Scottish Premier League side Heart of Midlothian is confident of paying an outstanding £100,000 ($155,550) tax bill "before being served with a winding-up order in court," according to Barry Anderson of the SCOTSMAN. The deadline for the unpaid Pay As You Earn amount was 5pm Monday, "and Tynecastle sources say the club will meet the obligation before the matter reaches Edinburgh’s Court of Session." As of Monday morning, "Hearts officials were unsure if the full amount would be raised" before close of business Monday. Should the deadline pass without payment, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs "will ask the courts to wind up the club." Hearts would then have a further eight days to pay the £100,000 "once the winding-up advert appears in the press." HMRC were expecting payment in full Monday and will not hesitate to begin the winding-up process Tuesday "if their deadline is not met by Hearts" (SCOTSMAN, 6/10).
FAN BUYOUT: STV's Graham Fraser wrote MP Ian Murray is behind a fans group trying to buy Hearts and "has urged all of the club's supporters to pledge whatever cash they can." Murray said that "fans need to continue their support of the Foundation of Hearts" as it emerged 4,000 pledges have now been made to the group. A fans meeting will be held at Tynecastle on Friday night, "with Vladimir Romanov's ownership of the club up for discussion." Murray, who is the Independent Chair of the Foundation, said, "We need people to continue to pledge as the more pledges we have got, the more we can either bid for the club, or the more chance we have got of making the bid for the club successful" (STV, 6/10). The PA reported efforts have been buoyed by the news that all four goalscorers from the '12 5-1 William Hill Scottish Cup final win over city rivals Hibernian "have vowed to support their cause." Rudi Skacel, Danny Grainger, Darren Barr and Ryan McGowan have given their backing, "and the Foundation is confident it will soon be able to lodge a formal offer" (PA, 6/10).
