Romanov blames Sky

[ZeonBlue 378]

HEARTS owner Vladimir Romanov last night launched an assault on Rangers and TV firm Sky, insisting both must be banned from the SPL.

Romanov has made it clear the Tynecastle outfit will vote ‘no’ on July 4 to a newco Gers being allowed entry into the top flight.

He claims the soon-to-be liquidated oldco wrecked the game in this country through dodgy dealings and poaching of

players.

Romanov has urged clubs to forget about voting the Light Blues in to protect the Sky TV contract because he believes the station – of which media tycoon Rupert Murdoch’ s NewsCorp firm owns a 39 per cent stake – has sold Scottish football short and should be replaced by a league-run pay-per-view channel.

Sky’s parent firm BSkyB have agreed a new deal to pay £760million a year to screen the English Premier League while the SPL is scheduled to receive £16m-a-year for broadcast rights from next term.

Rupert Murdoch’s media are to blame for some of the worst problems to hit Scottish football

Vladimir Romanov

Romanov said: “The football mafia represented by former owners of Rangers FC and Rupert Murdoch’s media are to blame for some of the worst problems to hit Scottish football and must not be allowed back in under any circumstances.

“As regards the club itself, we can only express our deepest condolences to its supporters, who have been lied to for so many years.

“Victories were achieved not by sporting merits, but through slander, conspiracies amongst players and their poaching via third parties, unfair pressuring of referees, who in themselves are as valuable to the fabric of

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football as the football stars themselves.

“All of this brought hollow victories and destroyed football.

“We can also mention the attempts to eliminate Hearts with the help of the tax petitions, through false accusations and threats to revoke the club licence.

“There is a saying about digging a grave for someone – you get it for yourself. Without these people, football will

become cleaner and stronger.

“Without Murdoch, the whole of society will improve, in particular sport and culture.

“Supporters deserve a new beginning and have to accept the fact that their club has to start from the lower league,

keeping order in the SPL and without creating unfair competition with other clubs.”

Romanov is particularly scathing about the terms of the Sky deal struck by the SPL, and argues that sticking with

them is doing the Scottish top flight more harm than good.

He said: “As regards the pitiful state of Scottish football finances, a lot of the blame should be placed at the doors of

Murdoch’s media.

“They pay huge sums to English clubs whilst in Scotland, where football is better supported per capita than anywhere else in Europe and there are more cable or Sky subscribers per capita than in England, clubs receive

peanuts for their broadcasting rights.

“At the very least, this is discrimination and protectionism for the English football product, which, at the same time stunts the development of the game in Scotland, regarded as the cradle of football.

“I feel that it is absolutely realistic to create a company that would bring to Scottish clubs at least the same broadcasting income and even grow it by 50-100 per cent over the next two to three years.

“This company should be in the hands of Scottish clubs and work with those who want to earn money the honest way instead of conducting business the Murdoch way.

“They have lived beyond law and all morals and should now be declared beyond the pale.

"A society that allows the destruction of integrity in sport, which is a crucial part of Scottish culture, is destroying itself.”

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/328146/Romanov-piles-blame-on-Sky-for-abusing-SPL-clubs

[ZeonBlue 378]

Knew his silence couldnt last.

[bazzl82 2]

Wonder if the spl will see that article they might not need the share of the mafia football cash that the clubs rave on about, oh well RIP hearts hopefully

[gogzy 31,195]

he is a mentalist.

[don1972 491]

tarts........................... haha mad vlad

[stampyurie 203]

Good old vlad, always good for a laugh

[debear 603]

Dodgy deals – Like loads of strange loans between teams in Kaunus you have links to?

Dodgy finances – Like having about 60 players on your books, about 20 on loan, and not paying them?

Morals – Like not sacking a convicted sex offender.

[The Godfather 71,868]

Hearts are going down the pan and don't have the fan base to come through it. Vlad knows this.

[nimrod 62]

Mickey Mouse wears a Vladimir Romanov watch.

[Alwaysblue 709]

To be fair to him - his comment about Murdoch dumbing down the nation is accurate though

[Raff1690 25]

He is absolute off his head, he really is. Sputs some pish old Vlad does he not.

[MrSifter 181]

I'm just pleased he didn't turn his ire on the Freemasons.

[test-icicles 8]

cunt

[EastEnclosureBear 2,919]

What a guy.

[Super1872 468]

Haha old Vlad is some fella, he has got a cheek opening his mouth.

doesnt pay his players, dodgy deals with teams back in lithuania and a sex offender on the payroll and he has the audacity to qustion our morals and integrity.

Only Mad Vlad!

[elephants stoned 2,994]

Hes a true nutcase, but he gets away with it, if a Rangers offical, came out with the crap he spouts the club would be found to have 'brought the game into disrepute' and fined and maybe even given a illegal transfer ban.

[bornabear 6,202]

Isn't name calling against another team part of "bringing the game into disrepute"

Should be interesting to see what SFA/SPL do about mad vlad.... I suspect nothing as it's not Rangers, then we'll know there is an agenda against us.

[elephants stoned 2,994]

Isn't name calling against another team part of "bringing the game into disrepute"

Should be interesting to see what SFA/SPL do about mad vlad.... I suspect nothing as it's not Rangers, then we'll know there is an agenda against us.

You would certainly think it would come under that catagory, but of course only if its Rangers doing it, otherwise its a laugh and a bit of craic from the jolly souls that are involved.

[Super1872 468]

Isn't name calling against another team part of "bringing the game into disrepute"

Should be interesting to see what SFA/SPL do about mad vlad.... I suspect nothing as it's not Rangers, then we'll know there is an agenda against us.

Yep quite right, this is the exact reason I wait with great anticipation for the first club to head into admin when we're not part of the spl, wonder what will happen. I think we'll see another fine case of SPL double standards.

I expect nothing less from a totally inept organisation.