Hearts slash budget for a new stand to £10 million

HEARTS have dramatically scaled down their £50million stadium redevelopment plans at Tynecastle, with the budget to build a new stand now set at between £10million and £15million.

Fans have been told the club remains committed to building a new 11,000-seater main stand despite confessing to being over ambitious in their initial plans. Proposals for a major face lift of the surrounding area that was to see a hotel, offices, gym, residential apartments and conferencing facilities being erected in tandem with a modern grandstand have now been scrapped.

Instead, Gorgie officials have vowed to concentrate solely on replacing the existing main enclosure in the "near future".

Director Vitalijus Vasiliauskas said: "We're not forgetting our main task to build a new stand, we wanted to build a bigger one but this one will have almost 11,000 seats with additional boxes and hospitality area.

"During the last year, we have been changing the existing plan. It was maybe a bit too ambitious to build such a big development that cost 50 million and the current financial climate helped us to make a decision. We're willing to build only a stand. We're looking to build a stand with hospitality areas. We are working with architects, it's not as fast as we or you want us to proceed but we're trying to do our best.

"We are willing to create a new scheme in the near future without the commercial development. We are reducing our budget dramatically, it will be about 10million to 15million to build instead of the previous 50million."

Speaking at a season-ticket holders' question and answer session with club officials on Monday evening, Vasiliauskas admitted he is working at cutting through red tape as Hearts seek planning permission for a new stand.

He added: "It takes time, we are developing issues in the surrounding areas.

"We have issues with the city, with the whisky plant next door, with the High School; it's a very tough process and we need more time."

Vasiliauskas admits the club, that is 30.48 million in debt, is wary of new Uefa financial regulations that come into force at the start of the 2012/13 season as they consider plans for stadium redevelopment.

The financial fair play initiative requires clubs to break even or post a profit during a three-year cycle.

Any teams that repeatedly make a loss over that period could be barred from entering the Champions League and Europa League.

Vasiliauskas added: "We have some new regulations, we have to break even as a club budget by 2012 due to Uefa regulations. We're willing to break even and after we will look for potential development."

Meanwhile, Hearts manager Jim Jefferies is hoping Marius Zaliukas can ease his defensive problems ahead of the visit of league leaders Rangers on Saturday.

Zaliukas has begun light training after recovering from the hamstring tear he suffered during last month's victory at Aberdeen.

The Lithuanian's return would be a timely boost. Left-back Lee Wallace and midfielder Eggert Jonsson filled the central defensive roles during Saturday's 2-1 win over Hibernian after David Kucharski limped off.

Jefferies has also been without Ismael Bouzid for the last seven weeks because of separate hamstring injuries and the Algeria internationalist has flown to his native France to consult specialists on his on-going problems.

Jose Goncalves is another who has not been available to the Tynecastle manager due to a combination of injury and a bitter contractual dispute.

However, following on from the boost of the dominant 2-1 win over Hibs at the weekend, Jefferies has been thrilled to see Zaliukas put himself into contention to face the league leaders and he told Hearts News: "The good news is that Marius Zaliukas did the warm-up yesterday, did a bit more today and will hopefully train fully with us on Thursday. That's a big positive."

The Hearts manager added: "I don't think it is Lee's preferred position but he has gone in there and done a good job for the team.

"We have had to chop and change a lot in recent weeks and played people out of position but they have all done their best, which is all I can ask."

Jefferies is unsure whether skipper Michael Stewart will return from a calf injury but expects Ian Black to be able to play after concussion forced him off against Hibs. "We'll see how it goes this week with Michael," the former Kilmarnock manager said.

"Blackie didn't train yesterday and we'll watch him as it was a head knock, but we expect him to be all right."