Romanov

By Graham Barnstaple
February 18 2012

Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov has claimed Rangers “stole taxpayers money” as they tried to drive Hearts to bankruptcy!

In a week where Hearts have stunned the Scottish football world by paying their own tax bill and then paying the players on time, their owner has come out of the woodwork to have a go at Rangers.

Hearts could lose £800k still outstanding from Rangers as part of the transfer of Lee Wallace. This has forced him to come out and say, according to quotes in the Scottish Sun this morning, "They stole taxpayers' money. And it was all happening while they desperately wanted to push Hearts into bankruptcy.

"They plotted conspiracies in our club. But in fact they needed all this to distract attention from their own dubious activities."

I’m not in a position to comment on what Rangers have done to push Hearts into bankruptcy, but I do think Mr Romanov needs to concentrate more on what is happening at his own club rather than elsewhere.

It would appear, as an outsider, Hearts have been operating much the same way as Rangers. They have agreed to pay players more than they can afford, and have kept their own creditors waiting for payment.

This may be more deflection from the Hearts owner as he looks to deflect the issues away from him. It would be fair to say Rangers, and their fans, have probably provided Hearts with a few hundred thousand pounds every year, through gate receipts etc.