Threats forcing Mercer to quit Hearts

DEREK DOUGLAS

19 Sep 1990

HEARTS chairman Mr Wallace Mercer expects to stand down within two or three years but will still retain a 12% shareholding in the club to enable him to "walk through the front door at Tynecastle" any time he wants.

In an exclusive interview Mr Mercer, who during the summer was the target of death threats because of his abortive takeover of city rivals Hibernian and who just nine days ago sacked manager Alex MacDonald, revealed that his thoughts are now turning to the day of his own departure.

He indicates that because of the pressure that his family was under during the Hibs takeover battle and because he considers football chairmanship to be a young man's game, at 44 he may be too old and that he too is set to go soon.

He also concedes that the manner of the attempted takeover at Easter Road was a misjudgment and reveals that he has an optimum age profile -- 35-45 -- for the man who is to take over from MacDonald.

He said: "It would be totally irresponsible for me to think of my personal feelings at the present time with the problems of the summer, and the backwash of that still evident at Easter Road on Saturday.

"However, I think a period of reflection will be taken later on in the year or early spring when hopefully things will have settled down."

He added: "I have got to think long and hard at the effect this whole thing has had on my family, that is my wife, son and daughter.

They have been under constant pressure over the past six weeks with constant threats, phone calls, and so on.

The police have told me not to mention it because all it does is increase the tension.

We are not just talking at the odd threat we are talking about threats virtually on a daily basis by letter, by phone and everything else.

"There will come a time when it is in my and the club's best interests to do other things.

There are other challenges and other things that I want to do with my life."

In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Mercer also reveals that:

* The plan to takeover Hibernian was hatched when he was approached by three Hibs shareholders in an Edinburgh restaurant.

* He misjudged the tribalism element of football support.

* Even before the takeover deadline had expired he and his wife had decided not to proceed.

* The decision to sack Alex MacDonald and Walter Borthwick without successors lined up was taken on moral grounds.

Lifting the smokescreen

Taken from the Herald