With the absence of Kevin Kyle for the 2nd half of the season coinciding with a slump in performances, many fans were reminded of the true worth of a big powerful centre-forward – holding the ball confidently until support arrives, or cleverly directed head-flicks, or attacking inviting crosses, or just making a nuisance of himself to opposing defences.
So I was delighted when John Sutton signed for Hearts – a guy who had caught the eye at both St. Mirren and Motherwell in recent seasons. His record suggests that he could become the Hearts` first forward to hit 20 goals in a season since John Roberston 15 years ago. Jim Jefferies` knowledge was clearly significant when Jamie Hamill was signed, having been brought through the Killie youth teams by our management.
Cumbrian defender Danny Grainger has been brought in to replace Ruben Palazuelos – and ahead of a likely sale of Lee Wallace in the next 12 months
It seems that Hearts are still looking to add one or two others to the squad – possibly Ryan Flynn from Falkirk, and a central defender now that Zander Diamond`s medical exam appears to have thrown up a situation which might dissuade Hearts from taking a chance on him.
Although Bouzid and Palazuelos are likely to be leaving – and Mulrooney, Mole and Kucharski already away – Hearts still have a huge squad which will need to be trimmed further next year. However it is encouraging that JJ has been allowed to bring in his own targets now, making quite an impressive list of arrivals in the 16 months since he returned as manager – Ryan Stevenson, Kevin Kyle, Stephen Elliott, Adrian Mrowiec, Rudi Skacel, Andy Webster, John Sutton, Jamie Hamill and Danny Grainger.
I sincerely hope that Hearts take up the option of another year for Rudi – his contribution of 15 goals in 32 games is quite remarkable, and the times when his play is inspiring outweighs the times when he becomes invisible !!
The statements from Vladimir and director Vitalijus Vasiliauskas about the stadium upgrade or complete re-location are not quite so positive, in my opinion. After spending millions already on feasibility / planning / design consultants, it seems Hearts are at a stalemate with the City of Edinburgh Council – with yet another study being undertaken to come up with options. Strangely, the club also want fans to fill in a questionnaire seeking their views on everything from how far from Tynecastle you`d be prepared to have it ? to whether you want a cinema or ten-pin bowling alley included?. to the shape of the building? to who it should be shared with.
Canvassing opinion of your customers is well and good, but the original plan for the replacement McLeod Street stand had a lot of these facilities incorporated – yet it fell through due to objections and cost.
Even stranger is the club`s assertion that a simple replacement stand would cost £20m, compared to their estimate of a complete new stadium for around £35m. I find these figures hard to believe – the first sounding too high, and the second sounding too low.
My own opinion is that the regime now see the only way forward for them – including a likely exit route from owning the football club – as being for UBIG to fund a new multi-purpose stadium with Hearts as long-term paying tenant, with the club’s debt being greatly reduced by the sale of Tynecastle.
The questionnaire is there to whet the appetite of fans for a more enlightened match-day experience in a brand new facility near the by-pass, while paying lip-service to the possibility of a Tynecastle upgrade. Are health & safety issues at the McFarlane Smith factory really the stumbling bock to a re-build of the Old Stand ? They don`t seem to have caused Sainsbury`s and the new Tynecastle school much of a problem in their applications.
I`d expect the results of the fans survey to be reported as “strong support for a new stadium on the west side of Edinburgh”, coinciding nicely with the joint study identifying 2 possible locations “on the west side of Edinburgh” – even if the majority of fans don`t actually want to leave Tynecastle in the first place !!
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I share your cynicism regarding the motives behind the stadium questionnaire and the rather dubious health and safety issues when, as you say, the new school and major supermarket seemed to have sailed through the planning process. What I can?t understand is why the Council would be complicit in this especially since Vasiliauskas seems to have hinted at bias at the AGM. If Hearts are dragging their feet on developing Tynecastle (for reasons of debt clearance and exit strategy etc.) and hiding behind supposed Council planning ?red tape? ? why doesn?t the Council simply make a statement clarifying the issues?
encouraged by signings, worried that theres still no confirmation of Rudi, and baffled by the stadium shenanigans! I dont get to games enough to really count – I’d have argued it should really be season ticket holders / shareholders that should really be counted, else you risk other fans taking the survey, or people like me who rarely get to Tynie saying ‘well i wouldnt mind it being on the west side of the city’. Incidentally, I love tynecastle, but feel now Its whatever really is best for the club. Knowing our debt situation I’d say a move is likely – no, wait, noone knows our debt situation! We owe the money to ourselves and every so often buy our own shares to get us more money. silly old me!