[Bearwithme]

Quote

ALEX Salmond tried to persuade the mega-rich royal family of Qatar to buy his beloved Hearts.

But the First Minister’s bid to find new owners for the cash-strapped Edinburgh club failed – as Qatar’srulers said they have “no interest in investing in Scottish football”.

Former Hearts chairman Lord Foulkes approached Salmond about finding buyers for the club, which is reported to have debts of up to £35million.

Controversial owner Vladimir Romanov has slapped a £50million asking price on Hearts and Lord Foulkes suggested Salmond contact Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani – heir to the throne of Qatar – who was linked with bids for English Premier League Blackburn last year.

Salmond, who has described Romanov’s ownership of Hearts as “a devil’s bargain”, sounded out contacts made following a trip to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates last year.

But, in a follow-up letter to Lord Foulkes, he said: “I raised the matter informally with the Emir and the prime minister of Qatar. It was also discussed with officials from Qatar Holdings.

“Unfortunately, it was made clear Qatar has no interest in investing in a Scottish football club at this time.”

A spokesman for Hearts declined to comment last night.

http://www.dailyreco...86908-23711444/

Interesting intervention by our First Minister.

[2THibs]

In the midst of the worst recession in years, I'd rather that our First Minister applied himself to his day job.

Absolute welt.

[Neiljb]

2THibs, on 22 January 2012 - 11:47, said:

In the midst of the worst recession in years, I'd rather that our First Minister applied himself to his day job.

Absolute welt.

Trying to help one of Scotland's oldest sporting institutions is part of his job. You old silly.

[2THibs]

Neiljb, on 22 January 2012 - 11:52, said:

Trying to help one of Scotland's oldest sporting institutions is part of his job. You old silly.

Maybe so, but only after he has made some big fat ticks against the other items on his priority list surely

[The Taxman]

Bearwithme, on 22 January 2012 - 11:34, said:

Interesting intervention by our First Minister.

Non story

[Bearwithme]

The Taxman, on 22 January 2012 - 11:56, said:

Non story

How so?

[The Taxman]

well..do you have anything to say about it or are you working for the daily record publicity department?

[Bearwithme]

The Taxman, on 22 January 2012 - 11:59, said:

well..do you have anything to say about it or are you working for the daily record publicity department?

No, I'm not working for the Daily Record (or Sunday Mail). I may well have other things to say later, but at the moment I'm asking you why you think it's a non-story....

[Neiljb]

2THibs, on 22 January 2012 - 11:56, said:

Maybe so, but only after he has made some big fat ticks against the other items on his priority list surely

I'd love to know how spending a couple of minutes trying to chat up some rich Arabs is going to somehow impact on the running of our government?

[StandFree03]

Bearwithme, on 22 January 2012 - 12:03, said:

No, I'm not working for the Daily Record (or Sunday Mail). I may well have other things to say later, but at the moment I'm asking you why you think it's a non-story....

Probably because it doesn't involve Rangers and that's all he's interested in. He practically breathes Rangers FC.

[jupe1407]

Did someone say Daily Record?

Yes, i completely believe this story.

[Happy Hibee]

Sheer desperation.

[2THibs]

Neiljb, on 22 January 2012 - 12:04, said:

I'd love to know how spending a couple of minutes trying to chat up some rich Arabs is going to somehow impact on the running of our government?

A couple of minutes.
"Hello your Higness, fancy bunging the famous JTs a bit of cash"
"nah, you're alright"

To be fair, that does sound plausibly like a Hearts business plan.......

[The Taxman]

Bearwithme, on 22 January 2012 - 12:03, said:

No, I'm not working for the Daily Record (or Sunday Mail). I may well have other things to say later, but at the moment I'm asking you why you think it's a non-story....

You should maybe tell us why you think this was worthy of a thread, you say nothing about it, do you think he should'nt have done it, do you think it was okay to do it?

[Neiljb]

2THibs, on 22 January 2012 - 12:43, said:

A couple of minutes.
"Hello your Higness, fancy bunging the famous JTs a bit of cash"
"nah, you're alright"

To be fair, that does sound plausibly like a Hearts business plan.......

[redcard76]

Neiljb, on 22 January 2012 - 12:04, said:

I'd love to know how spending a couple of minutes trying to chat up some rich Arabs is going to somehow impact on the running of our government?

So you're saying our First Minister only gave a couple of minutes thought before offering a Scottish institution to a foreign family? Says it all really.

Wonder if he was gonna throw in the castle as well.

[Bawdeep]

You have to laugh,Salmond is a fuckin tool.

[bennett]

The Taxman, on 22 January 2012 - 12:47, said:

You should maybe tell us why you think this was worthy of a thread, you say nothing about it, do you think he should'nt have done it, do you think it was okay to do it?

Answer the guys question and stop squirming.

[capybara]

jupe1407, on 22 January 2012 - 12:08, said:

Did someone say Daily Record?

Yes, i completely believe this story.

They are always interested in putting the boot into Salmond, and they have i in t for Hearts. Combine the two and they must be wetting themselves. Sill we call relax in the fact they are losing more and more readers everyday.

[woolf]

Happy Hibee, on 22 January 2012 - 12:08, said:

Sheer desperation.

Aye,imagine trying to sell your club to some of the richest people in the world eh,disgraceful conduct.

[roverthemoon]

Despite what you might think of the Record and Salmond to claim its a non-story is idiotic. Scotland's First Minister who happens to be a Jambo looks for a buyer for his team abroad. That's more interesting than most of the other pish that's in the papers.

[Happy Hibee]

woolf, on 22 January 2012 - 13:09, said:

Aye,imagine trying to sell your club to some of the richest people in the world eh,disgraceful conduct.

It's not his club.

"please Mister Sheik, ah was wondering if you would be interested in buying the football club I support"

Sheer desperation.

[Happy Hibee]

capybara, on 22 January 2012 - 13:04, said:

They are always interested in putting the boot into Salmond, and they have i in t for Hearts. Combine the two and they must be wetting themselves. Sill we call relax in the fact they are losing more and more readers everyday.

Hearts are the new Celtc, it's official.

[WeeHectorPar]

The first job of the newly independent Scottish Air Force will be to bomb the Qataris with pork pies.

[Zeus]

We knocked them back, they were not prepared to back us in our decade long plan for domination of the Champions League. Peasants.