Hearts launch Maybury Appeal

HEARTS will today officially launch an appeal against the controversial dismissal of Alan Maybury, the defender having been controversially sent off at Livingston on Saturday.

The Tynecastle star was sent packing by referee Dougie McDonald in the first half of the Almondvale showdown in an incident which left Jambos boss Craig Levein fuming.

Maybury appeared to be red carded for lashing out at Lions’ Spanish playmaker David Fernandez when in fact television evidence later showed that he kicked the ball lying next to his opponent.

The Gorgie outfit are still harbouring a sense of injustice at the decision which changed the course of the game, the home side making the most of their numerical advantage after the break to register a 2-0 victory which took them nine points clear of Hearts in the race for third place.

Immediately after the game Levein was adamant his players did not deserve his early bath and today he confirmed the club would be contacting the SFA in a bid to have the red card overturned.

"It certainly wasn’t a sending off and we will be appealing the referee’s decision," he said.

"It is definitely worth it as far as we are concerned as Alan Maybury clearly played the ball in the incident."

With Hearts back in league action on Wednesday, the SFA confirmed they will view the matter as a priority in a bid to clarify the former Leeds United star’s position as regards playing at Parkhead.

Meanwhile, Hearts have shrugged off a report listing the club’s shares as among some of the country’s least desirable.

Heart of Midlothian plc and Aberdeen were named as two companies which had seen little action in the stock market, with less than £40,000 of shares changing hands last year.

But Hearts spokesman Douglas Dalgleish said: "It is a well-known fact that people who buys shares in a football club don’t do so to make a quick profit.

"They buy them because of their allegiance to the club.

"Actual trading of shares in a football club compared to major companies is minimal, so naturally they will appear towards the bottom of such leagues."

Taken from the Scotsman