End for Thomson at Hearts

Last updated : 11 July 2011 By TwoTonTed

The children's charity which campaigned for Craig Thomson to be sacked by the club have welcomed news of his departure. It was announced on Sunday that Thomson would leave be leaving was a complete U-turn by the club, which had originally said they would stand by Thomson after he pleaded guilty, was fined and placed on the sex offenders' register last month in relation to his inappropriate conduct towards two underage girls over the internet. The decision was not welcomed, with many people calling on Hearts to sack the player and prompted one of the club's backers - MacB Water - to withdraw their support (as official water sponsor of the Jambos), a deal worth more than £5,000 to the club.
 
Manager Jim Jefferies also expressed his concern at the furore engulfing the club, while former defender Alan McLaren said he hoped Thomson would "not pull on a Hearts shirt again". The Tynecastle club responded to the criticism by suspending Thomson two weeks ago, before confirming their intention to release the full-back yesterday.
 
Anne Houston, chief executive of Children 1st, said: "We are relieved that the club now accepts the role it must play in minimising the risk of sexual harm to children. As we have said before, our Safeguarding in Sport initiative would welcome the opportunity to discuss with Hearts, and other clubs, how we might help them with training and procedures on child protection issues. The reason we got involved in this issue was because of our long-standing commitment to protecting children and ensuring they are safe and secure. This decision by Hearts sends a clear message to children and young people that they are valued and that their experiences will be taken seriously."
 
The club released a statement at first which put Thomson's misconduct down to "naivety and possible wrong outside influence" before owner Vladimir Romanov released a tirade against the football "mafia" and "maniacs" who he claimed were conspiring against the club. On 28 June, Thomson was suspended with immediate effect and two days later police confirmed they were making enquiries into the "possibility that another person has grounds for complaint" against the player. Since then the club have been talking to the right-back and his representatives with Sunday's announcement coming as no surprise.