Bad news: Romanov’s grand plans end in tears. Good news: This can be fresh start club needs

DAVID FRIEL

HEARTS fans all around the world are fearing for their crisis-hit club’s future this morning.

But Paul Hartley insists the Jambos’ plunge into administration could yet turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

The Hearts legend wasn’t in the least bit surprised when informed of the latest Tynecastle revelation yesterday.

Administrators KPMG are set to be appointed today as the cash-strapped Gorgie outfit edges closer to the abyss — with over 100 jobs on the line.

Hartley, a Scottish Cup winner with Hearts in 2006, pulled no punches when he claimed fans have been badly let down by AWOL owner Vladimir Romanov.

But Alloa boss Zico also backed the Jambos to emerge from this sorry mess STRONGER — despite being stung with a 15-point deduction for next season.

He told SunSport: “Maybe administration will turn out to be the best thing for Hearts. The club needs to start again with fresh investment.

“What will Romanov be thinking right now? Will he even be thinking?

“Who knows, you could never tell what he was thinking.

“He came in with a great plan at the start and then it all went pear-shaped.

“People might say he should never have been allowed to get his hands on the club in the first place.

“But when new investors come forward and say the right things and talk about new stadiums and stuff like that, you make decisions you think are right at the time.

“Yet the owners couldn’t sustain their plan and it’s now come down to this situation — and administration. Nobody knows how bad things really are.

“Going forward, there has to be a new strategy and a board that will run the club properly. The fans deserve that.

“It’s such a fantastic club and it’s a shame to see it in this state.

“I spent some of the best years of my career at Tynecastle and the club means a lot to me.

“It could be a tough few years for Hearts but then the fans will stick by the team.

“Most of them probably expected administration, but the supporters have never been the problem. It’s the people who have run the club into the ground for the last few years that are.”

Hartley was one of the ‘Riccarton Three’ — along with Craig Gordon and Steven Pressley — who spoke out against the way Hearts were being run as far back as October 2006.

He flanked skipper Elvis as they challenged Romanov’s interference in team affairs and revealed ‘significant unrest’ in the dressing-room.

Hartley left Tynecastle for Celtic just months later and admits that was a testing time for everyone at Hearts.

Those problems now pale into insignificance as the club battles for survival — with Romanov nowhere to be seen in Hearts’ darkest hour.

Hartley admits there were always fears the Jambos were heading for financial ruin as the outspoken owner splurged massive wages on new signings.

He said: “Some people did say during the early Romanov years that there was a chance it would end up this way.

“When a foreign owner comes in and spends a lot of money, you do think: ‘How long can this last?’ It looks as if the owners have just given up on the club.

“I feel sorry for the fans because they have been asked to put their hands in their pockets far too often.

“There needs to be new owners with a fresh strategy — and they need to care for the club.

“You can’t spend money you haven’t got. You have to balance the books. The fanbase is there but the new owners must have the right intentions.”

First-team boss Gary Locke will now wait to see what kind of squad he is left to work with next season.

But the chances are his most experienced — and best-paid — players will all head for the exit.

Hearts last week welcomed offers for EVERY member of the squad.

That could see Locke left trying to avoid relegation to the First Division with a team of kids.

Such a prospect casts more doubt on Hearts’ future, but Hartley doesn’t think relegation is inevitable.

He said: “It all depends what squad of players the manager is left with.

“There are a lot of talented kids at the club, although it won’t be easy for them.

“But Hearts are a massive club and, with the backing of the fans, I’m sure they will rebuild and come back.

“We all saw the fans come out in big numbers last season. Their support has been incredible in recent times.

“It doesn’t matter what kind of team Hearts are able to put out next season, the supporters will turn out in their numbers to get behind them.”

Meanwhile, devastated Gary Mackay has slammed majority shareholder Romanov for taking the supporters for a ride ahead of the start of the administration process.

The retired midfielder — regarded as one of Hearts’ greatest-ever servants after making a record 640 appearances — admits he feels for the fans amid such uncertain times for the 139-year-old Gorgie club.

Mackay said: “I am sickened for the genuine Hearts supporter who has been continually lied to about Hearts and the gravity of the situation we were in.

“We probably could have survived it. We probably could have taken it if we had been told.

“But instead of that, it has been ‘let’s have a share issue, let’s sell season tickets, let’s sign Danny Wilson, let’s continue to try to milk these supporters of their hard-earned cash’.

“So it’s them who I really feel for and, of course, the manager Gary Locke.”