Guilt, ignorance and gratefulness - A Hearts fan's view of the Foundation of Hearts becoming the club's major shareholders

The Carling Stand, housing the raucous element of the visiting support, bounced to the beat of Dario G’s Carnaval de Paris. Hearts had just won at Tannadice, the sun was shining and it was the first away day for supporters since March 2020.

Foundation Plaza at Tynecastle Park. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

A carry out, the train up, visiting local hostelries, shouting, groaning and singing for 90 minutes, then back to the pub for a debrief. It was colourful, it was noisy, it was fun. How football fandom should be.

Writing this on Monday, August 30, the day Hearts become the largest fan-owned club in Britain, Saturday took on more significance.

Aside from the long wait for supporters to experience an away game due to the coronavirus pandemic, those of us walking out of Tannadice should have had an extra spring in our step, not just because Robbie Neilson's men sat in the upper echelons of the cinch Premiership with ten points from 12, but simply because we were able to see our team.

Magnitude of what's been achieved

If things had played out differently eight years ago, who knows where Heart of Midlothian Football Club would have been on Saturday. What they would be.

It's only today, watching the emotional story, released by the club, of the journey from administration at the end of the Vladimir Romanov era to now, that I truly appreciate the magnitude of what has been achieved by the club and its supporters.

It’s probably because I’ve never truly accepted how close the club came to drowning.

That's despite having the pleasure to speak to Foundation chairman Stuart Wallace on a number of occasions, reading the news reports at the time and seeing the language of administrators Trevor Birch and Bryan Jackson written down in black and white. Season ticket sales, wage cuts, Wonga bringing forward payments of their sponsorship deal, all to keep the club “afloat” and give it a "lifeline”.

There's a popular picture of a dog surrounded by fire saying ‘This is fine’ from KC Green's 2013 webcomic "On Fire”. That was me, still basking in the 2012 Scottish Cup win.

Going back to 2011, when players’ wages first weren't paid, through 2012 to winding-up orders, then administration. The thought remained the same ‘everything is going to be absolutely fine’. Sheer ignorance.

Grateful

When it came time to pledge, I did, but looking back now and there is a certain amount of guilt of not understanding the severity of the situation, of naively sitting back, convinced nothing bad was going to happen, while others worried and had countless sleepless nights, got their hands dirty, saving the club in what was one of the most complex football administration deals done in the UK, ever.

Many of those 8,000 or so who pledge talk about it being the best money which comes out of their account every month. Something they can be proud of. When I see the direct debit leave in future, it will be a case of being grateful. Grateful to the Foundation’s founding members Jamie Bryant, Brian Cormack, Donald Ford, Garry Halliday, Alex Mackie. Grateful to Ann Budge. Grateful to Trevor Birch and Bryan Jackson.

Grateful to all those who have played a part in allowing more days like Saturday.

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