Value of Tynecastle weighing heavily on Hearts on the brink

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‘News’ that a football club can actually go out of business will come as a surprise to no one here as Hearts issued a statement saying “Without the support of fans there is a real risk that Hearts could possibly play its last game on 17 November.”

Hearts have two commercial problems: they owe HMRC money they don’t have and their running costs are greater than their income.  They also have over £20m of debt owed to major shareholder, Ukio Bankas, which at this stage of their corporate existence is more of an asset than a liability.

The club have asked supporters to cough up around £2m to pay HMRC and see it through until the end of the season.  A further £1.7m HMRC demand is being contested but should Hearts lose this appeal, that bill will crystallise quickly.

Unlike the now-defunct Rangers, Hearts major shareholder is due more than 75% of the debt, so Ukio could vote to accept a Company Voluntary Arrangement, possibly for as little as 1p in the £1, if the club goes into administration.  This is a well-travelled road for Scottish football clubs who overwhelmingly fail owing shareholders or the bank the majority of their debt.

In this respect, there is no obvious reason why Hearts are in danger of playing their last game next week.  Administration would allow the club to shed its debt, including the contested tax bill.  It would almost certainly result in player redundancies, which would reduce expenditure below the level of income.  Hearts would be diminished as a football club, and would take a 17 point hit in the SPL, but that is as bad as it needs to get. Ukio Bankas would take the largest hit on money they may well have already written-off.

The only thing I see for Hearts fans to worry about is the property value of Tynecastle.  Ukio will almost certainly have a charge on all the club’s property assets.  If the club disappears, they would be left with the real estate.  Tynecastle is worth a whole lot more money as flats than as a football field.

When a company cannot pay its creditors it goes into administration and seeks to negotiate a settlement with them.  Hearts can do this “within days if not hours”, as Our Hero once said.  It’s just curious that Hearts are playing on the bring rather than sorting things out.

Maybe they could get former player and tracksuit salesman, Maurice something-or-other, to sell some of their assets.

The magnificent 1254125 charity cycle, from birthplace of Brother Walfrid, Ballymote, Co. Sligo, to Celtic Park, got underway yesterday. Today the six cyclists, Paul Muldoon (of this parish), Mark Cameron, Alistair Schulz, Robert Campbell Ray McFarland and Jim Kelly, left Blacklion on a 80 mile journey to Lurgan.

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  1. the onlooker at

     

    16:52

     

     

    Re.: So called the Poznan or Celtic huddle.

     

     

    Lech Poznan were doing this early in nineties (very early). That way of supporting was called the Poznan not long time ago.

     

    If I remember correctly Lech supporters called it lambada.

     

    That way of supporting the team was the answer on simmilar support by Legia Warsaw fans. We called our support “let’s dance small waltz” but we were not turned back to the pitch.

     

    Lech Poznan fans were telling, they were supporting team, no matter what was the play, just support.

  2. Henr1k

     

    Thanks anyway.

     

    I’ve emailed STV with my complaint about the article.

     

    We have to challenge every lie spouted or it will soon become accepted.

     

     

    SPF

  3. Buddy Morrisey on

    17.29 The Exiled Tim

     

    “I canny believe that nobody mentioned this, tis truely shocking.

     

     

    Scotland today, and the future if nothing is done about it.”

     

     

    What a load of tosh!

     

     

    Done about what?

     

     

    Its great to live in a country if this any measure of supposed sectarianism.

     

     

    Firstly the character is not the orange order one

     

     

    Secondly even so the school may know nothing about it being the similar stock character

     

     

    Thirdly what is wrong with using cartoon characters to support literacy skills.

     

     

    James Connolly would be turning in his grave if this is what is being done in his name.

     

     

    The worst kind of mistaken tabloid sensationalist nonsense, not just lazy journalism now but lazy pressure groups. So very very sad!

  4. A minutes silence on Sunday.

     

     

    oh well, I expect the usual fun & games and political nonsense over this issue.

  5. Half an hour into SSB and they’ve got Forster, Wanyama, Watt and now Lenny off at the first available opportunity. I feel their pain.

  6. buddy morrisey

     

     

    ‘Its great to live in a country if this any measure of supposed sectarianism.’

     

     

    Do you actually live in Scotland ya nugget?

     

    Supposed sectarianism?

     

     

    The bombs and bullets in the post was just banter then?

     

     

    PR***!

  7. I’m expecting the deid club to win tomorrow,I’m going to start making a point on congratulating thems on any victory.

     

    Just like they did on Thursday morning.LOL

  8. Now that i feel a little less intimidated , blame sipsini, I want to

     

    have a moan about our scouting team.

     

     

    Thiago signed for argentine club Newells Old Boys, where were

     

    our scouts. I`m astounded of forehead that this week old baby

     

    could deal with agents, understand his agents advice and

     

    sign the contract and he hasnt learnt to walk yet.

  9. Get a result against Benfica (away) and beat Spartak Moscow (home) and we could actually WIN the group!!!!! Not as silly as it might appear these days…..

     

     

    Oh, how times have changed!

     

     

    Any thoughts fholks?

  10. All of a sudden in the Scottish msm, oor Lennie , Mr. Francis Neil Lennon, has gone fom being last season’s hate figure and all-around disruptive influence, to being a manager of interstellar class and practically sainted. Fair enough….we’ve always known he’s a proper gent and the mhan for us.

     

    However, the words ‘bandwagon’ and ‘jump’ spring to mind.

     

    I watched THE match with the mrs. this afternoon. Could do the slo-mo thing as and when….Tony Watt, Tony Tony Watt looked like a man possessed as he slotted the ball past Valdez.

     

    I know I’m still going on about it, but it was sooooo good to be part of that night.

     

    Where next? I want to talk the mrs. into jumping in our jalopy (and it is….20 yr. old Polo that runs like a dream. The stereo’s worth more than the car) and driving to Lisbon. Get the ferry to Santander. Get tickets in Lisbon?

     

    Probably just dreaming. But the last 16 should definitely provide an opportunity of at least a couple more European nights. And dreaming of the final itself is a good dream to have.

     

    I admire anyone who’s bought into that dream and have got tickets for Wembley in the belief that Celtic F.C. could be there.

     

    It is football after all : ” The ball is round. The game lasts ninety minutes. All else is speculation. ”

     

    HH!

  11. Can honestly say, their demise cannot come quick enough for me. They are, and always will be , imo, the sons of william. Swinecastle is the worst ground in Scotland, worse than Ibroke for venomous anti Catholic, anti Irish vibes and hostility.

     

     

    KINGLuBO

  12. ….PFayr

     

     

    How does David Tanner get any sort of gig? I’m sorry that guy is an embarrassing person to be hosting any programs.

     

     

    We need to get all the Tanners right out and get people like Tom Boyd and other intelligent men who know what is needed to educate Scottish Football. English Football is also an embarrassment although punditry is slightly better than up here. It is players who like the money commenting and they are never the best to listen to.

     

     

    Spanish journalists seem to me, and I don’t speak Spanish, to have a real in depth knowledge about football.

  13. For the Green Brigade to the tune of Okie from Muskogee.

     

     

    “We don’t have to drink no Eldorado

     

    We don’t have to take no LSD

     

    All we have to do is follow Celtic

     

    And be faithful to the CFC.

     

     

    Chorus

     

     

    No more Rangers

     

    No more Rangers

     

     

     

    No more Rangers for the Celts to beat

     

    Repeat chorus

  14. rothbhoy18:59 on 9 November, 2012

     

    “………………….Any thoughts fholks?”

     

    >>>>

     

    You are spot on in your thinking. In these misery driven times it is a blast of sunlight being a Tim. Optimistic positivity is way better than dreary negatitvity and ,believe it or not, this kind of thinking gets transmitted to The Bhoys, and this current crop of brilliant triers respond to being raised up and highly praised. And that’s only logical.

     

    HH!

  15. Kinglubo,

     

     

    Just what I’ve been saying in a few or my earlier posts: the whole place is rotten and stinks: The Rangers, Hearts, Kilmarnock, Motherwell – PEWKVILLE!!!!!

     

     

    We don’t need this CRAP any longer – time to move on!

  16. timbhoy in spain on

    rothbhoy

     

    18:59 on

     

    9 November, 2012

     

    Get a result against Benfica (away) and beat Spartak Moscow (home) and we could actually WIN the group!!!!! Not as silly as it might appear these days…..

     

     

    Oh, how times have changed!

     

     

    Any thoughts fholks?

     

     

    It´s a sobering thought Rothbhoy but Barca hadn´t got that 94th minute goal in the Camp Nou we´d be top of the group now.

  17. Managed to avoid taking the car on Wednesday so I could (ahem) enjoy the build up and Mrs Baldie very kindly met me and mini at 10.00 to safely escort us home.

     

     

    Why is this significant?

     

     

    Well, she’s just reminded me that the other side of the deal was my agreement to sit through 2 episodes of DCI Banks whilst massaging her feet!

     

     

    See you Bhoys around 9.00…grrrrrrrr

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