Quinn supports Hearts title bid

By Natasha Woods

CELTIC chairman Brian Quinn has welcomed Vladimir Romanov’s investment in Hearts and said he wants to see the Tynecastle side break the Glasgow duopoly this season.

Hearts’ 2-0 victory over Aberdeen yesterday in Edinburgh left George Burley’s team at the top of the Premierleague, with a three-point lead over Rangers and a five-point cushion over Celtic.

“If what is going on at Hearts makes the Scottish Premierleague more competitive then I’m all for it,” said Quinn. “Competitive leagues thrive and that is good news.

“If Hearts get into a position where they constitute a serious threat to the Old Firm, the football fan in me would welcome that. It means more excitement and it could mean there might be another team for the others to have a go at rather than Rangers and Celtic. That makes it more competitive, too.

“There had been a very damaging deterioration in football clubs in Scotland and we have stopped that. We have come through the fire and stabilised and I don’t see any deterioration in the quality of the football.”

The chairman offered his views on the Romanov revol ution after announcing details of Celtic’s annual financial results. They showed the club’s debt had risen to almost £20 million as turnover slipped 9.9% to £62.17m to the end of June and that Celtic continue to lose more than £7m a year.

Quinn said the losses were unsustainable and admitted he would get “jumpy” if debts broke the £20m mark. But he stressed debt would not inevitably rise next year, despite the fact Celtic will not be in the group stages of the Champions League.

He admitted he was upset by accusations Celtic’s board lack ambition after spending more than £7m on new players this summer. “N o-one likes to be told he is lacking ambition or that he doesn’t have the club at heart. But the fact of the matter is you do the right thing for the club,” he said.

That means continued prudence and performance-related pay , with players’ wage costs having been substantially reduced over the summer and now tracking below £37.5m.

Chief executive Peter Lawwell also hit back at accusations the board lack ambition, adding that Celtic still pay £10m more in wages than their nearest rival in Scotland .

Taken from the Sunday Herald