Pre-Season, financial differences and the dreaded "we"!

Pre-season. A time where the hope-ometer or (despair-ometer for some) has reached its full extent. Are we putting all our hopes on a young blond Austrian, or will the saviour come from one of Eastern Europe's footballing backwaters? With no money to spend, but with the lure of European football, this has been one of my most interesting pre-seasons to date...

Now I must confess that I'm still getting used to this Hearts (never mind the blogging!) thing, having yet failed to see a game at tynecastle, my initial instincts are still to log on to bbc.co.uk, or redandwhitekop.com (a Liverpool fansite) and see what overpaid, overvalued footballer we've (more about the dreaded "we" later) been linked with or are offloading much to the consternation of the fans. 17 million for a right back, in a period where Hearts can't pay the tax man, surely it's all madness, then the afternoon arrival of the Edinburgh Evening News confirms this. Are Hearts linked with the next wunderkind from South America, or is Csaba just looking for that big bloke up front to unsettle SPL defences? (having lived in South London for a while, and seeing a few Palace games, the thought of Shefki Kuqi in a Maroon jersey filled me with dread) So to put an end to all my waffle I've gone from Fernando Torres to being linked with Izzy Mcleod in the space of 400 odd miles, and it takes some getting used to...

This coming weekend promises much: my first visit to Tynecastle for an open training session, followed by a meet and greet, and so an obvious bonus ball for the SPL. Such an event makes the players seem more real, more accessible and therefore by default, you can feel more of a part of the club with such an open door treatment, I'm relishing the opportunity (as a budding football coach) to watch first hand the players being put through their paces, and then to see the delight on young Jambos faces as they get to meet their heroes, in a time where money is changing the outlook of the beautiful game, these free events are priceless for the future..

Then on to Tuesday, Live football again finally, and the north-west (of England you understand, I still cant get used to being a southerner after 30 years of being defined by my very northern-ness) giants of Bolton Wanderers, superstition dictates that I don't take my season ticket seat in the Wheatfield stand, but am joining the masses in the Gorgie, Mrs Skyfulofscars is coming along for the ride too, dedicated woman that she is. Naturally being a fan of tricky Spaniards and hearing a lot of positive things about him I'm looking forward to seeing SUSO, and getting a feel for what this Hearts lark is all about..

Oh yeah, the dreaded "We", well I was back home for a plate of Mum's home cooking, and was discussing football and my dealings with the SPL, whenever the topic of Hearts came up, the word "WE" subconsciously appeared on my lips and out of my mouth, something normally reserved for my reverential belonging to Liverpool, so is it a footballing Freudian slip, or has my brain settled for 3rd place and a good cup run already, watch this space...

Right I'm off to find Ken Dodd, he knows a thing or two about a tax dodge, maybe Vlad should give him a call....