Hearts: we want European games at Tynecastle

HEARTS are to apply to UEFA for special dispensation that will allow Tynecastle to host Champions League football next season.

The club will request permission to play the qualifying rounds of the tournament at their spiritual home despite its playing surface being smaller than UEFA's stipulated criteria for Champions League matches. The dimensions of the Tynecastle pitch, which were extended last summer, meet the minimum international standards of 100m by 64m, but for their blue riband competition UEFA will usually insist that a club's playing surface measures at least 105m by 68m.

Hearts will attempt to get round the technicality, however, citing the instances of Arsenal and Liverpool who, amongst other clubs across the continent, have been allowed to play top-level European games at their grounds despite their pitches not meeting the regulations.

Campbell Ogilvie, Hearts' general secretary and operations director, will plead the club's case to UEFA prior to them taking their Champions League initiation in late July.

"Tynecastle meets international standards and the club has been in regular contact with UEFA and the Scottish Football Association, although we appreciate we wil have to ask for a relaxation of the rules," said Ogilvie. "Numerous other clubs have been given this relaxation before, including Arsenal and Liverpool, and we are aware that we would have to make a separate decision regarding whether the games would be placed at Tynecastle based on the back-up facilities we have here."

Should UEFA agree to Hearts request, there would still be the issues of dressing-room, media and hospitality facilities for the club to consider, however they remain confident of overcoming any hitches.

It is unlikely that they would remain at Tynecastle upon gaining progress to the group stages of the Champions League, and in this instance Murrayfield would be a leading contender to host Hearts games.

Valdas Ivanauskas, Hearts' interim head coach, takes his players to Ibrox tomorrow for their final outing of the season, safe in the knowledge that they cannot be overtaken in the SPL's second Champions League place.

Several first-team members are likely to be rested for the game, including goalkeeper Craig Gordon, captain Steven Pressley, midfielder Paul Hartley and striker Edgaras Jankauskas.

Lee Wallace, Christophe Berra and Michal Pospisil are amongst those in line to deputise as Ivanauskas protects his players for next Saturday's Tennent's Scottish Cup final with Gretna at Hampden. Striker Roman Bednar, meanwhile, has agreed to stay with Hearts next season. He arrived on a one-year loan from the Lithuanian club FBK Kaunas last summer, and after meeting majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov in Edinburgh on Thursday it has been ordained that Bednar's future remains in Scotland.

Taken from the Scotsman