Gorgie faithful's show of support

A LONE Hearts scarf hurled onto the pitch in the closing minutes of Saturday's 1-1 draw against Dunfermline summed up perfectly the sense of frustration felt by the Gorgie club's fans at the events of the past week.

There's rarely been a dull moment at Tynecastle since Lithuanian businessman Vladimir Romanov first became involved but a manager being given a two-week sabbatical due to "ill-health" and a full-flung player revolt can be considered dramatic even by Hearts' standards.

The prospect, then, of a share of the spoils against lowly Dunfermline on top of such developments obviously proved too much for one disgruntled supporter in the Wheatfield Stand who cast aside his neckwear before storming out the ground.

It was, ultimately, a futile gesture and one that, in all probability, wasn't even witnessed by Romanov who was seated across the pitch in the directors box of the main stand.

Even if the Russian banker did catch sight of this show of dissent, whether it would influence his decision-making process at the club is highly doubtful such is his single minded approach to the way he goes about his business.

Like it or not, with no viable alternative to Romanov's millions, the Hearts supporters must simply wait and see what unfolds in the remainder of the season.

Perhaps that was why there was no noticeable negative reaction towards the clubs owner after the players' revelation that their current working conditions are "impossible" and that "there is significant unrest in the dressing room".

All the pre-match talk had been of a proposed walk-out should Steven Pressley, Paul Hartley and Craig Gordon find themselves dropped for their controversial stance against Romanov's interfering.

In the end, however, all three Scotland internationalists were selected and lasted the full 90 minutes which meant the response from the stands was minimal.

In fact, if anything, the backing from the capacity crowd was more vociferous than in recent matches for a clash with a team Hearts would usually be expected to dispatch with the minimum of effort. And Derek Watson, secretary of the Hearts Supporters' Trust, believes the more vocal than usual backing was the fans' way of trying to show where their loyalties lie.

"Everybody got right behind the team and that was what we really needed," he said.

"I think that was probably a reaction to try and side with the players on this one. The crowd really wanted to show them some backing after everything that had happened.

"The key was that the three guys who made the statement all played because, if they had been dropped, it would have been a very different atmosphere altogether, probably a very negative one.

"It was vital for the continuity of the team that these three guys played and there wasn't what would have been perceived as revenge taken against them by dropping them."

A longer than usual huddle from the players before kick-off was perhaps designed to show a togetherness among the playing staff which had, according to Pressley's statement, become fractured by the increasingly erratic team selections of this season.

If the players were showing a united front on the pitch the fans were doing an equally good job off it as they gave their heroes a rousing reception as the tie got underway.

As early as the fourth minute a noisy rendition of "there's only one Paul Hartley" swept round the stadium as the popular midfielder placed the ball down as he prepared to take a corner.

When the Jambos have had a winning side on the park the off-field turmoil that seems to almost constantly surround the club has taken a back-seat with the majority of supporters.

So Romanov was probably a relieved man when Andrius Velicka fired the home side ahead with only 12 minutes on the clock.

But despite that strike it was clear that events of the past week had not been forgotten about when Julien Brellier, the player who Romanov would seem to have an aversion to playing despite his obvious ability, was roundly applauded midway through the half as he warmed up behind the goals.

Minutes after that Velicka and Pressley came close to extending Hearts' precarious advantage when the latter led by example as he set-off on a lung-bursting run forward which ended with him shooting narrowly wide of the Pars goal.

His efforts did not go unnoticed by the supporters who chanted his name, actions which were applauded by Gordon from his goalmouth in a show of solidarity from Scotland's undisputed No.1 goalkeeper.

After the break it didn't take long for Dunfermline to level the match through Jim Hamilton, a goal that seemed to knock the stuffing out of the home support. Perhaps they were contemplating Romanov's threat to sell the players "to Kilmarnock or whatever team would have them" if they failed to beat the Pars...

There was time for one final show of defiance when Brellier's introduction for Ibrahim Tall seven minutes from the end was greeted by the loudest cheer of the afternoon.

Romanov isn't known for making concessions but it's clear the fans not only want to see the Frenchman returned to the starting XI, but also that, if it comes to a choice between the players or their majority shareholder, they've made it clear where their loyalties lie.

"At the end of the day the most important thing for all the fans is the team on the park," added Watson.

"The off-field goings-on are obviously of concern but on a match day they should be secondary and I think they were on Saturday.

"It's telling, however, that the loudest cheer of the day was probably when Julien Brellier came on as a substitute.

"Brellier is a fans' favourite and has been for a while and when he's fit and in reasonable form he should be in the team.

"The criticism of the team selection has been that we are playing a defender [Ibrahim Tall] in midfield while Brellier is sitting on the sidelines.

"It's not a slight on Tall as he's a decent defender but he's playing out of position when we have someone else that can play there.

"I think the fans were making their feelings known on this, as they have all season, in the hope that it may make a difference."

Taken from the Scotsman