And the lucky winner is... 

MARTIN HANNAN 

HEARTS’ move to Murrayfield looks to be a virtual certainty with an announcement due to be made next week that the potential sale of Tynecastle has attracted bids from developers which would almost eradicate the club’s debt of nearly £18m.

The club’s chief executive, Chris Robinson, will make an announcement concerning the "long-term plans" for Hearts and sources in Edinburgh’s property circles say that he has secured interest from developers at a price which meets the club’s target for income.

Scotland on Sunday has learned that the sale of Tynecastle could be put out to tender by the end of the week and with at least four companies believed to be interested in bidding, the price they will offer is likely to be competitive, and could even provide Hearts with a surplus after the debts are paid off.

The bids are likely to be "subject to gaining of planning permission" but Edinburgh Council sources say that Tynecastle is "zoned" for leisure or housing use and even if there are, as expected, sufficient objections to any planning application for the development of houses, it would merely delay the project by a year or so.

Only the opposition of supporters’ groups and some determined local residents in the Murrayfield area now seems to stand in the road of the club moving to the home of Scottish rugby.

The move is chiefly to Hearts’ benefit. The SRU’s marketing director Phil Anderton today reveals that even if Hearts move to Murrayfield, the Union would still make a loss.

"It would provide significant revenue for us," said Anderton "But it would not fix our problems. It would not put us back into profit,"

Anderton admits there is still opposition to the plan: "If this was just a discussion between the SRU and Hearts it would be 90% certain to happen. But there are other factors."

Those "other factors" are thought to be a group of Murrayfield residents who are waiting on Hearts making a definite decision to move before campaigning against it.

Chris Robinson recently attended a meeting of Murrayfield Community Council and received a polite hearing.

"But there is opposition locally and I feel they are simply waiting until things are definite before showing their hand," said local councillor Jim Gilchrist.

A prominent lawyer and a senior figure in the financial services industry are believed to be ready to act should Hearts announce that they are moving. Court action could follow.

Among shareholders, however, the arithmetic is now overwhelmingly in favour of Robinson, as a key issue in the Murrayfield saga was resolved last week.

I understand that Robert McGrail approached the Scottish Media Group to try and get their backing for his plan to stop the move, under which he would pay £10m for Tynecastle and lease the ground back to Hearts.

SMG are owed £4.5m by Hearts and the first payment of £767,000 is due by July 31. The company has just under 20 per cent of Hearts’ shares, and its support is crucial for Robinson’s plans.

SMG, who are the owners of Scottish Television, said they could only listen to the board’s plans to move, effectively ending McGrail’s last chance of ousting Robinson from Tynecastle, which is his main intention. 

 ‘Moving to Murrayfield will be the death of Hearts FC as we now know it’ 

McGrail and lawyer Leslie Deans, the club’s former chairman, will continue with their attempts to prevent the move to Murrayfield and will press for further examination of Robinson’s record as chief executive at the EGM which will be called shortly to ratify the move from Tynecastle.

Last week McGrail formally complained to the Financial Services Authority over statements about the club considering administration made by Robinson at a supporters’ meeting - the Edinburgh property developer claims that as a director of a plc, such statements should have been made to the Stock Exchange first.

"I am determined that we will fight this to the bitter end," said Deans. "Even if the board comes up with some major amount of income from the sale of Tynecastle it will still not be right.

"Moving to Murrayfield will be the death of Hearts football club as we know it." 

Scotland on Sunday can also reveal that Hearts approached Edinburgh Council following news that the council was considering demolishing Meadowbank and replacing it with a new stadium at Sighthill on the west of the city.

But the club’s interest ended when it was learned that the options being considered do not include a stadium of sufficient size to accommodate Hearts, with a projected seating for just 5,000 people and athletics as the main sport.

The council may be set to assist Hearts in another way, however. The Adult Training Centre alongside Tynecastle is likely to be one of two to be closed in a shake-up of the service, and the land could be cleared.

It had also been thought that the club’s former owner, Wallace Mercer, might have been able to object as he still owns the club’s commercial offices, but Hearts have a watertight contract with Mercer that they can purchase the offices when required.

Another problem for the Hearts board is also soon to be resolved. The new youth academy being built in partnership with sportScotland and Heriot-Watt University at the Riccarton campus is on course to be completed by April, according to a university spokesperson.

The receivership of contractors Melville Dundas meant that the original completion date of October last year could not be met, but new builders HBG Construction are said to be making "good progress" and pre-season training will definitely take place at the new state-of-the-art complex, which includes an indoor astroturf pitch.

Opponents still target Robinson, however, as the man they blame for bringing Hearts into such deep financial difficulties that they must consider leaving Gorgie. At Tynecastle yesterday there was an extraordinary public demonstration by former club captain Gary Mackay, who was on the pitch at half-time with other former players.

As he left the pitch Mackay was clearly seen to wave a poster saying "Robinson must go" at the directors’ box.

It was a pointed but ultimately feeble attempt to rouse more ire against the chief executive. For at the moment, almost everything seems to be going his way, and that way leads to Murrayfield. 

this section maintained by Craig Young