George Burley feels Hearts fans should be ‘optimistic’

Published on Wednesday 14 November 2012 01:17

Former Hearts manager George Burley is confident that the club will survive.

Hearts last night announced they had been given an extended deadline of 3 December to pay a £450,000 tax bill in two instalments to stave off a winding-up order from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.

But that is just one of many 
financial issues at Tynecastle 
and a £1.75million tax case was revealed recently when a £1.79m share issue was launched, a scheme which could eventually result in fan ownership.

Despite all the problems and Hearts’ perilous position, Burley believes a solution will be found.

“Hearts may be the third biggest club in Scotland so it would be a disaster,” said Burley. “Hopefully, they’ll come through it and build from there. I spoke to one or two people at Hearts, in the boardroom, on Saturday. I think they’re optimistic.

“A club like Hearts, such a big club, I’m optimistic things will come right.”

Former Hearts player Gary Mackay is one of many aiming to raise funds and has claimed a contribution from Harry Redknapp, who took Tottenham to Tynecastle in the Europa League in August 2011. Mackay said: “Scott Crabbe and I, ex-players, have set up the 1874 fighting fund and the response we’ve had has been wonderful. A lot of ex-players and Harry Redknapp, the ex-Tottenham Hotspur manager, they’ve all pledged £100 to kick start that fighting fund.”

Hearts used their official website to encourage supporters to fund the club using “official channels”. A statement said: “Heart of Midlothian FC today urged fans keen to help the club financially to do so through official channels. A number of other organisations have recently been set up with the aim of persuading Jambos to part with their cash in a bid to help Hearts but the club would like to urge fans to act with caution before going down that route.”

A Hearts spokesperson added: “There are now 10 organisations actively involved in seeking funds from fans. We have dealt with some of these groups before but others have only 
recently been created and the club has no direct relationship with them.”

Taken from the Scotsman