Having spent a few weeks away, I have given some consideration as to the best ownship model for a football club. I recall when the Glazers took over MANU, I just thought what a pathetic bunch the MANU supports were, with their stupid banners and half arsed protests. It was a bloody FTSE 250 company. Open a brokerage account with Halifax, Barclays, Interactive Investors, put some money in and buy the bloody shares. The whole process takes less than 15mins.

But of course uk supporters don’t do that. Liverpool, Man City, et al have been purchased. The nadir came with Newcastle being sold by Mike Ashley to an investment group loosely related to the Saudi government in a deal brokered by Amanda Staveley. A regime with no regard for Human Rights, women’s rights or the rights of the child. Blatant sports washing. To make things even more preposterous, the new owners are greeted with a huge banner “built on solid ground” (lyrics of Jimmy Nail song ‘Big River’). I mean if ever there was a polar opposite of the working class values of a proud shipbuilding city this regime was it.

It got me to thinking about what happened to Hearts under Romanov. I for one, never paid much attention to it, but, we know now his private bank was accepting money from some really disreputable sources. What the Foundation of Hearts have done is remarkable. They have set up a structure which is focused on the long term good of the club. No factions, no self interest group, no one trying to make a fast buck. Sure people with disagree with signings, appointments etc, but they share the same principles.