Jefferies saga is discussed

IAN PAUL

16 Jan 1996

FALKIRK and Hearts are closer to an agreement over compensation for the move of the Brockville manager, Jim Jefferies, to Tynecastle amid much controversy in the summer.

Chairmen George Fulston and Chris Robinson met yesterday for a couple of hours discussing the thorny subject of adequate payment and will talk again today, writes Ian Paul.

Falkirk's Fulston was showing more signs of compromise but still insisted that he was prepared to dig in his heels if not satisfied with the offer.

"We have made progress," he said, "and maybe that was as much to do with the fact that we were able to sit down and talk than anything else but, although we had an open and frank chat, the final agreement is yet to come." He is determined to achieve proper compensation for what he believes was a form of inducement by the Gorgie club and has said all along that, if he does not get that, he will put all the facts at the disposal of the Scottish League, which takes a harsh view of any club found guilty of flaunting their rules.

The League fined Celtic £100,000 for inducing Kilmarnock manager Tommy Burns to go to Parkhead, and Fulston is of the opinion that he would have a similar case.

However, the chairmen have clearly been able to go some way down towards avoiding independent adjudication and the matter could be sorted out when, after their boards have been consulted, they talk again today.

q.HEARTS fanatic Gary O'Connor last night reluctantly left Tynecastle for Doncaster Rovers.

The Scotland under-21 keeper has been the subject of continuing interest from the English third division club while the arrival and success of French keeper Gilles Rousset has pushed the youngster out of Hearts' first-team picture.

A small fee was involved and O'Connor, who is likely to make his debut against Scarborough on Saturday, joins former Hearts striker Colin Cram at Doncaster.

Taken from the Herald