Cash ’n Gary
By JOHN SHIELDS
Published: 12th November 2012
2 HEARTS legends Gary Mackay and Scott Crabbe have launched the ‘1874 Fighting Fund’ in a bid to help their financially stricken club.

And former Tynecastle stars including Paul Hartley, Steven Pressley, Gilles Rousset, Stephane Adam, Tosh McKinlay and George Cowie have all promised to back them with hard cash.

The one-time Gorgie favourites will be the guardians of any money raised and promise to make it available for any club-related payments.

The Jambos, who recently launched a £1.79million share issue, last week pleaded with fans for their help to raise £450,000 to stave off a HMRC winding-up order.

Mackay said: “Allied to a few ex-team-mates of mine at Hearts, I am starting a fighting fund. We are not working against the club in any way, shape or form.

“The fighting fund will be looked after by the group and if the club needed money, we would work with them to pay bills or whatever.

“The key thing is that any supporters who back the fighting fund will know exactly where the money is going. We want to raise funds to help the club both short-term and long-term.

“It is probably aimed at those who are sceptical about donating straight to the club.

“It wouldn’t matter how much people want to donate, whether it’s £1 or £100, but what I will guarantee is that we will be 100 per cent transparent about where every penny goes.

“For example, if we heard that there was a bill to be paid to Newtongrange Star for the use of their ground for under-20 games, then that might be the kind of thing we would use the fund to pay. Hearts would just tell us what they needed the money for and, as long as it was open and transparent, we would oblige.”

In addition, a group of Hearts-supporting businessmen are reported to have held tentative talks with director Sergejus Fedotovas — Vladimir Romanov’s right-hand man — both before and after the stricken club issued last week’s mayday call.

Fedotovas said: “Mr Romanov will have a discussion with anyone willing to invest in or buy the club.”

Meanwhile, Hearts last night reopened talks with HMRC in a bid to reach a payment agreement.

SunSport understands they submitted a new payment proposal ahead of Thursday’s deadline. If accepted, it would remove the immediate threat of liquidation and keep them in business beyond this week.