Better Late Than Simply Rolling Over For Hearts

GOING on te age-old basis of: "Never say never", I am loath to write an obituary on Hearts as a Scottish Premiership entity. The prospect of Hearts being liquidated is just too-awful to contemplate for anyone who has a love of Scottish football.

All my years of football experience tell me: Hearts will be relegated, sooner rather than later - except - I remember back in 2001, St Mirren were coming to the end of a traumatic first season in the SPL for well-nigh a decade. They had won the 1999-2000 First Division title after a season-long battle with Dunfermline, but, their return to the big time had been difficult. Still, as the SPL approached what would be its first top-six, bottom-six split, the Buddied enjoyed a reasonable advantage over bottom team Dundee United.

Admittedly, the Arabs weren't facing the North Wall of the Eiger type wall at which Gary Locke and his troops are currently staring, but, going into the final five games, there was reasonable confidence around Love Street.

St Mirren went down, United stayed up. So, that's one reason why I will not write-off the Gorgie men - yet. Saints have form in this respect.

I cannot help thinking, however, had the Hearts players found their recent resolution a wee bit earlier in the campaign, who knows what might have been, Or, is it a case of the prospect of hanging in the morning focussing the mind somewhat?

I accept that, even if relegated, Hearts might not survive. I just hope, should the worse happen and the team is liquidated, the same partial reprieve as was offered to a club from down Govan way will be laid-out around Gorgie. The precedent has been set. Of course, any new "Hearts" could always amalgamate with Spartans for SPFL Division Two.

Great ground, terrific grassroots infrastructure, what's not to like - apart from an argument about wearing maroon jerseys.

I SEE Ally McCoist was using the Mandy Rice-Davis defence earlier this week, after Mr Kayal's comments on Lee McCulloch were widely reported. When does Kayal get the wee note from Cousin Vinny, by the way? Although he could always plead: "Veritas".

I KIND of feel sorry for Leigh Griffiths, after he got the wee registered envelope from Vinny, following his "musical" efforts at a Hibs' fans love-in.

Now, the public perception of Master Leigh is that, while he is pretty sharp around a loose ball in a crowded penalty area, he has difficulty doing up trouser zips and, some have said, he wears his IQ on his back.

But, the function at which he was filmed doing his stuff for Celtic-Hibs-Hearts harmony was, supposedly a private one, seemingly attended by like-minded Hibbees. So, how come it got into the public domain.

When Donald Finlay QC was filmed in similar circumstances all those years ago, it was, again, at a supposedly private function. Now, far be it from me to condone the "accused's" beliefs, these are surely a matter for personal concern. We don't have to like the fact Leigh Griffiths isn't apparently a Hearts fan. Neither did we have to like or appreciate Mr Finlay's familiarity with Ulster "folk songs", but, provided they are not parading these beliefs in the public domain, we should let them get on with it.

I blame the media. If we weren't so-keen to serve up muck, then people would not abuse hopsitality and friendships to dish it. Old Fart that I am, I still relish the notion that how sportsmen and women let their hair down behind closed doors should stay there.
Finally, on this point, if M'learned friend Donald R Finlay, one of the most-prominent and respected QCs in Scotland and a man with nearly 40-years experience of the law can fall-foul of today's technology - can we be that hard on a wee Ned like Leigh?

I LIKED one of the comments on the Guardian website this week. It came in response to a story on Chelsea's Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, currently on-loan to Atletico Madrid, where his performances have seen him hailed as "The Best Goalkeeper In The World".
Now, unfortunately for him, the Number 1 jersey at Chelsea is currently held by a more-experienced keeper, whom some critics class as TBGITW, so, the Guardian writers and readers were speculating as to what might become of him at the end of the season.
One chap came up with a convoluted series of transfers and loan deals, ending with Fraser Forster going to Chelsea and Courtois being loaned to the Hoops for a season.
This brought the response from another reader - clearly a Scot, who suggested there was more chance of Frank Haffey returning to Celtic than of Courtois ending-up there. That gave me a laugh.