of the highest order obviously a member of the hibvermin muppet race who Hearts hump time and time again.Back to the gas and electricity meters you stinking hobbit.

• Report Unsuitable

6

Tightfisted

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 12:03 PM

Hearts?? Live on TV???? Oh........(shudder)....the very idea !!!!! BRING BACK THE TEST CARD. Don't Jambozos remember the embarrassing TV nights when the hapless Jambozos were in Europe??........this year against Spurs reserves in Edinburgh..................and the year before against some eastern European outfit whose name I have forgotten , but should wouldn't have been flattered had they scored TEN against the perfectly WOEFUL "glorious" (TEE HEE HEE !!) Jambozos. take my tip Jambozos.....................forget about Europe....you only draw attention to yourselves........although, to be fair, it DOES give the rest of football a right good belly laugh after all the "World Stars" and Champions league" pap you were served u by a certain Russian who still dances rings around you morons.....Eh Compadres??

• Report Unsuitable

5

First Green

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 11:59 AM

#2 When 14 players from another club contact the SPL and player`s union about non payment then we can talk about their clubs too. Criticising the press won`t change the reality that your club is ruined and at the mercy of a businessman who has little or no interest in Hearts and why should he? #4 Begging for help seems like a great idea but should have been done years ago.

• Report Unsuitable

4

Anglo Jambo

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 11:17 AM

Am I right that most of the debt has been accrued by Romanov. Hearts owe most of their debt to Romanov under a different guise.. I feel Romanov is not interested in Hearts. He has no respect for the tradition. If the club don't pay the players or the tax bill what happens. There are thousands of Hearts fans through out the world. Come on "Save Our Hearts" start an online appeal to save this club.

• Report Unsuitable

3

John H

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:25 AM

1 Lee Wallace's money is not due to be paid until June or July., not sure which.

• Report Unsuitable

2

Portsmouth 657

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 09:00 AM

Very Interesting Article. Please Scotsman summarise the following; When are the players of all other SPL clubs getting paid? What money is not being payed to all other clubs next week by not being televised? Do your job properly.

• Report Unsuitable

1

Baldrick

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 02:17 AM

More fantastic news for Hearts. A kick in the teeth we simply do not need. I am genuinely worried. I don't know how long it takes Customs to put a business into liquidation but that is appearing a distinct possibility, if not now then sometime soon. Our leader has made it clear that there will be no money from him. There was no significant cull in January. There were no player sales in January. Craig Goron is not playing for Sunderland at present so no revenue from that source. The money allegedly owed to us by Rangers might be all we have to cling to. Very concerning.

• Report Unsuitable

Order by:

• Newest first
• |
• Oldest first

Page 1 of 1

• 1
• Show all

Logged in as:

Comment here. Start typing your comment here:

Post comment

Please adhere to our Community guidelines

Your view

Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.