Hearts slip up in drive towards Europe

DOUGLAS CAMPBELL

12 Apr 1993

AS any good businessman will concede, the timing of a major promotion that can be vital to a company's well-being has got to be spot-on.

With this thought in mind, it is difficult to envisage Wallace Mercer, the Hearts chairman, and with the benefit of a pinch of hindsight, again actually selecting Saturday afternoon as the beginning of his club's season ticket promotion for next season.

Writing in the match programme, Mercer said his promotion "offers excellent value for regular supporters."

So, under ideal circumstances, Hearts then should have sent Dundee's chosen ones back home with a flea in their ear, and had the Tynecastle faithful clamouring for their cheque books and pens.

But, alas, for Mercer all that his employees were able to produce on the grass was unadulterated tedium, and, in the end, most of the club's followers, no doubt, were pleased to trudge home, their patience having been taxed to the limit during the 0-0 draw.

Hearts' management team still cherish the dream that, next season, their men can be pitted against some of the best in Europe by way of the UEFA Cup competition.

And a third-place finish in the premier division would turn that dream into reality.

However, it is perhaps just as well that Hearts trail Celtic so badly in the race for third spot, for, if form is to be taken as a yardstick, the Edinburgh side would embarrass not only themselves but the nation at large had they to gain a European place.

Indeed, Joe Jordan, the Hearts manager, looked a little dazed at the after-match media gathering, almost as though he didn't really believe the evidence of his own eyes.

"Very disappointing," was Jordan's opening comment.

"Whether games are home or away we are looking to win them.

We know what our objective is and that's to get into Europe, but today's was a bad performance."

And he sure was not kidding.

To add to Jordan's worries, defender Alan McLaren was carried off the field after 38 minutes with what was later reported to be ankle ligament damage.

If Jordan was unsually economical with his words, Dundee manager Simon Stainrod appeared quite content to chat at length about his lot.

They are uncomfortably close to the division's plug-hole and have chosen a bad time, in the words of their manager, "to have our worst spell of the season." But with better fortune, Dundee may well have boarded their coach for the trek home having secured both points.

Morten Weighorst appeared extremely leaden-footed when two opportunities to score presented.

Taken from the Herald