SHUTDOWN
Furious Budge closes part of Tynecastle in bid to stamp out the thugs
Ann Budge last night ordered a section of Tynecastle to be closed following a string of offences by supporters.
And the Hearts chairman has vowed to keep clamping down on missile-throwing, racism and sectarianism in football.
Almost 200 season-ticket holders in lower section g of the Wheatfield Stand, which has been identified as a hotspot for trouble, will be offered places elsewhere in the ground for the remaining two home games of the season — the visits of Rangers tomorrow week and Kilmarnock on May 4.
Budge, who saved the Tynecastle club from administration and oversaw the rebuilding of the club’s main stand, has been pushed to drastic action by, among other things, allegations of vile racist abuse directed at Hibernian player Marvin Bartley during last
EMBATTLED Hearts boss Craig Levein insists that he is relishing the pressure of taking his team into a make-orbreak Hampden clash with Inverness Caledonian Thistle. And he now wants to achieve ‘nirvana’ — by giving moaning fans no reason to complain about his team for the rest of the season. Defeat to Hibs at Tynecastle last weekend, a third loss in four games for the Jambos, sparked fury among sections of the home support who called for Levein to go. A loss to John Robertson’s Championship side in tomorrow’s Scottish Cup semi-final would leave the former Scotland boss — and Hearts owner Ann Budge — facing increased demands for a change. But Levein said: ‘I feel good about the pressure. You play football or manage in order to get into the position whereby you have pressure games. ‘If you never get into pressure situations in your career, then what is the point? ‘Coming into this game as favourites brings its own pressures. There is no doubting we have more pressure and Inverness have less pressure. ‘We have more athleticism and more ability — they have less. That puts the focus on us as the favourites. ‘The key for us is to deal with the pressure of being favourites. The rest is fine. ‘The recent negativity has come from the fact that we
lost the Edinburgh derby. That is always the case when you lose to Hibs.’ Levein chose the word ‘nirvana’ to illustrate a point about his ideal outcome tomorrow. However, it may also have provided Hearts fans with an opportunity to delve into the back catalogue of the rock band of the same name and pinch a chorus line from their most famous song: ‘Here we are now, entertain us.’ Punters heading through to Hampden are in a mood pitched between demanding and outright mutinous. Results have been a concern. But there is also a perception, widely and colourfully expressed among Tynecastle regulars, that Levein’s side are too direct. More thrash metal than Seattle sound for all but the most basic tastes. ‘Sometimes we do play long ball,’ said Levein. ‘Absolutely. We’ve got Uche Ikpeazu in the team because he’s good at getting us from point A to point B. ‘The perception is that’s all we do. I completely disagree with that.’ When it was pointed out that at least one statistical study of Scottish Premiership tactics placed Hearts among the least likely to simply hoof the ball upfield, Levein laughed as he declared: ‘But that’s facts. They don’t want to talk about that. Don’t go there, please! ‘I’m happy to leave the perception the way it is. My view is that we’ve got a really good player at the front of the field who can do things that other players can’t deal with, so let’s use him. ‘We don’t use him all the time. A lot of the time, we play our good football after we do use him. ‘And a lot of the time we play out from the back, go wide and get crosses in. ‘If we lose a match, the perception is allowed to be magnified. ‘Sometimes, we play against a team doing exactly the same thing as us — and it’s never mentioned. ‘I used to worry about things like that. The only way I can influence what people say
about the team, the best I can do, is to get them to play well — and win. ‘That keeps people quiet for a while. That’s my nirvana.’ Without ever claiming to possess the patience of a Buddhist monk, Levein’s ability to stay calm in the eye of a supporter-led storm — something he has learned to do over the years — should serve him well at the moment. The sheer volume and, frankly, offensive nature of the abuse he received from some Hearts fans behind the technical area at Tynecastle last Saturday — an inevitable response to Hibs winning 2-1 — would have made a docker blush. Asked if he even hears what’s being said, Levein said: ‘Listen, my first job in management was at Cowdenbeath. ‘I was standing at Lesser Hampden with 400 people inside the stadium. You would be lucky if there were 50 Cowdenbeath fans — all singing: “You don’t know what you’re doing…” ‘That is the worst feeling. That prepares you for anything in football management. ‘The stuff in the stadium last Saturday I can blank out. What I have realised over the years is that the only way you can have an influence on what is happening behind you is by focusing on what is in front of you. Deal with that and blank the rest out. ‘I played here and have been around here for as long as I can remember, so I know how it works. ‘People want to come to games to get rid of some frustration. And whether that is cheering with joy because you are winning, or whether that’s by having a go at somebody, whether that’s the opposition, the referee, the manager… ‘And I would much rather they shouted at me than the players. ‘I am focused on how we can get better from last week to this week. Dwelling on the fact that this guy is unhappy, or that guy is unhappy, doesn’t really help in that.’ Among the unhappy few, there is a persistent belief — or hope — that Levein is not going to be head coach at Tynecastle for much longer. That he’ll step back into his role as director of football. Or even just retire to somewhere nice. Like Spain maybe? Levein laughed out loud when he was asked whether, in the wake of being asked about retirement rumours on radio last weekend, he’d had to address players about such widespread background chatter. ‘Honestly… why?’ he asked. ‘I seriously had to laugh. And none of the players have said anything to me. ‘Honestly, I don’t even like Spain. Seriously. If they’d have said I was going to retire to a cottage in the north of Scotland, aye, fair enough! ‘But that’s not my thing, eh? And I really do laugh at how everything grows arms and legs. ‘Not only am I leaving, but they’re actually very specific about where I’m going!’ Tomorrow, he’s taking his team to Hampden. Aiming to transcend recent troubles and transport Hearts supporters, Levein loyalists and serial critics alike, into a higher state of being. Free from all suffering. Absolute perfection and complete peace. At least until the next game.