'Hearts financial situation is the worst I've seen', says Bryan Jackson

Bryan Jackson has said that the financial situation at Hearts is the worst he has seen at any of the clubs he has been appointed to.

Accountancy firm BDO was appointed as administrators of the Tynecastle club on Wednesday and insolvency expert Jackson was put in charge of the club, alongside colleagues James Stephen and Trevor Birch, the former Chelsea chief executive who last year delivered Portsmouth FC from administration into fan ownership.

Jackson has recently been involved at Dunfermline Athletic and has previously overseen administration at Clyde, Clydebank, Dundee and Motherwell.

He told STV that the job he had undertaken at Hearts was tougher than at any of the stricken clubs he had worked at in the past.

"Probably the last one I was at [Dunfermline] I said 'this is the worst I've had yet'," said Jackson. "The reality is this one is possibly even worse because we have inherited a situation where we have no funds whatsoever.

"We also have a large number of season tickets already sold. It doesn't really get much worse than that.

"On the positive side we have a massive fan base. It is that fan base that gives you hope there is something that can be done.

"If we get no funds in the next couple of weeks, which I expect we will get some funds from various sources before then, then yes, you are talking about having to shut down because you can't pay your bills, you can't pay your wages, you can't pay anything.

"I'd be very surprised with the fan support that is there that we weren't going to get donations and funds to at least keep the doors open in the short-term while we look at the strategy."