Hearts' owner has real fight on his hands now as SFA sharpens its knives for forthcoming battle

Vladimir Romanov may face internal strife at Hearts, but that is only one front on which he should be prepared for a massive fight. Evidence is emerging of a concerted attempt within the Scottish Football Association, and therefore by other clubs, to bring the Lithuanian maverick millionaire to heel.

Although the SFA “wants to work with Hearts as one of our biggest clubs”, in the words of one senior office-bearer, there is growing concern about Romanov playing hard and fast with rules on club ownership, his financial activities involving his main other club, FB Kaunas, and his disregard of the SFA’s powers over Scottish football.
Some clubs were already questioning Hearts’ use of the loan system to bring in expensive players whose wages are not paid by the club directly but make up nearly a quarter of the first team squad.

Within the past week it has been reported that Sir Bobby Robson was offered a contract as manager of Hearts, as long as he agreed to be paid from a Lithuanian source, and Scotland on Sunday has learned that at least one internationalist no longer with the club was offered a large wage rise as long as he agreed to the money coming from a Lithuanian bank. These practises are not illegal, it should be said.

Now the SFA is set to act against Romanov himself. On December 9, the SFA’s General Purposes Committee will consider the whole issue of whether Romanov is actually involved with Hearts or not – an SFA spokesman confirmed last night that the matter will be discussed at the meeting.

It may seem a ludicrous question, given that he is the outright owner, has admitted to picking the team, and has overseen the comings and goings of seven managers, but in the face of disciplinary action by the SFA, Romanov is insistent that he has no official position at the Tynecastle club.

Hearts have already been fined £10,000 by the SFA for Romanov’s remarks on the club’s official website questioning refereeing integrity. Now Romanov himself has been called - for the second time as he was unable to attend the last committee meeting - to answer a charge of bringing the game into disrepute by his statement.

His Edinburgh lawyers have argued to the SFA that he is not covered by the Articles of Association, i.e. that he has no official position within Hearts. But the problem for Romanov is that the SFA changed its rules at its last AGM, specifically because they were unable to take action against him as a person who was not a director or office-bearer of a club – Romanov has never held any formal office at Hearts.

While the initial charge is of ‘bringing the game into disrepute’, the underlying concerns within the SFA are over Romanov’s dual interest in FB Kaunas - an owner’s involvement with two clubs anywhere in Europe is strictly banned.

Under the ‘dual interest’ rules, the new ‘catch all’ rule, article 14.6, defines ‘involvement’ as “directly or indirectly (and whether as principal, trustee, beneficiary or in any other capacity) in a club as a shareholder, holder of options over any share, holder of convertible loans or securities or any like instrument...(or) possessor of any other right of ownership or control in relation to a club.” As the club’s banker and owner, it would seem an open and shut case. If he admits to involvement with the club, he will be subject to disciplinary action and it would then be up to Uefa to take action on his dual interest in FB Kaunas: “We can only take action on dual interests in clubs within Scotland” said an SFA spokesman.

If he does not admit to involvement with Hearts, the committee will be forced to make a ruling on Romanov’s exact status at Hearts and go ahead and discipline him.
Further evidence of the backlash against Hearts from within the SFA is a likely challenge to the vice-presidency of Campbell Ogilvie, the club’s director of operations. It is virtually unheard of for a sitting vice-president to face a challenge to his continuation in office, but Ogilvie has admitted to friends that he has heard the rumours of another candidate being put forward.

“He will be standing in his own right as an individual and not as a club representative when the nominations are made in February,” said a source close to Ogilvie.

But while facing these problems, Romanov can be relaxed about one possible issue - the ‘bid’ from a mystery group of Edinburgh businessman, said to be led by plumbing magnate Pat Munro. No offer has been made thus far, and “will not be welcomed because he has no interest in selling the club”, according to a Hearts source.

It seems the Romanov Revolution at Tynecastle still has a long way to go yet, but is certainly facing a crunch time early next month.


Taken from the Scotsman