Romanov says plumber's bid to buy Hearts 'just a pipe dream'

Published on Friday 29 February 2008 09:43

VLADIMIR ROMANOV has no desire to sell Hearts to Pat Munro or any other potential new investor.

"Vladimir would be more interested to hear from Marilyn Monroe than Pat Munro," said Romanov's spokesperson, Charlie Mann, today.

Munro, the Edinburgh-based plumber, claims to have met Hearts' operations director Campbell Ogilvie to submit a second offer to buy out Romanov's 81 per cent shareholding in the club. The bid exceeds 50million according to Munro, however, the Russian oligarch will not entertain any such notion.

Romanov refused even to answer Munro's initial bid to gain control of Hearts 12 months ago, and will again resist.

"Campbell might have met Mr Munro out of courtesy, but it's not going to go any further," Mann continued.

"I was over in Kaunas this week for a series of meetings with Vladimir Romanov and his key aides, and there is absolutely no inkling of a willingness to sell.

"If Mr Munro is talking about a bid of around 50m in total, someone needs to ask him if he's also taking over the 51m new main stand project? The planning application has been submitted to the council and that process is ongoing. Is he covering that too?"

Munro claims to have a consortium ready and waiting to assume the reins at Tynecastle after putting forward two proposals for Romanov to relinquish control. His latest offer comes as supporter unrest increases following Wednesday night's 4-0 home defeat by Rangers.

Munro said today: "I have put another offer into Hearts and I am awaiting a response from Vladimir Romanov. I have put two options to the club. I have held an initial meeting with Campbell Ogilivie about those plans and they were sent over to Vladimir Romanov. This has happened since the turn of the year.

"One option was to buy out Vladimir's shareholding, take over the debt and put up some funding for new players. The second option would leave Vladimir with a small percentage stake in Hearts but I would take over as chairman and run the club.

"I don't want to reveal the figures but if you say it may take as much as 50m, then you may not be far away. What is the level of the debt? There are rumours of a figure somewhere between 30m and 40m. But this is on-going. I have a consortium already put together that will deliver the money if Romanov agrees."

The Hearts Supporters' Trust remain unconvinced over the viability of Munro's plans. "It's nonsense, we've heard this two or three times before and nothing has ever came of it. I would advise all Hearts fans to take it with a pinch of salt," said Trust chairman, Derek Watson.

"It won't come to anything because there isn't the backing required. He should keep quiet until there is an absolute concrete bid on the table, but I don't think it will ever come to that with Pat Munro."

Details of Munro's latest offer follow suggestions from George Foulkes that Romanov is losing interest in Hearts. However, the majority shareholder has spoken out in retort at his former chairman.

"I would have thought a respectable figure such as George Foulkes, with all his onerous responsibilities in the House of Lords and the Scottish Parliament, had a lot better things to do that stir up Hearts fans," said Romanov. "If the club was so well run with him in charge, why did it need rescuing?"