Jam tarts hit cash jackpot

PAUL KIDDIE

DEBT-RIDDEN Hearts hit a £1million jackpot with the UEFA Cup clash against Schalke at Murrayfield, the Evening News can reveal.

The Group A meeting with the Bundesliga giants proved to be the most lucrative game in the club’s history, swamping the previous best takings from the tie against Stuttgart four years ago.

More than 27,000 spectators poured into Murrayfield on Thursday night to see John Robertson’s first game in charge as manager, the evening ending on a disappointing note with Brazilian Lincoln’s second-half strike enough to give the Germans a 1-0 triumph over the ten-man hosts - Patrick Kisnorbo was sent off early in the second half.

The defeat left Hearts at the bottom of the table without any points from their first two matches and Robertson knowing he must somehow take six points from the remaining matches against Basel and Ferencvaros to have any chance of progressing to the next phase.

The reverse may have been bad news for the players and fans but at least the money men at Tynecastle were left smiling after the calculators stopped whirring.

The clash with Stuttgart in 2000 brought in around £500,000 to the club but the Evening News understands that Thursday’s encounter at the home of Scottish rugby was worth double that amount, swelling the Gorgie coffers by around £1m.

Revenue from the big-spending German TV companies, who covered the game live, was a huge factor. But the biggest attendance at a Hearts ‘home’ match for some 40 years also played a significant part in the cash bonanza.

Unable to now stage European games at ageing Tynecastle due to FIFA regulations, the club’s decision to stage the UEFA Cup matches at the headquarters of Scottish rugby paid off handsomely with Murrayfield hosting almost 10,000 more fans than could have crammed into the Gorgie stadium.

With the Schalke hospitality packages having sold out well in advance and advertising revenue also proving lucrative, Hearts struck it rich. Finance director Stewart Fraser was unable to reveal the actual amount of money made from the tie due to the plc’s ‘closed’ period.

However, he did admit it was the most lucrative match in the club’s 130-year history which is welcome news with the Gorgie outfit currently struggling to service its debt of more than £19million. "The Schalke game was the best game financially in the history of the football club," he said.

The Jambos, meanwhile, return to domestic action tomorrow with a trip to Aberdeen. The Dons sit three points ahead of Hearts but Robertson’s side could be bolstered by the return to action of midfield powerhouse Phil Stamp.

The Englishman hasn’t featured since injuring his calf in the derby win over Hibs last month but trained yesterday and could force his way into the frame for a start. Mark de Vries came off the bench on Thursday and should feature at some stage at Pittodrie.

The home side have been dealt a blow with the news they will have to do without Michael Hart as they attempt to bounce back from last weekend’s 5-0 hammering from Rangers at Ibrox. The ex-Livingston defender has a hamstring strain, while Steven Craig has also been ruled out. Dons boss Jimmy Calderwood was due to give Fernando Pasquinelli and David Preece fitness tests today.

Taken from the Scotsman