EX-CHAIRMAN WANTS LEGAL CHALLENGE

FORMER Hearts chairman Leslie Deans last night called on supporters to crowdfund a legal challenge against the club’s imminent relegation from the SPFL Premiership.

Although Hearts owner Ann Budge had been placed in joint charge of a working group set up to explore league reconstruction for next term, talks aimed at a 14-team top tier collapsed on Friday.

As a result, Hearts face demotion to the Championship.

An Edinburgh solicitor and member of the Tynecastle board between 1994 and 1999, Deans insisted fans of the club are ‘spitting blood’ at the injustice of being relegated due to the coronavirus shutdown.

‘In one fell swoop, the SPFL have alienated their thirdbiggest customer out of 42,’ said Deans during an appearance on BBC Radio Scotland’s

Sportsound. ‘Ann Budge was quite right to hold off to see whether reconstruction could achieve anything.

‘You don’t go to war without exploring all other avenues. She was right to try for compromise but it’s not happening.

‘I would now be taking legal action against the SPFL and the member clubs who voted to eject Hearts from the league.’

Hearts were bottom of the Premiership table with eight games left to play. Faced with losses estimated in the region of £3million, Deans believes

Budge should now mobilise the club’s lawyers.

‘As much as I admire Ann’s “no hard feelings approach” the fans of Hearts are spitting blood at the present time. They have been singled out.

‘Expenses could be a stumbling block. The way to overcome the concern of those costs would be for a crowdfund.

‘There are 8,000 members of Foundation of Hearts. Guys, get the movement together, give the money to the club. I’ll start the ball rolling with a four-figure donation.

‘I would also invite Partick Thistle and Stranraer to join us at no cost.’