Burley confident about Hearts' future

13 November 2012 17:47

Former Hearts manager George Burley is confident the club will survive amid reports a consortium of Edinburgh businessmen were preparing to make a move to buy the club from majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov.

Hearts are working towards a Friday deadline to pay a £450,000 tax bill to stave off a winding-up order from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs. That is just one of many financial issues at Tynecastle and a £1.75million tax case was revealed when a £1.79m share issue was recently launched, a scheme which could result in fan ownership.

Despite all the problems and Hearts' perilous position, Burley believes a solution will be found, and told Sky Sports News: "Hearts may be the third biggest club in Scotland so it would be a disaster. Hopefully they'll come through it and build from there."

He added: "I spoke to one or two people at Hearts, in the boardroom, on Saturday. I think they're optimistic.

"A club like Hearts, such a big club, I'm optimistic things will come right."

Former Hearts player Gary Mackay is one of many aiming to raise funds and has claimed a contribution from Harry Redknapp, who took Tottenham to Tynecastle in the Europa League in August 2011.

Mackay told Sky Sports News: "Scott Crabbe and I, ex players, have set up the 1874 fighting fund and the response we've had has been wonderful.

"A lot of ex-players and Harry Redknapp, the ex-Tottenham Hotspur manager, they've all pledged £100 to kick start that fighting fund.

"We'll pick up debts, because there are one or two debts and we'll have money in our coffers to work with on a weekly, monthly, yearly basis."

Source: PA