New stand decision down to wire as Hearts work flat out

Hearts expect a final decision on Tynecastle’s new main stand at the end of the week after safety officers visited the site again yesterday.

Inspections were done on Monday and again yesterday morning but some areas remain incomplete, so the ground is still without a temporary safety certificate.

Hearts are frantically trying to finish work on phase one of the stand to allow Sunday’s Ladbrokes Premiership match with Partick Thistle to go ahead as planned.

Builders are working nightshift this week in an effort to complete the essential jobs in time, but the verdict is likely to be given later tomorrow or possibly even Saturday.

If a safety certificate does not arrive in time, Hearts owner Ann Budge, pictured, would be forced to ask the Scottish Professional Football League to postpone the Partick match.

Tynecastle is due to reopen this weekend but the new stand, which is costing more than £12million, must be declared safe for the Partick match to go ahead as scheduled at 3pm on Sunday.

City of Edinburgh Council safety officers will be available throughout the rest of this week and over the weekend if a late inspection is needed on the stand.

Hearts officials remain in constant dialogue with the Council, Partick Thistle and the SPFL regarding the ongoing

0 There is still a lot of work to do on the new main stand at Tynecastle, as shown in this photograph, which was taken on Sunday. situation. All concerned are eager to ensure the match goes ahead.

The Council are keen to do everything to help Hearts and will give them until the very last minute to finish the necessary work to pass all the safety checks.

Hearts are doing everything possible to stick to the agreed schedule having twice been forced to delay opening the new Tynecastle Park.

Their initial September date was revised to 5 November, but that also had to be put back with a new date of 19 November subsequently set.

Club officials are again bracing themselves in case time runs out. In that event, they would be forced to wait and open the new Tynecastle a week on Saturday against Ross County – assuming all the paperwork is in place by then.

Much of the stand will remain incomplete even after the initial safety certificate is granted. Phases two and three of the build involve fitting out hospitality suites and other work not essential for fans to simply sit and watch a game of football.

The entire project is not scheduled to be totally finished until nextsummer.thedecision to replace the old Tynecastle main stand – which had stood since 1914 – was long anticipated by fans eager to see the ground upgraded.

It is understood costs have exceeded the original £12 million estimate.

Supporters are contributing £3m to the overall cost through the Foundation of Hearts fan group.

The new structure will contain state-of-the-art dressing rooms, media facilities, hospitality suites, a Skyline restaurant and a piazza area outside.

That area in front of the new stand will be named the Foundation Plaza to mark the contribution from the fans to the redevelopment.