Health risk Oriam

[theonlywayisup]

Surely not! Thought it was supposed to be top class.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65029088

[Since452]

Hearts should refuse to pay their rent, again.

[Greenbeard]

Surely not! Thought it was supposed to be top class.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65029088
Spin. They just hate coming further east than Harthill.

[G15 Hibs]

Willie Haughey helped the SFA out with buying Hampden. Willie Haughey is a significant funder of Queen's Park. Queen's Park own Lesser Hampden. Scotland are now training at Lesser Hampden (presumably for a fee). Hmm.

[SteveHFC]

https://www.hmfckickback.co.uk/index.php?/topic/199877-oriam-safety-riskhealth-hazard/#comments

Hearts fans not taking it well.

[BILLYHIBS]

So the Big Team don’t even have a decent place to train ?

Who knew ?


:faf:

[Alfred E Newman]

So the Big Team don’t even have a decent place to train ?

Who knew ?


:faf:

But I thought it was their training centre.

[number9dream]

Willie Haughey helped the SFA out with buying Hampden. Willie Haughey is a significant funder of Queen's Park. Queen's Park own Lesser Hampden. Scotland are now training at Lesser Hampden (presumably for a fee). Hmm.

Aye... The stuff about accommodation sounds nonsense as well.

As for Oriam, Hearts train in a different area. As do the rugby team.
They actually developed a pitch to the exact dimensions of Hampden for the sole use of the Scotland squad.
A ropey pitch that cuts up sounds very like the national stadium too.

[Hibees1973]

I remember attending a Heriot-Watt University open day a couple years back with my daughter at the Oriam.

The presenter eulogised about it being a high performance centre and reeled off the names of the clubs/teams that use the facilities regularly. Apart from the Scottish national teams (Rugby & Football), no one of note use it. He then stated the high performance centre is rented by The Yam.

This produced a fair amounts of chuckles and glances from the audience when The Yam and high performance were mentioned in the same breath.

[Carheenlea]

Aye... The stuff about accommodation sounds nonsense as well.

As for Oriam, Hearts train in a different area. As do the rugby team.
They actually developed a pitch to the exact dimensions of Hampden for the sole use of the Scotland squad.
A ropey pitch that cuts up sounds very like the national stadium too.

Yes, Hearts also train on a separate pitch that was tailor made to the exact dimensions of Tynecastle. They don't have sole use like the Scotland team do though, as they share it with the national hockey squad.

[hibsfan7]

Well maybe hearts should do what hibs did years ago build their own training centre

[gbhibby]

Yes, Hearts also train on a separate pitch that was tailor made to the exact dimensions of Tynecastle. They don't have sole use like the Scotland team do though, as they share it with the national hockey squad.
So that wouldn't have used that much land then😁

[Iain G]

Aye... The stuff about accommodation sounds nonsense as well.

As for Oriam, Hearts train in a different area. As do the rugby team.
They actually developed a pitch to the exact dimensions of Hampden for the sole use of the Scotland squad.
A ropey pitch that cuts up sounds very like the national stadium too.

The team stay at the Dakota at Maxim Park before the games.

[Nakedmanoncrack]

The team stay at the Dakota at Maxim Park before the games.

And stayed at the Marriot next to Oriam whilst training, with a switch of hotels night before the games.
A nonsense way for a national team to prepare for games, I know Steve Clarke was never happy with the arrangements or facilities at Oriam, where everything appears geared towards other sports to be honest.

[Iain G]

And stayed at the Marriot next to Oriam whilst training, with a switch of hotels night before the games.
A nonsense way for a national team to prepare for games, I know Steve Clarke was never happy with the arrangements or facilities at Oriam, where everything appears geared towards other sports to be honest.

Like hockey and jamboball?

[overdrive]

And stayed at the Marriot next to Oriam whilst training, with a switch of hotels night before the games.
A nonsense way for a national team to prepare for games

An issue that wouldn’t be there if the GFA had decided to switch to Murrayfield.

[Jones28]

https://www.hmfckickback.co.uk/index.php?/topic/199877-oriam-safety-riskhealth-hazard/#comments

Hearts fans not taking it well.

So on one hand you've got Hearts fans with wee dick energy saying wE OwN OUr TrAiNiNG CeNTre.

And on the other hand you've got Hearts fans saying this is a good thing because it helps sort out training time issues...at the training centre they own.

Make your minds up eh lads?

[Mick O'Rourke]

But I thought it was their training centre.


Some of them think they own it .But dont tell them !!
When the new stand is finished,i am told that Ben E Factor aka Sugar Daddy,will build a training centre (location tba) to be known as HTC !

I notice they refer to East Mains as "the barn" and ask why do we train outside Edinburgh? :greengrin
At least we have more stable training facilities. :greengrin

[cocteautwin]

Well maybe hearts should do what hibs did years ago build their own training centre

Quite astonishing that HMFC have received close to £45m of donations the past few years and still train at a rented facility. Having said that, would anyone trust the team that managed the build of the stand to construct a training centre without bankrupting the club?

[GreenCastle]

I said at the time Oriam was an expensive poorly designed set up.

The indoor pitch has limited seating and is a soulless big cold pitch.

They recently got rid of the cafe.

The student gym is far too small.

The performance gym is so small that Scottish Rugby now have a gazebo outside to do other work.

I’ve heard players get bored senseless staying at the hotel opposite as there is nothing to do near by or at be hotel.

Hearts are fortunate it’s close to their stadium and easy access for youth players but they are lucky to be getting to use these facilities. They have tried to brand parts of it Hearts Academy etc but at the end of the day it’s a public / student open facility you can just walk past reception and watch training if you really wanted to.

[Mick O'Rourke]

Quite astonishing that HMFC have received close to £45m of donations the past few years and still train at a rented facility. Having said that, would anyone trust the team that managed the build of the stand to construct a training centre without bankrupting the club?

They really have been very fortunate that a very wealthy fan has pumped so much finance into the club, only for this windfall in the main to have been poorly spent/managed.
I imagine the benefactor now has more say in how any future cash he donates is used.
Harry Potter presided over most of that cash input whilst Ann B stood by and let him loose like a child in a sweetie shop.
Anderson has donated north of £10 million in 8 years or so. That we know about
I guess the poorly managed construction of the expensive main stand benefitted from his financial input.

[Nakedmanoncrack]

I said at the time Oriam was an expensive poorly designed set up.

The indoor pitch has limited seating and is a soulless big cold pitch.

They recently got rid of the cafe.

The student gym is far too small.

The performance gym is so small that Scottish Rugby now have a gazebo outside to do other work.

I’ve heard players get bored senseless staying at the hotel opposite as there is nothing to do near by or at be hotel.

Hearts are fortunate it’s close to their stadium and easy access for youth players but they are lucky to be getting to use these facilities. They have tried to brand parts of it Hearts Academy etc but at the end of the day it’s a public / student open facility you can just walk past reception and watch training if you really wanted to.

:agree:

I'm a member at Oriam purely for convenience of location, the facilities aren't great to be honest though, could list a whole lot of other gripes on top of the overcrowded gym & cafe closure, e.g. the car parking situation, cold showers, etc.

[Since452]

Why don't Hearts just build their own training ground? Amazing how such a massive, huge, European galavanting superpower who are going to split the old firm rent one.

[cocteautwin]

They really have been very fortunate that a very wealthy fan has pumped so much finance into the club, only for this windfall in the main to have been poorly spent/managed.
I imagine the benefactor now has more say in how any future cash he donates is used.
Harry Potter presided over most of that cash input whilst Ann B stood by and let him loose like a child in a sweetie shop.
Anderson has donated north of £10 million in 8 years or so. That we know about
I guess the poorly managed construction of the expensive main stand benefitted from his financial input.

You need to up those numbers Mick. Up to 30 June 2022 Anderson had contributed £21m of simple donations and £3m of sponsorship, so it's quite significantly more than people realise. When you consider their club has also spent nearly £15m of fans donations and £5m+ put in by Budge, that's a lot of cash spent (c£45m) for no silverware. Indeed, by the time they can next win a trophy they'll probably have spent their way through over £50m of donations over and above what they bring in through the normal running of the club.

Quite astonishing failure for a club that is Scotland's 3rd best financed by quite some distance.

[JimBHibees]

You need to up those numbers Mick. Up to 30 June 2022 Anderson had contributed £21m of simple donations and £3m of sponsorship, so it's quite significantly more than people realise. When you consider their club has also spent nearly £15m of fans donations and £5m+ put in by Budge, that's a lot of cash spent (c£45m) for no silverware. Indeed, by the time they can next win a trophy they'll probably have spent their way through over £50m of donations over and above what they bring in through the normal running of the club.

Quite astonishing failure for a club that is Scotland's 3rd best financed by quite some distance.

Incredible how lucky they landed with Anderson. Wish he had taken up bowls :greengrin

[cocteautwin]

Incredible how lucky they landed with Anderson. Wish he had taken up bowls :greengrin

Lucky for Hearts they’ve had so much free cash.

Lucky for Hibs they’ve not found a management team or Board of Directors with the slightest clue in how to turn it in to trophies.

[easty]

:agree:

I'm a member at Oriam purely for convenience of location, the facilities aren't great to be honest though, could list a whole lot of other gripes on top of the overcrowded gym & cafe closure, e.g. the car parking situation, cold showers, etc.

I'm a member for the same reason, it's walkable distance for me. Been going for about 8 months now.

The gym is small, but I've never once struggled to get on the equipment I want, or not be able to use the weights I'm after. I've been surprised how quiet a gym it is to be honest.

I can almost always get a badminton court when I want one.

I'm not sure if the new tennis courts will be available under the normal membership though? Haven't seen it mentioned anywhere.

[Mick O'Rourke]

You need to up those numbers Mick. Up to 30 June 2022 Anderson had contributed £21m of simple donations and £3m of sponsorship, so it's quite significantly more than people realise. When you consider their club has also spent nearly £15m of fans donations and £5m+ put in by Budge, that's a lot of cash spent (c£45m) for no silverware. Indeed, by the time they can next win a trophy they'll probably have spent their way through over £50m of donations over and above what they bring in through the normal running of the club.

Quite astonishing failure for a club that is Scotland's 3rd best financed by quite some distance.

Indeed i do !
Mind boggling figures for a club in Scotland outside Celtic and sevco.
Goodness knows what this man was thinking
Unless.... they were in serious financial trouble that prompted him initially to plough vast sums in to Tynecastle
The building of the new stand was inevitable and needed doing.
Even if they did make a dugs dinner of its management/planning/ construction/cost.
Time was running out for the old one.
Certainly regards continuing H&S certification.
I sat in it a couple of times at our LC semi finals a few years before it was demolished.It was terrible then .
They are genuinely very fortunate to have this benefactor.

[CapitalGreen]

Incredible how lucky they landed with Anderson. Wish he had taken up bowls :greengrin

It wasn’t luck, Anderson approached both Hearts and Hibs at the same time and offered to financially support both clubs equally. Hearts welcomed his offer with open arms while those running Hibs at the time couldn’t have shown less interest. The narrative that he’s some long term Hearts supporter is nonsense.

[Since452]

It wasn’t luck, Anderson approached both Hearts and Hibs at the same time and offered to financially support both clubs equally. Hearts welcomed his offer with open arms while those running Hibs at the time couldn’t have shown less interest. The narrative that he’s some long term Hearts supporter is nonsense.

Wow didn't know that. What a silly decision by us!

[JimBHibees]

It wasn’t luck, Anderson approached both Hearts and Hibs at the same time and offered to financially support both clubs equally. Hearts welcomed his offer with open arms while those running Hibs at the time couldn’t have shown less interest. The narrative that he’s some long term Hearts supporter is nonsense.

Wow seems an odd one that. Wonder what the context of this discussion was.

[hibees 7062]

Ive said for four years that Hearts get a disproportionate amount of injuries compared to other SPFL teams. :greengrin

Surprised they're not claiming compo from the Uni

[Nakedmanoncrack]

An issue that wouldn’t be there if the GFA had decided to switch to Murrayfield.

Yes, we could have had the whole suite of second rate facilities, and playing second fiddle to a minority sport, at not only the training facilities and hotel, but also paid for the privilege of using their stadium as well.

[JimBHibees]

Yes, we could have had the whole suite of second rate facilities, and playing second fiddle to a minority sport, at not only the training facilities and hotel, but also paid for the privilege of using their stadium as well.

Except of course Murrayfield is a significantly better stadium than Hamdump

[Jones28]

Ive said for four years that Hearts get a disproportionate amount of injuries compared to other SPFL teams. :greengrin

Surprised they're not claiming compo from the Uni

Aw naw, they’re even ahead of us in injuries 😱😱

[Since452]

Ive said for four years that Hearts get a disproportionate amount of injuries compared to other SPFL teams. :greengrin

Surprised they're not claiming compo from the Uni

I take it they haven't seen our injury record over the last couple of years?

[Aldo]

I take it they haven't seen our injury record over the last couple of years?

Remember they don’t do fact! You do also know that any injuries will be worse and/or more serious than other teams as they are a big big team.

[Stairway 2 7]

James Mcfadden agrees oriam ist fit for purpose

https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/spfl/scottish-premiership/james-mcfadden-backs-john-carvers-26546156

[green day]

It wasn’t luck, Anderson approached both Hearts and Hibs at the same time and offered to financially support both clubs equally. Hearts welcomed his offer with open arms while those running Hibs at the time couldn’t have shown less interest. The narrative that he’s some long term Hearts supporter is nonsense.

Surprised we havent heard more of this, but assuming its correct and based on the timeline, that would have been Dempster and Petrie?

[Hibs4185]

Incredible how lucky they landed with Anderson. Wish he had taken up bowls :greengrin

I don’t even think he was a hearts fan? I think Budge lured him to the dark side and he subsequently became a supporter

[Mick O'Rourke]

urprised Swe havent heard more of this, but assuming its correct and based on the timeline, that would have been Dempster and Petrie?
And Tom Farmer
I think we would have heard more of it from hertz fans if we had knocked this guy back .
And some of our own fans would be up in arms !
Unless someone can find an article stating Anderson had met with Hibs Directors/Owner.:dunno:


The phrase "due diligence" was used often about the research done to find a successor to Farmer.
I know Anderson gives millions to a number of causes worldwide.
Once again ,if he did contact Hibs offering free cash,am sure the club had a reason to refuse his offer .

[marinello59]

And Tom Farmer
I think we would have heard more of it from hertz fans if we had knocked this guy back .
And some of our own fans would be up in arms !
Unless someone can find an article stating Anderson had met with Hibs Directors/Owner.:dunno:


The phrase "due diligence" was used often about the research done to find a successor to Farmer.
I know Anderson gives millions to a number of causes worldwide.
Once again ,if he did contact Hibs offering free cash,am sure the club had a reason to refuse his offer .

I doubt that any offer was ever made.

[Mick O'Rourke]

I doubt that any offer was ever made.

Me neither.
Had it happened,it would have been widely known,i am sure.

[green day]

I doubt that any offer was ever made.


Me neither.
Had it happened,it would have been widely known,i am sure.

The guy above seemed sure so I didnt want to call him on it.

Thing is - as one of you mentioned - the cardigan wearing gorgie gimps would have been right on social media and their chums in the BBC if this was a meeting that was more widely known about, which is why I have my doubts.

[Mick O'Rourke]

The guy above seemed sure so I didnt want to call him on it.

Thing is - as one of you mentioned - the cardigan wearing gorgie gimps would have been right on social media and their chums in the BBC if this was a meeting that was more widely known about, which is why I have my doubts.


His charitable donations to a club that once ignored charities is commendable.
I am sure the Wee Budgie was glad that his millions have kept the wolf away from the Tiny door ..again!

Even if Mr Natural Order squandered a lot of it.

Anderson has been rewarded with both a seat on the board and a seat in the state of the hearts,sorry, art ,open to the elements spanking brand new and nearly finished, whats that staircase for?, stand :greengrin

Hands up for our stadium announcer to playThe Beatles "Taxman" at next derby.:na na:

And for the despicable zombies
If we havent banned these morons and cavemen who would boo and sing racist sectarian songs at a funereal tribute.
Still makes me feel sick. I hate them with a passion.

Sorry for digressing !

[Jones28]

It wasn’t luck, Anderson approached both Hearts and Hibs at the same time and offered to financially support both clubs equally. Hearts welcomed his offer with open arms while those running Hibs at the time couldn’t have shown less interest. The narrative that he’s some long term Hearts supporter is nonsense.

This is the first I’ve ever heard of this.

Not meaning to have a go but surely this would be common knowledge if it was true?

[The Modfather]

This is the first I’ve ever heard of this.

Not meaning to have a go but surely this would be common knowledge if it was true?

I do remember about the time Anderson must have got involved, and folk were asking why we couldn’t find outside investment, that posters were saying we were very conservative commercially (I think Ron proved that) and reluctant for outside investment. No details, and doesn’t mean it’s true. However there were some noises at the time so it’s entirely possible, if bizarre why we would be so reluctant.

[BILLYHIBS]

Reports in the Daily Ranger that Gordon Strachan lost his job as Scotland Manager because of his refusal to use the inferior and not fit for purpose 25m training facilities at the Oriam at the other end of the M8

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gordon-strachan-lost-scotland-job-29527040

[green day]

Reports in the Daily Ranger that Gordon Strachan lost his job as Scotland Manager because of his refusal to use the inferior and not fit for purpose 25m training facilities at the Oriam at the other end of the M8

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gordon-strachan-lost-scotland-job-29527040

Its written by Keith Jackson, and while its obvious that there is an issue with the Scotland team and Oriam, there is a lot in that article that is made up pish to embellish his hatred of Edinburgh.

i.e. the bit about being based in one city and playing in the other and the possibility of getting stuck in traffic - teams base themselves at Loch Lomond etc for cup finals at Hampden with no real difficulties.

[McD]

Its written by Keith Jackson, and while its obvious that there is an issue with the Scotland team and Oriam, there is a lot in that article that is made up pish to embellish his hatred of Edinburgh.

i.e. the bit about being based in one city and playing in the other and the possibility of getting stuck in traffic - teams base themselves at Loch Lomond etc for cup finals at Hampden with no real difficulties.


yep, it’s riddled with cheap shots at Edinburgh and inconsistent crap - trumpets strachan as the hero of the hour for refusing to use oriam, and carver for speaking up about it - no mention of any other Scotland staff between those 2 who used it and didn’t complain though. Surely you should criticise them Keith? Oh wait, that would be McLeish, who you’ll not want to be seen to be critical of

[overdrive]

yep, it’s riddled with cheap shots at Edinburgh and inconsistent crap - trumpets strachan as the hero of the hour for refusing to use oriam, and carver for speaking up about it - no mention of any other Scotland staff between those 2 who used it and didn’t complain though. Surely you should criticise them Keith? Oh wait, that would be McLeish, who you’ll not want to be seen to be critical of

You don’t hear England managers complaining about having to travel from Burton-on-Trent to Wembley, a journey of roughly 3x the time it takes to get from the Oriam to Hampden.

[Stairway 2 7]

It is a crap centre if feels like a council run public leasure centre when you walk about it, rather than a top level football academy. It's a million miles away from England's centre, or even celtic and rangers. Mcfadden doesn't have skin in the game anymore and he's saying it isn't fit for purpose too.

[green day]

It is a crap centre if feels like a council run public leasure centre when you walk about it, rather than a top level football academy. It's a million miles away from England's centre, or even celtic and rangers. Mcfadden doesn't have skin in the game anymore and he's saying it isn't fit for purpose too.

I think, though, the point is that while its reasonable to point at the surface and ask for that to be sorted - saying they are using Queens Parks new surface isnt exactly a long term solution.

If the other facilities (gym equipment etc) at Oriam are good, then sort the surface for next year.

It would be interesting to hear Hearts take on it - for all we think they are a bunch of bams, its kinda unlikely they would continue to use it if it was "a health hazard".

The "hotel rooms" nonsense is just that. They could stay at Dalmahoy or Norton House, both about 5 minutes from Oriam.

Of course, Willie Haughey, the (celtic fan) owner of Queens Park, who gave the SFA millions to "ensure football stays in its home, Glasgow" will have had absolutely nothing to do with this.......................

[GreenCastle]

You don’t hear England managers complaining about having to travel from Burton-on-Trent to Wembley, a journey of roughly 3x the time it takes to get from the Oriam to Hampden.

The thing is it’s another to add to the list of Scottish FA muck ups.

Compare to St George’s Park and the privacy you get there and all the various pitches. We can’t even get one grass pitch right and then you have random students approaching players daily for pictures and selfies etc as they walk to training and the hotel - it’s poorly thought out.

There is definitely an East v West agenda also going on but reality is if Oriam was any good people would accept it. Instead the national team is now training on a pitch that has only recently been laid but looks like a junior ground.

Wouldn’t trust SFA to redevelop Hampden either.

[GreenCastle]

I think, though, the point is that while its reasonable to point at the surface and ask for that to be sorted - saying they are using Queens Parks new surface isnt exactly a long term solution.

If the other facilities (gym equipment etc) at Oriam are good, then sort the surface for next year.

It would be interesting to hear Hearts take on it - for all we think they are a bunch of bams, its kinda unlikely they would continue to use it if it was "a health hazard".

The "hotel rooms" nonsense is just that. They could stay at Dalmahoy or Norton House, both about 5 minutes from Oriam.

Of course, Willie Haughey, the (celtic fan) owner of Queens Park, who gave the SFA millions to "ensure football stays in its home, Glasgow" will have had absolutely nothing to do with this.......................

Hearts have had a lot of injuries also and if asked I’m sure would want more privacy than sharing with students walking past them daily.

[Stairway 2 7]

I think, though, the point is that while its reasonable to point at the surface and ask for that to be sorted - saying they are using Queens Parks new surface isnt exactly a long term solution.

If the other facilities (gym equipment etc) at Oriam are good, then sort the surface for next year.

It would be interesting to hear Hearts take on it - for all we think they are a bunch of bams, its kinda unlikely they would continue to use it if it was "a health hazard".

The "hotel rooms" nonsense is just that. They could stay at Dalmahoy or Norton House, both about 5 minutes from Oriam.

Of course, Willie Haughey, the (celtic fan) owner of Queens Park, who gave the SFA millions to "ensure football stays in its home, Glasgow" will have had absolutely nothing to do with this.......................

The gym isn't good it's too small. The canteen is a big walk and they get a slot in between it being used by students. There is university students and public using the same facilities and corridors. It's not fit for a national team.

Hearts stay because it was convenient I believe they are trying to move. Hearts have one corridor with a changing room and a gym that is like an Edinburgh leisure gym really poor. Upstairs they have a row of offices, that's it. They need to book slots for the performance gym. Slots for the indoor halls too. Edinburgh City, Cowdenbeath, Hutchy, dozens of uni teams all use the indoor pitches too. They get a slot at the canteen too.

There is no privacy they walk along long public corridors and wait for teams to finish before using certain facilities.

Compare it to hibs, celtic or England players who park the car and only see club staff all day and use facilities when they want

[overdrive]

The thing is it’s another to add to the list of Scottish FA muck ups.

Compare to St George’s Park and the privacy you get there and all the various pitches. We can’t even get one grass pitch right and then you have random students approaching players daily for pictures and selfies etc as they walk to training and the hotel - it’s poorly thought out.

There is definitely an East v West agenda also going on but reality is if Oriam was any good people would accept it. Instead the national team is now training on a pitch that has only recently been laid but looks like a junior ground.

Wouldn’t trust SFA to redevelop Hampden either.

Is St George’s actually all that private? It is part of a Hilton hotel. Or do they get exclusive access to the hotel whilst the England camps are on?

[easty]

The gym isn't good it's too small. The canteen is a big walk and they get a slot in between it being used by students. There is university students and public using the same facilities and corridors. It's not fit for a national team.

Hearts stay because it was convenient I believe they are trying to move. Hearts have one corridor with a changing room and a gym that is like an Edinburgh leisure gym really poor. Upstairs they have a row of offices, that's it. They need to book slots for the performance gym. Slots for the indoor halls too. Edinburgh City, Cowdenbeath, Hutchy, dozens of uni teams all use the indoor pitches too. They get a slot at the canteen too.

There is no privacy they walk along long public corridors and wait for teams to finish before using certain facilities.

Compare it to hibs, celtic or England players who park the car and only see club staff all day and use facilities when they want

They don’t use the same gym that the public do.

I get that Oriam isn’t a world class facility, but I think it’s better than it’s being made out to be.

I dinnae really understand the whole “they have to walk past regular people” point that’s being made either. So what? Should they not have to share air with us regular plebs while they’re walking a corridor?

[Stairway 2 7]

They don’t use the same gym that the public do.

I get that Oriam isn’t a world class facility, but I think it’s better than it’s being made out to be.

I dinnae really understand the whole “they have to walk past regular people” point that’s being made either. So what? Should they not have to share air with us regular plebs while they’re walking a corridor?

They use the performance gym that student can use. It's poor small and the equipment outdated, as has been said Scottish rugby bring their own gym equipment in a tent

It's a huge thing having to mix with students and the public, it's Mickley mouse stuff.

[Mick O'Rourke]

They use the performance gym that student can use. It's poor small and the equipment outdated, as has been said Scottish rugby bring their own gym equipment in a tent

It's a huge thing having to mix with students and the public, it's Mickley mouse stuff.


Indeed.
Seems it is not worth a Donaldly Duck

Are students and the public distinct ? :greengrin

I agree ...just having a laugh at the whole drama of the Oriam and in particular some jambos getting upset about the exodus of the National squad and criticism of the beloved training centre they pay rent for.
Even sometimes on time,it must be said !

Such a precious crowd,the jambos :greengrin

PS
Wee Jobby Jackson and the Record are best avoided/ignored

[WhileTheChief..]

Good interview with James Anderson in The Times from Feb this year....he grew up supporting Norwich!

James Anderson was out doing the shopping in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge recently when he was taken a little by surprise. “I was looking in the fish shop window and somebody said to me ‘come on the Jambos’.” It took him aback to be recognised.

Normally the Hearts director and Scottish football’s mighty benefactor is left entirely alone, the financial giant who prefers to blend into the crowd.


Anderson is high investment and low profile, happy to leave the limelight to club chairman Ann Budge. “To be honest Ann does a great job on that score and I think to a large extent thrives on it,” he says. “It was glorious going to Florence and seeing all those fans deeply enjoying it, wanting selfies with her etc. One or two people recognising me is fine, I don’t want any more than that.”

The Italian trip was for Hearts’ Conference League group game against Fiorentina in October, which justified yet another Anderson visit to the country close to his heart. He and his wife, Morag, have a house in Bologna and in December they made an astonishing £80 million private donation to the city’s Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, a transformational move which will turn the facility into an international hub for research and collaboration. The campus will be named after them.

The donation was so enormous and startling it inevitably caused discussion among Hearts supporters. Couldn’t he have instead given the money to the club where he has been a non-executive director since 2021 and a powerful figure behind the scenes since 2014, perhaps even funding a genuine assault on the title? Sadly for the Jambos it is not so simple.


“I’m not sure I could, in fact,” he says. “Firstly, the regulations surrounding donations to football are quite challenging. I really have no problem paying tax but the tax authorities are quite inquisitive, they really are, which I think is sad on a structural level because you are trying to do something that is helpful to whether you call it Hearts or Gorgie or Edinburgh or Scotland. There are various challenges.”


There have been many donations to academic, arts, education and charitable causes in Britain, the United States and Italy. And of course he has given freely to the SPFL. His £3 million of pandemic relief shared around every senior club was very gratefully embraced in 2020. Among those who expressed thanks were Celtic’s Peter Lawwell, who wrote him a letter, and Alan Burrows, then of Motherwell, who sent him a bottle of club-branded whisky. There was another £1.8 million donation to the SPFL in 2021 and this month he extended his sponsorship of the SPFL Trust Trophy into a third season. Glasgow City women’s team has been heavily supported. The £8 million he has given Hearts, so far, helped the Big Hearts Community Trust and helped build Tynecastle’s new main stand.


He is convinced that football is a powerful vehicle for good but not sufficiently recognised as such by national and local governments. As he sees it, clubs therefore have a responsibility to turn away from betting and alcohol companies as shirt sponsors. “Football being able to hang up a sign saying ‘we are good for our societies’ is the long-term prize,” he says. “In order to get that, and to convince everyone that it is so, you have to be prepared to turn down betting companies. And I’m not a ‘nobody should have a drink’ person and I find the banning of alcohol rather questionable, particularly given what you see at Murrayfield. But I think hard alcohol shouldn’t be our first [option as a shirt sponsor].”


The transformative effect of sportswashing makes him shudder. “My wife and I are amused by how often it might come up on TV that ‘Newcastle have done this in a miraculous fashion’.” He laughs. “Well we can all do that! I’m very uneasy about that sort of investment. Quite apart from the horrors of many of these regimes I think ultimately it undermines the thrills and the joys of football.” Manchester City leave him cold. “It holds no attraction for me. Increasingly I don’t find the English Premier League remotely interesting.”


Instead this Norfolk-born Norwich City fan has been sucked in by the Scottish game and would like to grow not only Hearts but the entire scene. “I think it is fundamentally about improving the calibre of the product,” he says. “Do we have the capacity to do that? Absolutely. We ought to get in a position with Sky Sports to show the Edinburgh derbies. The last one wasn’t on. Frankly it’s a much better atmosphere, and reasonable for all the derby tensions and the football, compared to much of the rubbish they show in the [English] Championship.”


Clubs like Villarreal, AZ Alkmaar, Atalanta, Eintracht Frankfurt and Napoli have inspired him and he feels that for too long significant forces like Aberdeen, Hibs and, yes, Hearts have done too little to really challenge the Old Firm. “I don’t think these clubs and any others who might eventually break into it have done a satisfactory job,” he says. “We must look at ourselves before blaming structures etc.


“Do I think we can at least be better? Yeah I do. And I think at that one has to be honest and say the existence of the Old Firm isn’t just a challenge in sporting and economic and cultural terms, it actually becomes a help. Because if they are doing well enough Scotland gets more access to Europe, and that matters. Aspiring to make Hearts’ revenues significantly higher on a regular basis can help you become more competitive. That’s what I think the project is. It ought to be plausible.To me, I want to help on that route.

“One of the other things that has really encouraged me is that there has been a popular response. The fact that Hearts basically sell out the ground each time and can comfortably afford to say we’re not giving the whole away stand to Rangers and Celtic is great.
“I’m delighted they still do for Hibs because I think that’s great from an atmosphere point of view. Edinburgh is a rich city. I am more upbeat about the ability to build a buoyant, large support, with a vociferous nature at Hearts than I would have been two or three years ago. I feel good about that.”


Becoming more active within the SPFL or SFA holds little appeal: too political, too time-consuming. Nor will he eventually take over as Hearts chairman when Budge steps down. “I think there are people, some of them already on the Hearts board, who are very well qualified and able to do that in the future,” he says. “It’s not that I absolutely, instinctively hate the idea. I’m not as good at handling publicity as Ann or other people but it’s more that I would like to continue to be involved [at directorial level]. I think the best that I can do for Hearts is to have the resources and any helpful insight I might be able to offer.”


His ambitions and generosity do not come cheap. “There is lots more to do,” he says. “One of the things I need to think about at the moment is that plainly it’s been a hard time in the sort of investments I’ve done for the last 18 months. At some point I need to think about rebuilding the income stream.


“It’s not desperate, I’m not trying to make that out, but if one is trying to do big things then you also need to generate.”

[Haymaker]

Is St George’s actually all that private? It is part of a Hilton hotel. Or do they get exclusive access to the hotel whilst the England camps are on?I'm pretty sure it is exclusive but might be wrong. Friends of mine have stayed there for their licenses and I imagine when the teams are there it's only for them/people using the Park for the FA.

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[overdrive]

I'm pretty sure it is exclusive but might be wrong. Friends of mine have stayed there for their licenses and I imagine when the teams are there it's only for them/people using the Park for the FA.

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I just did an experiment and you can book a room during the next international break, so at the very least there are randoms coming into contact with them in the hotel.

[Haymaker]

I just did an experiment and you can book a room during the next international break, so at the very least there are randoms coming into contact with them in the hotel.That's is weird. Unless they have a separate wing/floors?

Mind you I knew someone who worked for the Hilton hotel near Metlife/RB arena and teams just stay there like normal.

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