Jason Holt must stay at Hearts until the price is right

MATTHEW HAROLD is a Hearts fan who writes a column called Heart of the Matter every week in the Edinburgh Now newspaper.

THE never-ending saga of Nottingham Forest trying to nab Jason Holt on the cheap has continued unabated this week.

Many, especially those on social media, seem astonished that BDO have turned down three bids from the Championship club, the most recent £150k.

The administrators have been criticised but Bryan Jackson said if fans bought 3000 season tickets there would be no need to sell players for less than market value.

But that wasn't good enough for some who felt Hearts should have been on their hands and knees thanking Forest boss Billy Davies for offering such a derisory sum, while waving an open cheque book from City Ground owner, Fawaz Al-Hasawi, to any club in Europe.

The fact is BDO were right to reject these offers because in Holt they have probably the biggest asset outside of the stadium.

If he fulfils his potential he will be worth far more than Forest offered.

With the stance taken by the administrators, it offers hope to fans that the club won't be asset-stripped before the start of the season and before a preferred bidder is announced.

It looks likely that the preferred bidder will be Foundation of Hearts, as Bob Jamieson's Club 9 Sports bid starts to fall apart at the seams, while Angelo Massone would need a miracle to get SFA backing.

With the club edging towards a fan-owned basis, the need to have the best of the club's assets intact is imperative.

If Holt and other kids like Kevin McHattie, Callum Tapping, Callum Paterson and Jamie Walker remain, it will secure the survival of the club.

When one of the best crops of young players to grace Tynecastle for years matures and they do move on it will be for a genuine market value, which can be reinvested into the next batch.

That is one of the only ways for Hearts to prosper with television money and other sources of income at a premium.

Craig Gordon, Lee Wallace, Christophe Berra, Ryan McGowan and David Templeton came through the Hearts youth system and were sold for a profit, which if the previous owners had used wisely would have helped make sure the club wasn't in it's current state.

Mistakes must be learned from, with the new owners making sure the wage bill is manageable and no longer are players brought in for figures the club can't afford.

That may make European qualification hard but it will ensure Hearts will be here for years to come on a sound footing and with the right ownership, which can only be the Foundation of Hearts.

That will ultimately see the regular trips to Europe return.

Taken from the Daily Record