Ousted Foulkes turns on Romanov after ruthless sacking of Anderton

STUART BATHGATE AND EWAN MURRAY

GEORGE Foulkes last night turned on Vladimir Romanov after a dramatic day in which both he and Phil Anderton were forced out of Hearts.

Anderton was sacked as chief executive and Foulkes was relieved of his position as chairman, just nine days after Romanov sensationally sacked George Burley as manager. Romanov's 29-year-old son, Roman, has been appointed both chairman and acting chief executive.

"I'm absolutely devastated at the way in which some of my colleagues on the board took a decision against my recommendation and, I'm led to believe, against the advice of their professional advisors, to sack Phil Anderton," Foulkes said. "I just couldn't stay there any more, I just couldn't be part of that.

"I was unhappy last week about the sacking of [manager] George Burley, but we got hijacked into it, bounced into it, and we had to go along with it. I had the terrible experience of having to make that statement [about Burley's dismissal].

"And this weekend we've had the Lithuanians trying to twist my arm, first of all to soft soap me and then to brow beat me into going along with the sacking of Phil Anderton, and I just wouldn't do it.

"I tried to persuade them it wasn't in the best interests of the club, wasn't in the interests commercially or in any way but I failed to do it and they pressed ahead with it.

"I don't know why but I just know I don't want to be part of that, I find the ruthlessness just totally unacceptable."

Foulkes added: "I'm in a dilemma because I brought him in after the previous administration tried to demolish Tynecastle. He seemed like a saviour and I supported him month after month, but I'm totally disillusioned. I think he's reneged on promises recently, he's let us down and I'm totally disillusioned with the way he's doing it.

"I'm in this awful dilemma. I want to see us win, I want to see us up there and I don't want to do anything that will undermine the future of Hearts and that's why I think every fan is in that dilemma. Vladimir Romanov has put us in that dilemma and I just hope he finds a way out of it."

First reports suggested that Foulkes had resigned in protest following the axing of his boardroom colleague, but a club spokesman said last night that both men had been voted out by their fellow-directors at the board meeting. The Lithuanians' policy could have been to keep Foulkes on as a figurehead - he was offered a non-executive directorship as a sop - but when he refused to go along with the ousting of Anderton he too was forced out. In a brief statement released to the London Stock Exchange by Hearts, it was announced that Roman Romanov, the son of majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov, would stand in for both directors.

The only other word of explanation from Hearts came in a statement attributed to Romanov. "They've had over one year and have not been able to do the things I wanted for Hearts," it read. "They've had the funds and all my energy but I've not had the response I've wanted."

It remains to be seen what effect the loss of Anderton and Foulkes has on the search for a man to replace Burley, but yesterday's double sacking will not fill applicants with confidence.

One aspect of the bid to recruit a new manager is thought to have at least worsened relations between Romanov and Anderton. Claudio Ranieri, the former Chelsea manager, got on so well with Anderton last Wednesday that he was invited to fly to Edinburgh the following day to meet Romanov. The interview did not go well, and it was suggested that one reason for that was Anderton's decision not to tell Ranieri beforehand of the relatively modest salary on offer.

More generally, Anderton is thought to have been unconvinced of the wisdom of some of Romanov's more idealistic statements. Hearts have improved greatly both on the field and commercially since the start of the year, but not to the extent that winning the Champions League in three years - one of the more extravagant aims which Romanov has recently been quoted as having - appears anything other than a pipe dream. Those factors, and possibly others yet to emerge, led the Lithuanian members of the board to vote to terminate the contract of the man who once held the same post with the Scottish Rugby Union.

While Burley and the club signed a confidentiality agreement which prevented the reasons behind his departure from being made public, it is improbable that such a manoeuvre will wash with Hearts supporters this time round. The majority of them were delighted when Romanov took over effective control of the club from Chris Robinson, the former chief executive who had wanted to sell Tynecastle and play home matches at Murrayfield, but the loss of Foulkes and Anderton is sure to exacerbate the concerns which were already there when Burley left.

What is now clear is that, despite his having been in charge of the club for all practical purposes since the start of February, Romanov has seen fit to act in a more imperious and ruthless manner since he acquired majority control by buying out the 20 per cent stake held by SMG. That deal with the media group was announced on Friday 21 October: later the same day, owner and manager had a row which resulted in a board meeting being held the following morning at which it was "mutually agreed" Burley should go.

Since taking his stake in the club to over 30 per cent, Romanov has been obliged to offer the same price to other shareholders - 35 pence per share - that he paid to acquire his current stake. Trafalgar Asset Managers Ltd - a Robinson ally - yesterday sold 50,000 shares in the club for 37p each. The buyer's identity was withheld.

Taken from the Scotsman