Anderton poised to take Hearts to court

VLADIMIR Romanov's troubles at Tynecastle could be set to intensify, after it was revealed that Phil Anderton, Hearts' former chief executive, is edging closer to a court battle over his unpaid compensation claim.

Anderton was sacked by Romanov in October on the same day that chairman George Foulkes resigned, and is seeking £112,000, or eight months' wages, as a settlement fee.

The agreement seemed close to completion last month, when lawyers acting on behalf of Hearts and Anderton reached a compromise over certain clauses relating to the deal and Anderton signed a form of acceptance. None of those compromises is understood to be related to the settlement figure, but rather preventing the former chief executive from speaking in public about his experiences at Tynecastle.

However, the club did not return the form, nor any money, and subsequently contacted the former chief executive last week to inform him that they were both unsure over whether or not to proceed with the deal, and unable to provide a timescale for the issue being finalised.

Anderton is now believed to be furious over the loss of income he has incurred over the past three months, and the extensive legal fees he has been forced to pay during the same spell due to Hearts' apparent lack of co-operation.

Anderton will meet his legal team tomorrow to discuss whether to press ahead with court action, at which Foulkes, former manager George Burley and Burley's advisor Athole Still are all likely to be called as witnesses.

Taken from the Scotsman