Vladimir Romanov 'wanted Hearts to play in green', new book claims

Vladimir Romanov (left) at Tynecastle, and Adrian Mrowiec wearing a green and yellow FBK Kaunas jersey

The revelation was made by former Foundation of Hearts chairman Ian Murray, who was also a former Jambos director, in hiis new book This is our story - How the fans kept their Hearts beating.

Romanov, who owned the Gorgie club between 2005 and 2013, was keen to swap Hearts' famous colours - worn since the 1870s - to the green and yellow of Lithuanian side FBK Kaunas, also owned by the businessman at the time.

Serious proposal

Hibs striker Derek Riordan (left) and Linis Pilibaitis of Kaunas wearing very similar yellow and green strips

However, staff at Hearts warned Romanov to U-turn on the idea, which went as far as the club's marketing team before being binned.

Writing in the book, Murray says: "Kaunas played in green and yellow - the same colours as Hibs.

"The very thought of associating anything with the colour green at Hearts would be bad enough.

"But to make a serious proposal to the marketing team that the club colours should change to green and yellow was absurd.

"Thankfully, the idea was dropped."

Hibs in yellow

Kaunas played Rangers in a European clash in Lithuania in 2008 in a strip virtually identical to a Hibs away kit of the early 2000s.

Hearts' Capital rivals have regularly played in yellow and green change strips. A Bukta-sponsored yellow away kit with green detail was worn in the late 1970s, while a similar version made an appearance in the 1980/81 season.

Hibs returned to a predominantly yellow change kit during the late Nineties with a Le Coq Sportif-made effort, while an all-yellow shirt with green piping, green shorts and yellow socks was worn in a 3-1 win at Celtic Park among other fixtures in the 2003/04 campaign.

A yellow jersey with contrasting green stripes down one side of the body was introduced in 2008/09. Since then, the Easter Road side have occasionally sported fluorescent yellow change strips.