Andrew Driver fears ‘horrible situation’ at Hearts but players to fight on

THE perennial issue for Hearts players in recent years has centred on when they might be paid. Now, it is a question of ‘if’. Yet, the threat to the club’s existence has a human face beyond the football squad for winger Andrew Driver.

And as dire as the club’s situation may appear, the 24-year-old, in the past openly critical of the club’s regime as salaries weren’t deposited in bank accounts on the date they should have been, appreciates that home truths are at least being told.

“We are not due to be paid until next Friday but the club have been totally transparent with us and it’s not as if they have hidden secrets from us,” he said. “Maybe last year we weren’t told but now they tell us a lot and hopefully we will get a meeting with the powers that be and know more about it. We know just as much as everyone else so we can only concentrate on the games.

“It is worrying for everyone at the club, not just the players, but everyone is in it together and we are all pushing in the same direction to get us out of it. It is not only worrying for us but also for the people who work at the club. There is a lot more to Heart of Midlothian than those who are playing football. They are in the same position and it will be playing on their minds. They have families and some of the boys have kids. Those are the people I am most worrried about because Christmas is just around the corner and we have to hope we do get out of it.

“It is going to be a horrible situation if the club does go under. We have got to try everything to stop that from happening.”

Right now there isn’t much players can do to prevent that except from go about their business as they would any other week; though the mood for their trip to Inverness for today’s encounter at the Caledonian Stadium is likely to have been maudlin. Yet, blocking out all crises and concerns when stepping over the white line has become the Hearts’ players way. The scale may be far graver and grander, but the Tynecastle squad have earned admiration for their ability to play their way through financial firestorms in the most commendable fashion.

“I think we have shown in recent years that our results have been better when there has been adversity on us,” Driver said. “I think it makes the players realise we are doing a job we love to do and we have to go out and do our job. The rest of it on the side is worrying but the football is the way to take your mind off it.”

There has been speculation that UBIG could be willing to cover whatever sum remains outstanding to cover the £450,000 tax bill further to the efforts of the supporters to rally to the club. The reason for this is that if HMRC were to follow through on their winding-up order and liquidate Hearts, Vladimir Romanov’s investment group would lose control of the club’s assets and with that any hope of recovering the £22m splurged on the club. On that basis, it may be that UBIG cover this latest bill then placed Hearts in administration. It was when Rangers found themselves in this state that players agreed to wage cuts to allow their club to see out the season.

If such a scenario came to pass, Driver said: “We would obviously have to talk about it. You wouldn’t have much option if the club is close to closing down. We will have to take that step when we come to it but that is not an option at the moment. We would need to speak to lawyers and the players’ union but hopefully 
it doesn’t get to that stage.”