Ten years since Andy Webster returned to Hearts: 'Webster ruling', Vladimir Romanov & Scottish Cup success

Andy Webster was excellent in his second spell at Hearts. Picture: SNS

All eleven, decked head to toe in maroon complete with the chevrons of Hummel and Ukio Bankas sponsor. The majority of a 50,000 crowd around them expecting and hoping for them to see off third tier Gretna and finish the most eventful of seasons with a trophy.

It is an iconic photo of an iconic Tynecastle team.

Yet, it is missing one player who really should have been lining up that day at Hampden Park if not for an internal dispute with then owner Vladimir Romanov.

An iconice Hearts team ahead of the Scottish Cup final. Picture: SNS

Andy Webster had been a mainstay in the centre of defence for much of that season. Gordon, Neilson, Pressley, Webster and Fyssas. One of the best backlines the club has seen. His second to last appearance that campaign was the 4-0 win over Hibs in the semi-final at Mount Florida. He partnered Pressley, Jose Goncalves and Fyssas that day to a spate of injuries during the game.

The desire to leave and Romanov

The centre-back had wanted to leave in the summer of 2005, telling Burley of his desire in pre-season, with reported interest from Rangers. So when it came to having a new deal put to him by the Romanov regime and told to sign, it was no surprise he turned down the offer.

‘No’, especially when it came to contracts, wasn’t an acceptable response to the Russian-born Lithuanian businessman.

Andy Webster finally got his hands on the Scottish Cup with Hearts in 20212. Picture: SNS

Remember, Romanov produced one of the most bizarre yet memorable programme messages for a festive fixture against Falkirk in 2005.

It read: “Dear supporters, even the most sacred places on this earth, the places that house the remains of Christ, are blighted by profiteers and money-grabbers.

“Likewise, in the football world, there are also those — be they agents, journalists, jealous hangers-on or other ‘wunderkind’ — who seek to ruin all that is good about the game. But it is the devil that is driving them forward, and they are not going to stop.

“All that will remain for me is to step aside and bid them farewell on their road to hell.”

Come the run-in to the season, Webster was persona non grata and Valdas Ivanauskas was unable to pick him. He missed the night where Hearts secured Champions League (qualifying) football and also the chance to win the Scottish Cup.

‘Webster ruling’

The defender, who had been plucked from Arbroath by Craig Levein, would leave in the summer of 2006. The manner of the exit and what would transpire didn’t sit well with Hearts fans.

He moved to Wigan Athletic, despite having a year left on his contract and Hearts’ resistance to release the player. The protracted saga brought about the ‘Webster ruling’, allowing players to walk away from their contract after a fixed period.

Animosity grew when, after failing to win a place at Wigan, the player turned up at Rangers on loan before signing permanently.

After three matches for the Ibrox side across four seasons, via loan spells at Bristol City and Dundee United, who he captained to the 2010 Scottish Cup, Webster returned to Tynecastle.

Ten years ago this week, he put pen to paper on a deal, rejecting Hibs in the process. However, it came so close to falling through.

Vladimir Romanov remembered and wanted an apology.

“He wanted me to read out a statement,” Webster told The Scotsman. “I was to say that I was young, naive, stupid. I should never have left the club. This, that the other. On and on it went. There was no way I was going to stand up and say all of that. It simply wasn’t true.

"Romanov wasn’t actually at Tynecastle that day; he was in Lithuania. The message came back from him: I had to read out the statement or I couldn’t sign. I said we should just call the deal off and then things simmered down. I didn’t have to read it.”

From apprentice to buddy cop

Romanov wasn’t preventing Webster from missing out on Scottish Cup success this time.

Former Hearts boss Levein has said that the defender’s talent was obvious when he looked to bring him to Tynecastle in 2001. A bargain at £75,000 he would form a formidable partnership with Pressley across more than 180 appearances during his first spell.

When he returned he would strike up another imposing centre-back partnership. This time with Marius Zaliukas.

It was no longer the case of apprentice and master as it was with Pressley. Instead, a buddy cop duo. Webster and Zaliukas complemented one another perfectly.

Across a second spell, which lasted two and a half seasons before moving to Coventry City, he amassed nearly 90 appearances. And any hostility held by fans towards the player for how he left the club first time quickly dissipated.

Of course, like so many players during that time, it culminated in May 19, 2012. Hibs 1 Hearts 5.

Webster, 11 years after signing for the team first time around, six years after missing the success over Gretna and 15 months after returning, was finally able to get his hands on the Scottish Cup while wearing maroon.

“I sat in the front of the stand watching the game that day,” he recalled. “They were difficult times but I had made my decision.

“But if I had been involved in 2006, would I have been involved in the 2012 final? That was arguably the most important one and I was fortunate enough to play in the game we beat Hibs.”

How Hearts could line-up after 4 January signings gives Robbie Neilson plenty of...

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers. If you haven't already, please consider supporting our sports coverage with a digital sports subscription.