New chairman for Hearts

Heart of Midlothian FC have appointed George Foulkes as their new chairman to replace Douglas Smith.

Positive aim
Foulkes, a Labour Party politician, is a long-time supporter of the Scottish Premier League club and has vowed to help them ease their financial plight. "My key priority as chairman is to find a way for the supporters and the board to work together for the future of the club," he told the official Hearts website. "We all accept that the club has a serious and growing financial problem. That needs to be addressed and it needs to be dealt with."

No support
Smith had been on the Hearts board as a non-executive director and chairman for seven years. His resignation comes after he failed to win fan support for a proposal that would see the club's Tynecastle home sold off and Hearts playing at the Murrayfield rugby stadium in Edinburgh.

Still hopeful
"I remain of the opinion that this would be in the best interests of the club," Smith said. "However, the success of the move will ultimately hinge upon the board's ability to build broad support among Hearts fans, and I am disappointed that we have not yet been able to achieve this." On the pitch, Hearts are third in the Scottish Premier League table with an eight-point advantage over their nearest rivals, meaning a likely return to the UEFA Cup, in which they reached the second round this season.