Yet again our old friends at the SFA have decided to hit our club with a fine, this time for Chairman Roman Romanov’s comments at the AGM earlier in the year.
The meeting, which was apparently one of the more embarrassing at Tynecastle in recent years, pricked up the ears of various press spies who were no doubt in attendance when Romanov asked the shareholders:
‘…how many times the club has been screwed by referees?’.
He then continued his rant by saying:
‘Is it news to you that this is a fixed league? Rangers and Celtic win titles by 30 points. How many times [last season] have we been screwed by referees? We ask you to help us fight this system that doesn’t allow a smaller club to grow. If a club starts to grow, they use all mechanisms to pull it down. Vladimir would not waste his money in this club if he did not believe things could be changed.’
It’s quite interesting that this should come to light now, as we find ourselves barely weeks into the new season and already referees have gone under the microscope for a series of horrendous decisions in favour of the Old Firm clubs, who would appear to need the help much more these days than they used to.
Of course, we’re not going as far as to say that there is an all-out conspiracy going on as some would have you believe, but the fact that referees have now asked for more money is definitely putting them under a lot more pressure than they were before. If they do continue to make such glaring mistakes, which far too often tend to be predominantly in favour of the same teams, then you never know, something just might get done about it this season. Then again….!
For the record, Hearts were fined £20,000 for ‘bringing the game into disrepute’ and Romanov himself £10,000 for his comments, which were curiously made at a private meeting for Hearts shareholders…..
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They should refuse point blank to pay. The SFA have no right to fine anybody for what was said at a private meeting.
I agree! Going by this logic I should be sacked by my work for complaining about it when I get home. What a pile of crap.
Hmmm… I’d happily agree with your comments about refusing to pay – however this gives a unique opportunity to the regime to test the resolve of the SFA, and who’d bet against them docking some points from Hearts if the Romanovs dig their heels in and refuse to pay the personal fine ? Goodness knows what Vladimir would do if that happened !!
Maybe take it to FIFA, as the SFA are clearly breaking their own rules here. Docking points would simply be compounding the error.
I’d actually be quite happy if that happened SH – it would expose the SFA for what they are in that case. I fail to see how they have a right to do this, and if Hearts can take a similar stance to the one that Levein did a few years ago, then they can seriously make their point here and embarrass these clowns. Sadly I don’t think we have anyone at the club who is as remotely tuned in as CL was…….
I wonder if there will be a fine for Rangers and Celtic singing sectarian filth at the derby match tomorrow?