When Hearts’ Riccarton Three took on owner Romanov

Ask any Hearts fan when the wheels started to truly fall off the Vladimir Romanov wagon, and they’d most likely point to a cold October morning in 2006.

This was nothing to do with the revolving door of managers, a door which kept turning despite league positions.

This was a dressing room revolution, exposed and laid bare by the most powerful among the squad, against the man at the top.

“Chaps, just to make you aware that I’m going to make a statement and we’ll answer no questions,” captain Steven Pressley told the assembled journalists as he walked in beside midfielder Paul Hartley and goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

As they took their seats behind a little table, busy with microphones and cables, and cameras flashing just inches from their noses, the Riccarton Three had their moment.

This was not going to be your run of the mill news conference. It took almost all gathered there, including those working for the club, by complete surprise.

Well, everyone except BBC Scotland’s Brian McLauchlin…

“That morning, I received a text from a player asking me if I was attending the media conference,” McLauchlin remembers. “I said ‘yes’. He said ‘get there early, get a front seat, this’ll be fun.’

“It was dynamite.”