Hearts ask fans to stump up cash to save club

[epsomraver]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20241385


Surely the players are better heeled than the fans?

[RidgeRider]

I've watched a few SPL matches on television over here over the past 5 years and it has always been a bit remarkable to me how empty the stands have been in nearly every match I've watched. With the exception of Rangers/Celtic.

With Rangers having their trouble and now Hearts, is this just the net result of a lack of fans to begin with? Is the SPL in big trouble? or has been for some time?

Can't say I have any real knowledge about this league other than it i like every other league, a couple of big fish and the rest of the teams minnows.

[Yellow Jacket]

I knew the SPL was screwed when they sent Rangers down.

[ron]

Another case of of Champagne appetites on Beer budgets in Football.

The same problems are on the way for many more of the top clubs on both sides of the border.

But we all know that already.

[Jack Fulham]

don't think players get paid that much in Scotland to be fair. I think the average wage of a player in the blue square premier is higher than those in the SPL. Still silly to ask the fans for cash but Hearts have been mismanaged financially for years much like Rangers.

[epsomraver]

You cannot tell me that Davis and Dio  kamara went to play in the SPL for peanuts, I bet the players in the SPL get a lot more than the average fan.

[Jack Fulham]

You cannot tell me that Davis and Dio  kamara went to play in the SPL for peanuts, I bet the players in the SPL get a lot more than the average fan.

Celtic can pay big due to champions league revenue, merchandise and high gate receipts but the rest of Scottish football earn pittance. They may well earn more than the average fan but not enough to pay off a bill like that considering how short a football career is. Don't think the fan should be asked to pay off the bill though either. Messy situation but this is what happens when football clubs fall into the wrong hands.

[HatterDon]

I've watched a few SPL matches on television over here over the past 5 years and it has always been a bit remarkable to me how empty the stands have been in nearly every match I've watched. With the exception of Rangers/Celtic.

Much like Italy's SerieA

[Berserker]

I had an e.mail from the club asking if i wanted to buy shares in it

[graham leggat]

I knew the SPL was screwed when they sent Rangers down.

Nonsense.

Firstly, rangers were not sent down by the spl clubs. They went into admin and their assets were sold so they could no longer operate. A new club has been admitted to sfl3.

Secondly, hearts' and rangers' problems were of their own making, playing fast and loose with the tax man to give themselves an advantage. Both have been found out big time.

I'm firstly an Aberdeen fan. Like most clubs we're cutting our cloth. The last 15 years have been dire, but we're still around. Fulham have been through similar.

Not saying scottish football finance or crowds are as healthy as they should be, but to suggest this is due to rangers dying is rubbish. 9 points covers 1st to 11th, most fans are enjoying the most competitive season in decades.

[west kowloon white]

Thought the club was for the fans-players transient regardless of financial discrepancy.Malaga.
If the fans want a club-sure ask them to help out-was it Fulham 2000 contributed to-(never got plaque in Cottage) -??Hardly saved Fulham however!
Believe Hearts a club with a tradition worth saving??

[TonyGilroy]

All clubs have a tradition worth saving and if the owners can't be trusted then the supporters have to do what they can or lose the club.

What is unconscionable is being asked to subsidise dishonest owners but if the club goes to the wall the supporters are the losers.

[jarv]

The lifeblood of many Scottish clubs used to be in the development of good international players, transferred to English clubs for a lot of money.
Joe Jordan (Morton), Alan Hansen (partick), Steve Nicol (Ayr) Dalglish (Celtic) McAvvenie (St. Mirren)  Gordon Strachan (aberdeen) etc. Thosetypes of players are no longer  being developed in Scotland due to many factors. The result is plain to see.
Lack of money from transfers, lack of interest by kids. No football in schools and the SFA have been pressed for years to implement SUMMER football for kids. Apparently still sitting on their hands (last time I read a comment). The winter is DIRE for little kids to play.

I watched a SPL game recently and it was actually quite good, very open play, but below that teams are non-league, ie, part time footballers.

[whiteinedinburgh]

As a Hearts fan from birth I can say this. It's been coming!

Countless times in the past 3 years Hearts have failed to pay their players on time, surely that sets alarm bells ringing. The club was obviously in trouble but nobody wanted to admit it.

Scottish football is on it's deathbed give it an injection now and put it out of it's mysery

One of my favourite footballing pictures was from the season when Gretna were in the SPL. Gretna were away to Dunfermilne or Inverness, I can't remember, and there is a photo of the fans behind the goal at the away end. In the entire stand there is 1 supporter. Grim

[west kowloon white]

Not up on the financial management of Hearts-so should not have commented then-perhaps it's reading Ian Rankin.
If Joe Jordan,Hansen et al could hack the Scottish winter,fail to see how young of today can't give it a go-soft?

[erk]

WKW at 01:32 was right about Fulham 2000 but in reality it was not so much about saving the club but keeping it going until somebody with more clout came in. That was the hope and it happened so anybody who contributed assisted in where we are now. There is no plack as you quite rightly state but we were issued with certificates for the funds we put in and were given a memorial "brick" to signify your contribution to the scheme. Mine is some where on my patio in the back garden. A club is about supporters / fans not players who come and ago. We will still be there tomorrow - they will not

[west kowloon white]

Quite right erk-wasn't meant as  a gripe-no idea where my certificate is.Never got a brick!
Was satisifying  donating whilst aware that it was not enough to "save"the club..kinda nice how things have turned out-would never have dreamt it in my wildest dreams at the time

[jarv]

west kowloon....soft? Your'e not kidding. Growing up back then the houses were as cold inside as outside. No central heating, no video games and if as old as me, no tv (until age 10). Guess what? Outside kicking a ball all the time. Must have been  080.gif

[epsomraver]

We got a brick , presented by Mo himself.

[west kowloon white]

Jarv-think as old as you, didn't have tv till 10 and lived in shoe box in middle of road-meant perhaps "soft" now-but such predjudice doesn't solve the decline in football north of the border.
Rangers in the Prem now a bizarre scenario.