Tyne runs out

HEARTS are facing the prospect of a year's delay in their plans to rebuild Tynecastle's main stand after Edinburgh City Council warned that a planning application must be submitted immediately for building to begin this summer.

Council chiefs have urged Hearts to detail their plans for redevelopment in Gorgie as soon as possible or face missing their end-of-season target for beginning work.

Planning permission applications can be notoriously drawn-out affairs, with Hearts' intentions complicated by surrounding buildings on McLeod Street which require to be demolished or relocated to facilitate a new stand.

Roman Romanov, the club chairman, is working closely with city councillors but has yet to appoint a firm of architects to work on behalf of Hearts, although he is understood to be close to doing so.

Local councillor for the Gorgie area, Kingsley Thomas, said: "If Hearts want to begin work on their new stand they will have to submit a detailed planning application soon.

"The planning process can take a while to get through, particularly for a big development like this. Hearts have been open with their intentions and have bared them to the local community in Gorgie."

The present main stand at Tynecastle was designed by Archibald Leitch and was opened in 1914, serving the club well for almost 92 years. However, it is now regarded as dated when compared with other areas of the stadium.

The council remains willing to assist Hearts in creating space on McLeod Street by tearing down Club to liaise with Mercer family on securing Tynecastle land for stand redevelopment the adult education centre, and have already intimated that nearby Tynecastle High School is to be rebuilt across the street.

Hearts will liaise with the family of their late former chairman Wallace Mercer, who own land which presently holds Tynecastle's stadium offices, a separate building adjacent to the current main stand that would also have to be demolished.

The biggest obstacle that could stand in the way of planning permission being granted appears to be Tynecastle Nursery School, which is next to the High School and would have to be suitably relocated nearby before the council would allow Hearts to begin building work.

Romanov Jnr revealed at the club's recent AGM that, if Hearts do not manage to submit a planning application and have it approved before the end of the season, then they will delay the work until summer 2007.

A Hearts spokesperson said: "We are in the final stages in our search for an architect. Our application has not been submitted yet although it will be soon. Wallace Mercer does own the stadium offices but we believe he was in discussions with the Romanovs before he passed away.

"In any case, I don't believe Wallace wanted to stand in the club's way and prevent us from moving forward with our plans for a new stand."

Hearts reserves drew 1-1 with Aberdeen at Forthbank yesterday as Edgaras Jankauskas made his return after five weeks out with a hamstring injury. Jankauskas now comes into contention for a place in the first-team squad for Saturday's match with Motherwell.

Recent signing Juho Makela played for 82 minutes before appearing to pull up with a hamstring complaint, although coach John McGlynn was not unduly concerned. "I don't think it's anything too serious," he said. "Probably just a bit of tiredness."

Hearts will learn tonight who their Scottish Cup quarter-final opponents will be when Partick Thistle and Inverness meet at Firhill in a fourth-round replay.

Tickets for that match, which will kick-off at 12.15pm on Saturday February 25, went on sale at Tynecastle this morning, and there are less than 800 tickets left for this weekend's visit of Motherwell.

Taken from the Scotsman