FORMeR Hearts defender David Weir claims it will be a "tragedy" if the club loses its fight for survival.
Finance experts BDO were yesterday put in charge of the club's affairs just two days after Jambos chiefs announced they planned to go into administration.
Weir has already watched another of his old clubs Rangers sink into liquidation after a failed administration battle
and today admitted he could barely bring himself to consider the consequences of the same happening to Hearts.
He said: "if Hearts don't survive this it would be a tragedy.
"Having played there i know what it's like and i know the level of feeling there is for the club.
"Historically in Scotland, it's been one of the main powers with great tradition and great players.
"Hopefully it won't come to that. to be honest, i'm not really comfortable speaking about that as it's the worst case scenario for everybody."
Hearts lodged their intention to go into administration on Monday in a bid to stave off a windingup order over a partially-paid £100,000 tax bill. the Gorgie outfit also failed to pay their players last Friday and owe majority shareholder UBiG £10million. the lithuanian investment firm was once controlled by Vladimir Romanov and another of his former companies, Ukio Bankas, is also owed £15million by Hearts.
Both Kaunas-based institutions are in the process of being declared insolvent themselves and the sale of Hearts and its assets - including tynecastle, which Ukio Bankas holds a floating charge over - could be used to settle their own liabilities. the club has now been handed a 15-point penalty by the Scottish Premier league.