Being debt-free is magnificent, says Dempster
Hibs fans were left seeing pound signs when Ron Gordon completed his takeover of the club during the week.
But, for chief executive Leeann Dempster, it was all about no longer being in the red.
The United Statesbased businessman has not only assumed the majority shareholding of Sir Tom Farmer and Rod Petrie, but also agreed to wipe out the Easter Road outfit’s debt.
The arrears were due to Farmer at £ 500,000- peryear, and not due to be settled for another six years.
Supporters may have been left hoping for new wealth flooding into the club beyond the seven- figure investment revealed on Tuesday.
But it looks more likely to be steady growth under the Peru- born media mogul, rather than an influx of money seeking instant success.
“I’m really looking forward to the future,” said Dempster.
“We’ve been in a very good place, I think, for a while, and I think we’re going to be in a better place.
“I d o n’t want to underestimate what we do at the minute. I
“I’ve said a few times our football budget is at the highest its ever been. And I don’t think we should underestimate the commitment the club has.
“Ron’s determination is that the club is in a great position – but he wants to make it better.
“I think that means making a lot of things better and that hopefully means we’re going to make the football as good as it can be.
“Not having the mortgage and being debt-free is a magnificent position to start from.
“The numbers are in the public domain.
“It puts us £ 500,000 ahead before we kick a ball.
“There are lots of great things you can pick out here, but I think the two things are a transitional ownership and being debt-free.
“That should drive the excitement.”
Gordon, the club’s new executive chairman, was the guest of Hibs in March for the visit of Rangers.
It wa s a night to forget when a supporter jumped pitchside to confront James Tavernier on the stroke of half-time, but Dempster insists she never feared any knock-on effects from the shameful incident.
“It was irrelevant that anyone was sitting in the stand, to be honest,” she said. “That was not a consideration.
“I know folk will say, ‘ She only went on the telly because...’
“But it was nothing to do with that.
“It was first of all to say how unacceptable it was, but also to defend the club and to show the club is absolutely diligent and determined to stop this.”