As the Hearts saga continues, I wanted to get peoples thoughts on it. I think its wrong that Vladimir Romanov has come in and ruined the club. Apart from George Burley, Romanov has employed crap managers with no ability (Rix,Ivanauskas and now Korobochka) and its a shame for the Hearts fans. They have sold all the decent Scottish players bar Berra and its chok-a-block with Eastern Europeans. Most of the team is comprised of crap Lithuanians who can't get a game at FBK Kaunas (a club also owned by Romanov) and are shipped off on loan to Hearts. I think it should be sorted out before it ruins the club.

The trend, particularly in England, for individuals to takeover football clubs is bound to lead to grief in my view.  In Hearts case it is happening sooner rather than later, but I would be amazed if the same thing doesn't happen in England when the Abramovichs et al tire of their 'football club' hobby and decide they want to put their money elsewhere.  I don't know the solution but perhaps along the lines of the fans via supporters trusts having the majotity stake would be an idea.

if he pulls off this new stand deal then he'll secure their finances virtually forever.  the fact there will be residential flats and a hotel on the site will make tynecastle one of the most valuable stadiums in scotland, theres also the potential to develop the other three stands in the same way if the main stand redevelopment comes off.

its costing them 51 million, the club are already in debt to the tune of 12 million now gordons gone, the plan is for the new development to make enough profit to pay the clubs debt and have the remaining debt transfered to the new flats/hotels/corporate bit, which will have a real market value far in excess of whatevers left over.

the group that romanov owns is growing all over europe, the mans personal wealth will be taking off big time over the next few years

..does that qualify him to run a football club?    clearly not!    he wont leave hearts in the lurch though, he has a long term plan for the club and im sure all these dodgey lithuanian managers are a short term fix before the club can really start prospering.

if i was a hearts fan id be pretty excited right now

YES!  :001:

if i was a hearts fan id be pretty excited right now

I dinnae think many Jambo's are affy excited after a 5 zip pumping fae Celtic,unfortunatley,i reckon Hearts are heading to the same place we've been,only time will tell i guess.

if he pulls off this new stand deal then he'll secure their finances virtually forever.  the fact there will be residential flats and a hotel on the site will make tynecastle one of the most valuable stadiums in scotland, theres also the potential to develop the other three stands in the same way if the main stand redevelopment comes off.

its costing them 51 million, the club are already in debt to the tune of 12 million now gordons gone, the plan is for the new development to make enough profit to pay the clubs debt and have the remaining debt transfered to the new flats/hotels/corporate bit, which will have a real market value far in excess of whatevers left over.

the group that romanov owns is growing all over europe, the mans personal wealth will be taking off big time over the next few years

..does that qualify him to run a football club?    clearly not!     he wont leave hearts in the lurch though, he has a long term plan for the club and im sure all these dodgey lithuanian managers are a short term fix before the club can really start prospering.

if i was a hearts fan id be pretty excited right now

THERE WAS A HEARTS OWNER CALLED VLAD,

WHO SOME CLAIM IS STARK RAVING MAD

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH JAMBOS CHIEF

Romanov's new rant reveals he writes poetry to ease stress of being target for Russian mafia

By Neil Cameron & Dan Brennan

IN his latest bizarre rant, Vladimir Romanov admits he could be persuaded to sell his controlling stake in Hearts if he felt the money was right.

He also repeated claims he had to rescue Hearts from dishonest operators who were burying the club, that he trusts Lithuanian players because they do not sell out or lie and that he has been tempted to punch Scottish referees.

Speaking in Russian national daily newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets, Romanov revealed he turned to poetry to relieve the pressure of death threats from the Russian mafia.

Q: Was the purchase of Hearts about business or pleasure?

A: First and foremost it is work. Initially, I bought 30 per cent of Hearts. The "well-wishers"at the club muddied the waters - they were ruining Hearts, burying it. I had to buy the club outright and throw out all of the people there.

Q: And bring to the club tried and tested Lithuanian players?

A:Yes. They have not learned to sell out and lie. We are trying to create a team with character,one without traitors or those who put their own interests before those of the team. In the West, these rules are missing. At Kaunas, which I started financing before Hearts, we existed for 10 years without any contracts but in theWest everything depends on contracts.

Q: Will you readily turf someone out if they play a bad game?

A: I'm also willing to punch them in the face if required.

Q: So complaints that players have made are not without basis?

A: Any player who is not needed by the club endeavours to speak more often to the press. And the press selects the worst of what he says.

Q: Do the players respect or fear you?

A: You'd need to ask the players. If I were to do my job based on whether they respect me or not, then everything would be lost.

Q: Why do you change the team so often?

A: A team is a living organism. It must change constantly. If that doesn't happen it starts to ******. Players are like goods that spoil quickly if you don't replace them in good time. I have one player who is going crazy. He wants to go to France to be with his wife. We'll have to sell him.

Q: Have you thought about selling the club?

A: Anything is possible. It's a question of money. If a normal partner appears who cares about the club more than me and I can help Hearts in that way. It is not essential that I am the owner.

Q: What is the attitude towards Russian club owners in the West?

A: They try to present us as aborigines ie primitives, something from ice age.

Q: Why do they try to do that?

A: Due to a lack of intelligence. When people say I am from the ice age, I am happy to play the part.

Q: In what way?

I might punch the referee or someone else.

Q: Has that really happened?

A: Not with me. But it happened to Saulius Mikolunius. Somone was pulling his shirt. He lost his temper and ran up and shoved the referee.

Q: Is it true that you write poetry and when did you start?

A: Five years ago, I found myself in a stressful situation. Russian businessmen "put the squeeze on me" - sell us your shares, or we'll bury you on the spot. I sat there, not knowing what to do, and spent three days writing.

Q: What do you write about?

A: About life. In verse, you can always find the meaning of life. For example, in my poem entitled "The Frog". I wrote it when I was out walking in the hills after it had been raining.

Sometimes I ask myself why it is that people leap around like frogs in the kingdom of the bog.

Translations of poetry can be tricky, given cultural differences and influences but this is the gist of Romanov's poem.

The mountain road rumbles

After the heavenly rains,

The hills fill with gurgles and murmurs

Beneath the order of the earth's dome,

A white stone lies in the bog

Under a solitary reed,

All puffed up,a frog croaks

At the call of his restless mate.

Longing to be with her,he puffs out his chest

To be number one in this boggy kingdom,

And produce a dynasty of brave offspring

Who will trumpet the glory of these places,

A living symphony

Above the ordered chaos of the earth,

And the clock ticks

To mark my passing years.

If I was a yam I'd be pretty ecstatic :rotflmao: