Show us the money Vlad

HEARTS owner Vladimir Romanov was facing further embarrassment today as it was revealed the club have a string of unpaid debts.

The Lithuanian banker was yesterday accused by supporters of turning the Tynecastle side into a 'circus freak show' following a number of public rows with players and the media. And the news that they have of around £25,000 of outstanding bills will do nothing to improve the fans' mood.
Advert for The Scotsman Digital Archive

The Tynecastle side owe Lothian and Borders Police more than £17,000 for matchday policing and there is £8000 in unpaid rent for their club shop in the city's St James Centre.

And Romanov's financial woes are set to worsen as former employees Jim Duffy, Graham Rix and Phil Anderton are all awaiting settlement fees from the club after claiming their contracts were not honoured.

The club have also been embroiled in a row with Racing Genk this season over the Belgian club's claims that they have not been paid the agreed £850,000 fee for winger Mirsad Beslija.

Lothian and Borders Police have assured Hearts that they will not withdraw their matchday policing over the outstanding debt. However, in stark contrast, city rivals Hibs do not owe a penny to the force.

A Hearts spokesman claimed that the club had already paid half the outstanding amount and would settle the remaining balance in due course: "We have an excellent relationship with Lothian and Borders Police and half the outstanding amount has already been cleared. We will also be paying the remainder within the agreed terms outlined between ourselves and the police."

A police spokesman said: "We are in discussions with the club over the outstanding payments."

It is believed that sheriff officers visited Tynecastle on Monday to serve papers on the club in regard to two months' unpaid rent on the St James Centre shop and have been given three weeks to pay the outstanding amount. Solicitors have demanded that Hearts be wound up if the money isn't paid.

The club are understood to have reassured St James bosses that the money will be paid and put the delay down to a "query" over the actual amount owed. A club source said: "It was an invoice query and that is why it was not paid, but it will be sorted out."

A spokesman for the St James Centre said: "This is a private, contractual matter between the tenant and the landlord."

Meanwhile, Roman Bednar is in line for a return to the Hearts squad for the first time in almost two months against Dundee United this weekend.

The Czech hitman has been out of action since suffering an Achilles injury in training on October 28. He was due to return in a reserve fixture against Dunfermline in midweek, only for the match to be called off.

But assistant coach Steve Frail is hoping he will play some part at Tannadice and said: "Roman was in the squad for the reserve game and was due to play half of that so there is a chance that he will be considered for the Dundee United game. He has had one or two setbacks along the way and it is all about his fitness now."

After last weekend's defeat to Aberdeen, Frail is keen to see Hearts get back to winning ways against their former manager Craig Levein. He added: "We need to pick ourselves up, we can't sit and be rueful about it."

THE SFA today revealed they have received Romanov's appeal against the £10,000 fine imposed for bringing the game into disrepute by comments made by him on Hearts' official website.

The deadline passed at 5pm on Monday but Romanov's legal advisors insisted the appeal was in the post. Today, an SFA spokesman said they had now received it, postmarked on Monday and, as the appeal is in order, a tribunal will hear it sometime in the New Year.

Taken from the Scotsman