Hearts’ strife is a problem for everyone

Anyone revelling in the misery being endured by Hearts is missing the bigger picture.

Hit with a 15-point penalty for going into administration, the club also faces having to operate under a transfer embargo.

Combined, it is a handicap which threatens to cast them adrift from their rivals.

This would definitely not be a good thing.

With Rangers working their way back up through the divisions, we already know the winner of next season’s SPL.

It will be Celtic once again. That is a racing certainty. The only question is by how many points.

Yes, the Hoops will likely have to juggle European commitments with their domestic duties.

However, their superior resources will ensure that will not present a problem, in terms of the title anyway.

That is the winner, and if we also know the loser, then where is the interest in the division?

Where is the unfolding story that provides excitement throughout the campaign?

If the people who follow the game can see that, then so will the sponsors.

The new unified body that runs the game will point to the introduction of play-offs at the end of the year that could see two SPL teams drop to the First Division for season 2014-15.

To be fair, it is a positive move which should make a difference.

But . . .

The long and the short of it is that Scottish football needs a healthy Hearts.

I argued in this column that the SPL should admit Rangers as a member when the issue came up last year.

I felt the club were just too big to exclude.

And, to a slightly lesser extent, I feel the same way about Hearts.

Some have argued they deserved to be punished for paying wages they couldn’t afford to honour.

This fails to take account of all the players and Tynecastle staff who, through no fault of their own, have ended up as innocent victims of the club’s financial problems.

Make no mistake, these are desperately hard times for everyone involved.

The natural rivalry between fans of different clubs should not rob people of their sympathy for others caught in a horrible position.

You listen to Gary Locke speak, and it is impossible to miss how difficult the last few days have been for him.

This was a young manager who had landed his dream job with the club that has always been close to his heart.

Instead of putting his plans into play, he finds himself at the centre of a struggle to keep the club alive.

I think, and certainly hope, they will be okay.

And that is a sentiment which should be shared by everyone with the best interests of the game at heart.

Fans are welcome to concentrate on their teams to the exclusion of all others.

If they imagine, though, they don’t need their rivals, they are misguided.