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| <-Page | <-Team | Sat 23 Dec 2006 Dundee United 0 Hearts 1 | Team-> | Page-> |
| <-Srce | <-Type | Herald ------ Top | Type-> | Srce-> |
| Valdas Ivanauskas | <-auth | ROB ROBERTSON | auth-> | Charlie Richmond |
| 18 | of 066 | Paul Hartley pen 54 ----- | L SPL | A |
Hearts promise to pay rent and police billROB ROBERTSON December 22 2006 Hearts have promised to pay the debt which led to sheriff officers turning up at the doors of Tynecastle looking for money in unpaid rent. Papers were served on the club this week threatening to close them down if they did not pay two months back rent of around £8,000 on their new club shop in Edinburgh. Hearts also owe more than £17,000 in bills to Lothian and Borders police, but said they would pay that soon. Hearts claim that the sheriff officers turning up at the club was a misunderstanding and that they sent a rent cheque to the property management company on November 8 but it was never cashed. When the sheriff officers arrived and the money owed was brought to Hearts' attention, they sent an electronic financial transaction to ensure the back rent was paid. The club banks with Ukio Bankas, Vladimir Romanov's Lithuanian bank, but also have accounts with a leading Scottish bank. Romanov plans to open a branch of Ukio Bankas in Castle Street, Edinburgh in the new year. The club is getting a miser's reputation. There was a delay in paying bonuses to players for victory in the Scottish Cup final and the row with Racing Genk over money still outstanding from the transfer of Mirsad Beslija rumbles on. They are also in litigation with former managers George Burley and Graham Rix and former chief executive Phil Anderton, all of whom claim they are owed compensation. A Tynecastle source said: "Romanov's way is to settle bills at the last possible moment and it could be argued what is wrong with that? "After all, some people don't pay their heating bills until they get the red reminder as they think the money is better in their pocket than anybody else's. [Romanov] could get away with that in Lithuania. In Scotland things are different and people are down on you like a ton of bricks when debts aren't paid on time." Midfielder Julien Brellier should return to the squad for tomorrow's game against Dundee United after a hamstring strain. Meanwhile, Craig Levein has warned his players to ignore the hype surrounding their excellent home form or face the prospect of a humbling from Hearts. Dundee United have won four home games in a row since Levein took over and are seeking No.5 tomorrow. "If we start thinking we're in good form and that we're favourites then I can tell you exactly what will happen – we'll get a kick up the backside," he warned. "Journalists and fans look at stats but they don't mean anything to me. What matters is that we concentrate on all the little things which allow people to do their jobs properly. If we do that we can walk away at the end of the match possibly having picked up points." Tomorrow will be an emotional day for Levein, who will square up to Hearts for the first time as a manager. "I was at Hearts for 14 years as a player and another four as manager, which is a hell of a long time. I've obviously got fairly strong ties with the club and most weeks I'd want to see them win but this weekend is not one of them."  Taken from the Herald |
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