Hearts legends John Robertson and Billy Brown offer to help out the crisis-hit Tynecastle club for free

Gordon Waddell

30 Jun 2013 07:57

HEARTS record goalscorer John Robertson and cup-winning coach Billy Brown have offered to help out manager Gary Locke on a day-to-day basis.
Hearts manager Gary Locke says he's been humbled by the number of people who have offered their help to the crisis-hit club Hearts manager Gary Locke says he's been humbled by the number of people who have offered their help to the crisis-hit club

BIG-HEARTED Billy Brown and John Robertson will step in to help Tynecastle boss Gary Locke for nothing.

The administration-hit Jambos have had to start pre-season without an assistant manager, with Locke’s coach Darren Murray forced to take the Under-20 side the club are obliged to maintain.

However, former Tynecastle assistant manager Brown plus all-time leading scorer and ex-boss Robbo have volunteered their services for free.

Locke will meet administrator Trevor Birch today to get the go-ahead – with Brown more likely to do day-to-day shifts alongside the man he had as a player at Hearts, Bradford and Kilmarnock.

The respected 62-year-old is available after leaving East Fife in the summer. And as administrators prepared to put the money from fans to its first use tomorrow by paying wages to players and staff, Locke admitted: “The number of people who have been in touch, people in the game I have massive regard for, has been humbling.

“I don’t want to say too much because I need to make sure everything is okay but people have offered their services for free and it shows how much the club means to them.

“The offers would take us through pre-season and then we will take things from there.

“I don’t know what will happen even in a week’s time, though.

“The administrators are talking to people who might buy the club.

“But the words of support I’ve had, from people I will come face to face with during the course of the season, I really appreciate that.”

Administrators BDO made a plea to Hearts fans at the outset to buy 3000 season tickets inside a fortnight to keep the club afloat.

And after crashing through the 1500 mark in a week, MailSport understands the punters will see that cash being used tomorrow.

Admin chief Birch is expected to announce a tranche of wages being paid, which will cover pay from the day Hearts went into administration as well as an advance on some of what they will be due in July.

The cash they lost from June 1-19 can’t be repaid, however, and the staff members will have to join the list of creditors to reclaim what they can.

The players are ahead of them in the queue, their wages falling under ‘football debt’ which has to be paid first to avoid SFA sanctions.

Locke said: “It has been an incredible effort from the fans. The past week has been difficult but humbling. We’re hoping we can put on performances that merit their support.”

Taken from the Daily Record