Hibs accuse Edinburgh council of bias towards Hearts over stadium

THE row over a proposed joint stadium between Heart of Midlothian and Edinburgh City Council intensified yesterday after it emerged arch rivals Hibernian had accused the local authority of “favouritism”.

Fresh doubts over the prospect of Hearts being able to hire part of a new “community stadium” have also emerged after councillors admitted such a facility would have to have a running track.

Sir Tom Farmer, the owner of the Easter Road side and the club’s chief executive Rod Petrie are understood to have protested to the authority at a behind-closed-doors meeting recently.

Council chiefs were asked to explain why Hearts have been offered assistance to find a suitable replacement for Tynecastle, as well as help to meet the cost of a £30,000 study, when Hibs were offered no help to rebuild Easter Road.

Hibs fans have been left furious after it emerged that the council was pursuing plans for a shared stadium with Hearts, shortly before they declared they were being forced to quit Tynecastle due to problems over redeveloping the ageing ground.

Mr Petrie also made his feelings clear to the fans at the club’s recent AGM, when he compared the council’s efforts to help Hearts with the problems Hibs had faced over Easter Road, including a protracted dispute over a plot of land near the ground.

He said: “We have the craziness of the City of Edinburgh Council wanting to build a stadium for Hearts because Tynecastle is not fit for purpose and because Hearts have chosen to spend money on players rather than on a stadium.”

Sources at the city council claimed that Hibs’ officials said their club was warned the main stand might have been closed down if it failed to meet health and safety standards.

They raised concerns that, by comparison, Hearts had been offered more leeway because of stalled efforts to redevelop Tynecastle.

An insider said: “The concerns from Hibs have definitely made it more difficult for the council to press ahead with any kind of shared stadium with Hearts.

“They believe there has been an element of favouritism and bias in the way the two clubs have been treated.

“Any shared stadium is bound to be seen as the council building a stadium for Hearts, and that is a political non-starter in a city like Edinburgh.”

Earlier this month Dave Anderson, the council’s director of city development, said it would be a “failure of ambition” on the council’s part not to examine the joint stadium plans.

However, Jim Lowrie, the city’s planning leader, said: “I don’t see a shared ground with Hearts really being a goer at the moment.

“The council doesn’t really have any money for something like that and if we were going to look at a new stadium it would need to be for athletics, as that is what we received funding for previously. It would need a running track, but Hearts wouldn’t be happy with that.”

Sir Tom Farmer declined to comment last night. Mr Petrie was also unavailable.