Romanov instigated Hearts purge

Romanov, in a BBC Frontline Scotland documentary on Wednesday, explains his controversial removal of the trio.

He said: "I gave these people full control to direct the club and in one year there was no result.

"We would have got to the death of the club as every day these people were present they were damaging Hearts."

Former manager Burley left Hearts in October by "mutual consent" before ex-chief executive Anderton was sacked after a boardroom disagreement.

Foulkes, the then chairman, resigned in protest at Romanov's treatment of Anderton, but Lithuanian millionaire Romanov insists that he had no choice but to ring the changes.

"Each day they turned up at the club they were doing harm. I felt that if we had continued with these people then all my ideas would have been buried.

"I've already said I didn't set any high demands. I simply waited for the answer to the question ' what can people do?' and they did not answer.

But former chairman Foulkes rejects Romanov's fresh claims.

Foulkes said: "George Burley was the manager of the month for two months in succession and led us to our longest winning start in living memory.

"Phil Anderton was a remarkably successful chief executive. Season tickets went up from just over 7,000 to well over 13,000.

"As far as I was concerned, I was doing the job as chairman for nothing."