George Burley was very keen to keep him as he regards him as an integral part of his side.

I have no objection to that at all. It's not a great day for Hearts but I can't give the fans an explanation of the circumstances of the parting of company. I can't say any more because of confidentiality agreements.

Not only were we top of the Scottish Premier League, our season tickets had doubled and we were planning ground expansion, ... Vladimir Romanov is behaving like a dictator and if he continues to do that there will be a revolution against him.

Acceptance of this offer will see the club move from strength to strength under the same management and with a simplification of ownership and increased commitment.

There is obviously a chance we could continue to play at Tynecastle when the new main stand is being built but, if we did, then the capacity would have to be cut from around 17,000 to 13,000, which would not be ideal,

There will be no undue delay, but we have to take the necessary time to find the manager that makes this club the top club in Scotland,

I've still kept my season ticket and I'm going to be there on Saturday,

Diplomatic skills are required to work with an owner like Vladimir, but I think there will be a queue of top-class coaches coming forward now.

We were a family at war for a time. Now everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet. That's reflected in the boardroom as much as anywhere else. We're inviting people to the directors' box who are keen to support the club, whether they be potential investors or sponsors. On Saturday, we welcomed the actor, Ken Stott, as well as Gary Mackay, who had never been invited before.

We are currently in the middle of contract negotiations with Craig Gordon over a new deal for him,