Balogh quits Hearts and paves way for mass exodus

By ALAN PATTULLO
Published on Thursday 8 December 2011 12:28

JANOS Balogh has begun what could become a stampede after agreeing to an early termination of his Hearts contract.

The goalkeeper, who joined the Tynecastle club from Hungarian side Debrecen in August 2008, had been contracted until next month, but has reached a compromise settlement which allows him to leave the club immediately.

Balogh made 41 appearances during three-and-a-half years with the club, making his debut as a half-time replacement for Marian Kello in a derby clash with Hibernian in October 2008.

He is expected to be the first of many to leave Hearts in the coming weeks as severe financial cuts begin to take effect.

However, the goalkeeper claims to have left without any bitterness and has thanked Hearts for the opportunity to sample life in Edinburgh.

He last played for the club in his sole appearance this season against Ayr United in the Scottish Communities League Cup in September. The Hungarian suffered for the good form shown by Kello while Jamie MacDonald also stepped ahead of him in the goalkeeping queue.

“I enjoyed my time here and my debut for the club in the derby against Hibs was a special moment for me,” Balogh said. “It was a dream debut for me. In fact the Hibs games I played in were all special – I remember making the save of my life against them at Tynecastle when I had to change direction to turn a deflected shot on to the post.

“It was a good move for me to come to Hearts and it improved me as a goalkeeper, although it was frustrating not to be able to prove it in the last 15 months. I didn’t have much luck during that time, but I will remember my first two years here for a long time. Living in Edinburgh was a new culture for me and my family and I would like to come back some time.

“I will be home in Hungary with my family for Christmas which will be great and after that who knows what will happen. My preference is to get back playing in Europe in a new country. I would like to wish the club all the best for the future as the supporters deserve success. The fans’ support for the team was different to anything I had experienced before.”

Balogh’s farewell contains few hints of the convulsions which currently threaten Hearts. The player’s salaries for November have still not been paid although a portion of them were offered to the players from a sum of £30,000 released by parent company Ukio Bankas last week. October’s wages were also late in arriving although they were eventually paid up in full.

It is understood that PFA Scotland, the independent union for professional footballers in Scotland, have become increasingly dismayed at the long-running situation whereby the players are being asked to put their bodies on the line for a club which has repeatedly failed to honour contractual obligations. Hearts travel to face Celtic this Saturday with unrest increasing within the squad, and PFA Scotland intend to make their members’ concerns clear today.

According to a source, the statement, which will be released this afternoon, is designed to highlight the “vulnerable and isolated position the players find themselves in”. The SPFA have had minimal contact with Hearts and now believe the situation has been allowed to go “beyond the pale”.

Hearts hope to be able to raise funds by selling on some senior players in January. However, one report yesterday examined the possibility of players invoking Fifa’s Article 14, which allows them to terminate a contract “with just cause”. It is understood that Hearts believe the legal situation is still weighted in the club’s favour. Remarkably at a time of such uncertainly, “initial discussions” are also reported to have begun with some players whose contracts are due to expire next summer.

Meanwhile, Hearts have continued to prepare for the expected influx of younger players in the first-team next year by sending striker Gordon Smith out on loan again. Smith, who spent last season on loan at Stirling Albion, has joined Hamilton Academical on a month-long deal, while defender Kevin McHattie has moved to Paul Hartley’s Alloa Athletic until mid-January.

Smith, whose only start this season came in the goal-less Europa League clash with Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, wants to prove to manager Paulo Sergio that he can make the first-team grade.

“I want to show the manager here I still have a part to play at Tynecastle and hopefully I can come back and be involved more with the first team,” the 20-year-old said.

“This is a good chance for me to get playing more games. I am going for a month and hopefully I can do well at Hamilton while at the same time help myself improve match sharpness.”

The Tynecastle club are thought to be pursuing a policy of farming out their most promising youngsters ahead of potential promotion to the first-team in January.

Jason Holt, Denis Prychynenko, Jamie Walker and David Smith are currently on loan at Raith. Jordan Morton is at Cowdenbeath while Robert Ogleby and Mark Ridgers are at East Fife on temporary deals.

Calum Elliot has recently extended his loan period arrangement with Dundee by an extra month, but he is in a different boat to most others in that he has been told he has no future at Tynecastle. Jason Thomson, who has been on loan at Dunfermline this season, is also considered surplus to requirements as new director of football John Murray begins to implement cost- cutting measures.

Taken from the Scotsman