Who is bidding for hard-up Hearts and how do they plan to run the club?

The three bids to buy Hearts out of administration are being considered by BDO after the deadline for offers passed last week.

Combined fans group, the Foundation of Hearts, submitted its bid on Thursday.

On Friday, Five Stars Football, a company run by Italian lawyer Angelo Massone, and American-backed HMFC Ltd, also submitted bids.

Joint administrator Bryan Jackson said after the deadline that he hoped a preferred bidder could be announced in “three to four weeks”.

No timescale for putting the bids to a CVA is available, as obtaining the majority shareholding in Hearts is dependent on the club’s former parent company entering insolvency proceedings through the Lithuanian courts.

However some details of the bids could be assessed for now.

Foundation of Hearts
CVA fund: £2m (Edinburgh Evening News)
Working capital: £3.75m
Who is involved: Ian Murray MP is the independent chairman, with a committee of fans working together behind the scenes. (Foundation of Hearts)
What are their plans: The Foundation will elect a board of fans who fund the project through monthly contributions. The FoH board will appoint the directors of the football club.

HMFC Ltd
CVA fund: £1.8m (Edinburgh Evening News)
Working capital: £3.2m
Who is involved: Bob Jamieson, a Borders-based businessman, is the local contact, with Jon Pritchett of Club 9 Sports one of the known American backers. (The Scotsman)
What are their plans: Jamieson has revealed the bid would see Tynecastle sold, with a new stadium built on the outskirts of Edinburgh to raise revenue. (Edinburgh Evening News)

Five Stars Football Ltd
CVA fund: £4m (Edinburgh Evening News)
Working capital: Not known
Who is involved: Angelo Massone is the sole director of the company. (Duedil)
What are their plans: Massone told STV his plans are to “save the club, co-operate with the fans and play for the next millennium in Tynecastle”.