Fighting Fund helps Hearts

The 1874 Fighting Fund has made its first contribution to Heart of Midlothian Football Club following two fundraisers.

The Fighting Fund, whose aim is to raise money for the benefit of the club, both now and in the future, has paid for essential maintenance work to be carried out at Tynecastle Stadium over the past few weeks, with the main focus being on cleaning and painting the steps leading up to the back of the stands.

Speaking to Hearts News, Keith Hogg, Stadium and Security Manager, said: "The steps are covered in an anti-slipping coating and the last thing we want is people to hurt themselves when they come to Tynecastle, so it's definitely a safety issue.

"It's basically a case of trying to get the bits and pieces round the stadium painted, making it look a lot better, replacing gates here and there, etc. It's not big and it's not exciting but it's essential, and that's what we're trying to do."

Former Hearts player and current 1874 Fighting Fund Trustee Jimmy Sandison has been involved with fundraising and is in constant dialogue with the club. He told Hearts News: "We've had two fundraisers and quite simply the fund is all about the immediate, the middle and the future for this club. We'll always be here, no matter who is in charge, and the bottom line is we want this fund to help the club immediately.

"With the two fundraisers we've had we've been able to address, through Keith Hogg and the club, some health and safety issues on the steps and walkways that are critical for the season ahead so that's where most of the funds have went at this particular moment. I'm really pleased, I've been to have a look at it and it looks fantastic. The two guys, Marvin Thomason and Stephen Gallacher, have worked their socks off for the last three weeks and it's looking great.

"We talk on a weekly basis with people at the club to ask them: 'Is there anything we can help with?' and obviously there are many things. It's just great to be able to go back to people who have come to these fundraisers and say: 'That's where your money has went'. It's a light at the end of tunnel for a lot of people, they're really pleased that money has been generated and it's going to something that's critical and visual and the guys have done a great job.

"We're just starting. There's going to be more fundraisers ahead, again to generate money to simply put right back in to this club and keep this club going forward. Like any fundraising we need a stable amount of money coming in, through donations and things like that. It's all going to a terrific cause and I can only thank the people who have attended and donated and I hope they keep doing that.

"Money is not limited to stadium repairs. It will go towards absolutely anything that we, as trustees, and the club deem as critical. Simple as that. It's for this football club. Whatever it wants and we can help with, then it'll be top of the list."

Details on how donations can be made and news on future fundraisers can be found at the 1874 Fighting Fund website.

Hearts World