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| <-Page | <-Team | Sat 13 May 2006 Hearts 1 Gretna 1 | Team-> | Page-> |
| <-Srce | <-Type | Herald ------ Report | Type-> | Srce-> |
| Valdas Ivanauskas | <-auth | Darryl Broadfoot | auth-> | Douglas McDonald |
| Hartley Paul | [R McGuffie 76] | |||
| 425 | of 429 | Rudi Skacel 39 | SC | N |
Burley to sign Webster and SkacelDARRYL BROADFOOT July 04 2006 Andy Webster and Rudi Skacel are poised to leave Hearts for Southampton imminently. The pair were reported to FIFA, world football's governing body, and the Scottish Football Association for breach of contract after failing to fly to Austria with the Tynecastle club for pre-season training yesterday. Ironically, their no-show coincided with confirmation from Southampton's new owners that George Burley will receive sufficient financial support to recruit his two former charges. A combined bid of around £1.2m is expected to be lodged for the pair within the week, despite the surprise resignation of the controversial St Mary's chairman, Rupert Lowe, at the weekend. After yesterday's dramatic turn of events, and the club's longstanding disagreements with the players' respective representatives, there will be no reprieve for either Webster or Skacel at Tynecastle. Valdas Ivanauskas, the Hearts manager, revealed both would be banished from the club if they refused to report for duty at Edinburgh airport yesterday. In a bizarre twist, Skacel, the Czech winger, did meet his team-mates at the airport, but only to board a flight home to Prague. Webster was also absent from the travelling party and it was left to Roman Romanov, the Hearts chairman, to issue a terse statement revealing that the club have instigated action against both players. "In order to protect the interests of the club, we have reported this matter to both FIFA and Scottish FA," he said. "We will not comment on the matter further until it is resolved." Burley, meanwhile, has been heartened by comments from the new Southampton chief executive, Jim Hone, that funds will be made available to improve the club's prospects of a return to the Premiership. "We want to give George every chance of building a squad to take us up, but we won't go throwing money like crazy this season just because the parachute payment disappears," said Hone. "We're not going to second guess George or second guess what is in the so-called war-chest or strip anything out of it. "We are coming in to strengthen that. We won't interfere with George Burley's transfer targets and we will make every effort to allow him to bring in the players he wants." Neither Victor Kolar, who is Skacel's agent, nor Charles Duddy, Webster's representative, could be contacted last night.  Taken from the Herald |
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