GEORGE Foulkes, the former Hearts chairman, has called on Vladimir Romanov to appoint an experienced manager as a first step towards restoring the club's fortunes. Writing an open letter to the club's majority shareholder via his column in the Edinburgh Evening News, Foulkes warned that Romanov would have to start coming good on his promises if he wanted to prevent season-ticket sales from falling alarmingly before the start of the next league campaign.
A member of the House of Lords and of the Scottish Parliament, Foulkes was instrumental in welcoming Romanov to Tynecastle at a time when the ground was up for sale. But he soon fell out with Romanov over the dismissals of manager George Burley and c
hief executive Phil Anderton, and although as a former chairman he is entitled to a seat in the directors' box, he has been told he is not welcome there.
"However, I sometimes think I should exercise that courtesy if only to meet you and Junior (Roman Romanov, Vladimir's son and the man who succeeded Foulkes as chairman] in a corner, bang your heads together, and ask just what you are playing at," Foulkes wrote. "Because that's what all the fans want to know.
"It is why your commercial team has been reduced to ringing round existing season-ticket holders asking why they haven't renewed. It's not rocket science, Vlad, really. It's because of your broken promises of giving them a team to be proud of, having work start on the stand, delivering winners.
"I mean, are you not embarrassed, even a little? Your team finished below Hibs, a side that will no doubt achieve zero debt by summer. Do you find that in any way acceptable? That a far superior sporting organisation as Hearts with a more loyal fanbase and greater potential, slides below a team that hasn't won a Scottish Cup in over a century?"
Foulkes went on to assess the managerial situation. Although Hearts remain formally committed to finding a more experienced full-time manager, Stephen Frail has been caretaker since the beginning of the year – one of the factors, the politician argued, in the club's poor season.
"Stevie Frail has tried his best, yet the poor lad doesn't even have his coaching badge yet," Foulkes continued. "Now look at Rangers. They aren't a good side, they have ridden their luck all season and faced a stuttering Celtic team riddled with problems. But they have consistency and ground out results, lifting the Scottish League Cup, on the cusp of winning the SPL, in the final of the Scottish Cup. And now just 90 minutes away from a Uefa Cup final. They have done this after giving a poor, under-performing former manager (Paul Le Guen] the bullet, and instead brought in an experienced man in Walter Smith who lives and breathes the SPL.
"He hasn't even had a decent transfer budget to work with and yet, by being allowed to do his job, is within touching distance of an unprecedented quadruple.
"Doesn't that tell you something, comrade? Doesn't it give you a hint as to what must now be done at Hearts?
"Get in the manager we need, let them do their job, and watch the season-ticket sales go through the roof. Show leadership, show conviction. Show some guts."
The full article contains 558 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
