You’re cheatin’ Hearts

DEREK McGREGOR and EWING GRAHAME

SEETHING John Brown last night accused Hearts of engineering their administration to escape relegation.

Dundee boss Bomber has claimed the Tynecastle club manipulated the rules to dodge the drop.

The Jambos have lodged papers at the Court of Session, with KPMG poised to take charge of the crisis-torn club.

They’ll start the new SPFL season with a 15-point penalty after breaking rules on insolvency events.

But they’d have been hit with a 17-point deduction and relegated instead of Dundee if they had gone into administration before the end of last term.

Dark Blues gaffer Brown raged: “It doesn’t surprise me that this has happened.

“What really annoys me is that they have totally used and abused the system by leaving it until now to avoid relegation — and it’s been allowed to happen.

“They’re probably laughing at us now but what has gone on is scandalous. They’ve taken the Mickey out of everyone and the whole thing stinks.

“When Dundee, Rangers and Livingston went into administration, they all paid the penalty.

“They were hammered — but Hearts have broken the rules and got away with it. They’ve made a fool of the authorities and they need to take a look at themselves as well for letting it get to this stage.”

Administration will put 121 jobs on the line — including boss Gary Locke and his players.

A Jambos spokesman confirmed: “We have served our intention to appoint administrators.”

Ironically, the news broke just hours after it appeared they’d been handed a stay of execution from HMRC over an unpaid £100,000 tax bill.

It’s thought Hearts — who failed to pay the players’ June wages last Friday and incurred another SPL signing embargo — had produced only a fraction of the amount required.

But HMRC sources indicated no winding-up order was imminent.

Now, however, there will almost certainly be brutal cuts in Gorgie.

MP Ian Murray is leading the Foundation of Hearts supporters’ group who hope to buy the club — with a formal bid expected to be lodged over the next fortnight.

Murray said: “They were robbing Peter to pay Paul and unfortunately, in the close season, Peter has not got any money left.

“As far as the Foundation of Hearts goes we have to accelerate things.”