Romanov ranked 21st on football rich list

VLADIMIR Romanov's hopes of joining the British football establishment will be enhanced today with the publication of the game's latest 'rich list'.

The Hearts majority shareholder is believed to have amassed a fortune through his involvement in banking and the metals industry worth an estimated £200million. It is enough to see him placed at No21 in FourFourTwo magazine's annual British football rich list, eclipsing some of the game's more stellar names, such as David Beckham.

While Romanov revels in comparisons with Roman Abramovich, he falls a long way short of the Chelsea owner's riches, according to the survey. The Russian oil magnate tops the list with a personal fortune of £10billion which has allowed him to turn Chelsea into England's top side in less than three years.

Abramovich is clear at the top of the chart, with former Rangers investor Joe Lewis lagging £8billion behind in second place. And while Romanov is hellbent on breaking the Old Firm's dominance of Scottish football, he still has much ground to make up on Dermot Desmond and David Murray, the money men at Celtic and Rangers, respectively.

With an estimated £867million in the bank, Desmond remains the third richest man in British football, according to FourFourTwo. While supporters of Celtic continue to berate the Irish financier on the basis that he is not prepared to write the club a blank cheque for new players, Desmond has agreed to underwrite a new £15million share issue up to £10million. The club hope to use the funds for the establishment of a training facility and youth academy.

Murray, who at No9 is the only Scot in the top ten, has climbed three places from last year, increasing his wealth from £450million to £550million, according to the report. In the last year, Murray has reduced Rangers' net debt from a crippling £73.9million to a more manageable £23.1million by underwriting to the tune of £50.2million a £51.4million rights issue.

The steel magnate's financial standing was further strengthened last week with the announcement of his intention to sell his flagship company Murray International Metals Limited for £112million, although none of this money will go to Rangers.

Romanov's financial affairs are less clearcut and while he has spent to acquire his holding in Hearts, the money he has put up to run the club and sign new players has been in the form of loans. Subsequently, Hearts' debt for the year to the end of July is £21.26million, and it is expected that necessary further loans will take that figure to around £25million by the end of July 2006.

The Lithuanian-based millionaire's stated ambition is to take Hearts into the Champions League and he now plans to de-list from the Stock Exchange after announcing at the weekend that he has increased his stake in the club to 80 per cent.

A ruthless operator who rid the club of its manager, chief executive and chairman in the space of ten days in October, Romanov is nevertheless keen to be accepted within the game. But his abrasive manner is not to everyone's tastes and Aberdeen chairman Stewart Milne last week questioned Romanov's contribution to the Gorgie club. "He hasn't put a penny into the club. Their debts are still there and they are far larger than those at Aberdeen," said Milne, who will doubtless be pleased to learn that his £240million rating places him at No18 in the rich list, three places above Romanov.

Elsewhere, Manchester United's new owner Malcolm Glazer is at No5 on £735million.

Beckham still leads the way for the players with £75million but is only No32 on the overall list.

Duncan Ferguson is the highest earning Scottish player on £10million, which places him at 13th equal in the players' list and 91st on the overall list.

• The full rich list is published in FourFourTwo magazine. On sale now.

Taken from the Scotsman