Hearts are 'unmissable' at the moment TV channel admits

Paul Kiddie

TABLE-TOPPING Hearts have won their first battle with the Old Firm after Setanta opted to screen the Jambos' forthcoming SPL clash at Livingston rather than Rangers' trip to Falkirk the same weekend. Gorgie boss George Burley was due to take his league leaders to West Lothian on Saturday, September 10 but the game has been put back 24 hours, the subscription channel admitting today that the Tynecastle side are "unmissable" at the moment.

Hearts have stormed five points clear at the top of the table having registered five straight wins to suggest they could well be capable of challenging the Old Firm's duopoly of the game in Scotland.

"Under more normal circumstances I think we would have been at Falkirk for the visit of Rangers that weekend but Hearts have made tremendous progress and I think they are unmissable at the moment," said Setanta executive producer Colin Davidson.

"We have always said that if there was a credible challenge from any club to Celtic or Rangers at the top of the table then that would reflected in our coverage. Hearts are proving that they are not a flash in the pan and that they have a squad of very good footballers who don't look like they will get nervous at the situation.

"If either of the Old Firm had opened up a five-point lead at this stage, people would be saying that the league is over. They are not saying that now and, of course, Hearts will not win every game but they are demonstrating the kind of form the Old Firm has shown in the past. We are duty bound to cover them and are delighted to do so."

Davidson also revealed that the success of Hearts could well give him a problem when it comes to deciding what future matches to screen live.

Under their four-year, £35 million agreement with the SPL, Irish firm Setanta can only show any one team four times at home. The cameras were at the first Edinburgh derby of the season at Tynecastle when the hosts romped to a stunning 4-0 triumph. Setanta will also carry Rangers' visit to Gorgie on the weekend of September 24-25, although a kick-off time has yet to be confirmed with Alex McLeish's outfit on Champions League duty the following midweek.

With Celtic's Hogmanay trip to Tynecastle also a huge attraction and another home clash with Hibs scheduled for the end of January, Davidson admits he may have to approach the SPL for some form of dispensation.

"As long as Hearts are top of the league or still challenging we will be with them all the way," said Davidson.

"It may be that we'll have to ask the SPL for dispensation to show more Hearts matches."

He added: "In previous seasons it has been a pretty straightforward decision to make when the Old Firm were playing away from home.

"But Hearts' success has given me a bit of a problem as there is very much a third factor to look at now."

Burley, meanwhile, is hopeful of landing two new players before the transfer window slams shut tomorrow night.

The Gorgie chief discussed signing targets with Vladimir Romanov after Saturday's 2-1 win over Motherwell, the Lithuanian millionaire agreeing to loosen the purse strings yet again.

Burley has already snapped up seven players since taking the Hearts job but the Evening News believes that with chief executive Phil Anderton back from holiday, the manager is winning his race against time to bolster his first-team squad before tomorrow night's deadline.

The interest in Hearts' resurgence was reflected in the early queues at the club's ticket office yesterday when tickets for the Livingston clash, which will have a 2pm kick-off at Almondvale, went on sale.

Fans were queuing from 8am to ensure their seat for the game as Burley's men aim for a sixth successive league win. The club have been given 6210 briefs for the match and more than 2000 have already been sold.

In anticipation of continued high demand, the ticket office will remain open until 7pm this evening and tomorrow (subject to tickets still being available).

Taken from the Scotsman