Media snub a protest at 'incessant ridicule'

VLADIMIR Romanov's new policy of minimal co-operation with the Scottish media is designed to pressurise them into giving him a fair hearing, a Hearts source said last night. The club's majority shareholder is convinced that he and his employees have been ridiculed as part of a campaign to derail his aim of making Hearts the leading club in Scotland, and does not accept that he has been at least partly responsible for undermining his own credibility.

Jose Goncalves was the only player to be put up to speak after the CIS Cup defeat by Hibs on Wednesday night. No coaches or other club officials addressed the media, and the minimum co-operation edict is also being applied to the club's own website, which only quoted Goncalves in its reports on the game.

If the policy persists, the SPL will consider intervening, but so far no contractual or other rules have been broken. "There is nothing in our contract which specifies access, but according to custom and practice, clubs are usually happy to speak before and after matches we broadcast," said a spokesman for the BBC, which screened the Hibs-Hearts match on Wednesday night.

"We were told that Eduard Malofeev, the head coach, would speak before and after the match, but we got neither. Goncalves did come to speak to us, but only after we were off-air."

A spokesman for the Scottish Football League, organisers of the CIS Cup, said they too had relied on goodwill rather than contractual obligations to ensure media coverage. "Obviously we do ask for the co-operation of all clubs," he said. "There is nothing down in black and white in the competition rules, but in recent years all clubs have been able to co-operate whether in victory or defeat."

A spokesman for Hearts said: "Hearts have been the victims of a media campaign against the club, and in the face of incessant ridicule have decided to take action. A lack of respect has been shown to the club which would not be tolerated by either Celtic or Rangers. It's unfortunate it has come to this and hopefully at some point in the near future the various parties involved can sit down and attempt to resolve the situation."

Taken from the Scotsman