Foundation of Hearts submits offer

Hearts fans have reaffirmed their commitment to seeing a supporter-led takeover, labelling it “the only real game in town” as D-Day arrived for bids to be submitted.

The Foundation of Hearts now has more than 5000 cash pledges from supporters and formally submitted its offer to administrators BDO yesterday.

It was the first to be received, and while rival bids from Scandinavian, UK and US consortiums are also in the mix none have captured the attention and imaginations of fans ahead of today’s 5pm deadline.

Independently chaired by Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray, the Foundation of Hearts consortium represents the six key Hearts fans’ groups – Federation of Hearts Supporters’ Clubs, Foundation of Hearts, Heart of Midlothian Shareholders’ Association, Heart of Midlothian Supporters’ Trust, Hearts Youth Development Committee and Save our Hearts.

Robert Martin, secretary of Linlithgow Hearts Supporters Club, who is backing the FoH bid, said: “The last two owners at the club have run it like a dictatorship so if it does happen that us fans can seize control then at least in future we’ll only have ourselves to blame. The Foundation are the only real game in town – the Gordon McKie-led bid basically ruled themselves out when they were told they’d have to honour those season tickets that have already been sold, the less said about the Scandinavian bid the better and in my view the Club 9 bid is a little shady.”

Keith Ferguson, of the Hearts Disabled Supporters’ Club, had originally backed the Gordon McKie-led bid for the club, however now that this interest has cooled, he too is backing the Foundation.

He said: “I’m a little disappointed that the Gordon McKie bid fell through as I thought they could have worked well. I’m a little bit dubious of the US and Scandinavian bids as we’ve already had overseas investors and that went badly wrong.

“I’m keen on seeing the Foundation succeed and to have the club owned and run by the supporters. With fan backing and the right business approach I believe it could do really well.”

Fellow lifelong Hearts fan and season ticket holder, Paul O’Neill, 27, from Leith, said: “Personally I think every Hearts fan out there should be backing the Foundation.

“I’m sure the dream for  everyone would be to have some wealthy backer take control and plough money into the club but none of the rumoured bids appear able to do that. Club 9 seem fanciful and have a chequered past.