Hearts fans urged to buy season tickets to save club

Uncertainty over the future of the club has prompted some fans not to renew their season tickets, which has added to the Jambos’ financial problems.

Pre-season sales so far are around 6500, compared with more than 8000 at the same time last year

City MP Ian Murray, who chairs the group, said the priority was to get the Tynecastle club on to a stable financial footing so the bid could go forward.

Hearts bosses have been given seven days to pay a £100,000 tax bill or face a winding-up

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Mr Murray, Labour MP for Edinburgh South, believes the route out of the mess relies on fan support for the umbrella group, which includes Foundation of Hearts, the Supporters’ Trust and Shareholders’ Association, who have banded together to pursue a takeover.

He said: “We are pressing ahead with our plans. We’ve made significant progress in the last couple of weeks but obviously we would like to get things moving quicker.

“There’s speculation upon speculation upon speculation surrounding the future of the club, but at the moment it’s just that. But while the club remains in this constant state of flux these stories are going to keep on coming out.

“What we need is to get the club back on to a stable financial footing as quickly as possible and that’s what we are working towards. The fans are supporting what we are doing and hopefully they will keep supporting what we are doing.

“The uncertainty isn’t helpful, but what we would say is support the club but back the Foundation of Hearts with pledges so that we can move on with our aims.”

Mr Murray said the group would welcome any genuine investors willing to throw their financial muscle behind the group’s aim of a supporter-led future for the club.

Majority shareholder UBIG, to which Hearts owe an estimated £10 million, appears close to administration after admitting it cannot meet its liabilities, and Ukio Bankas, to which Hearts owe £15m, has already been declared bankrupt.

Director Sergejus Fedotovas has admitted the club faces a £2.5m shortfall in its budget for next season.

A Scandinavian consortium is also in talks about a possible takeover but it is expected to be several weeks before it decides whether to make a formal offer.