HIBERNIAN have held clear-the-air talks with major shareholder Bill Foley in the United States.
Head of recruitment Ian Gordon and chief executive Ben Kensell flew to Las Vegas during the international break to meet the Bournemouth owner, his representative on the Easter Road board Ryan Caswell and Tim Bezbatchenko, president of Black Knight Football Club.
Foley’s Black Knight Football Club purchased a 25-per-cent stake in Hibs for £6million in March. And Gordon and Kensell’s visit last week sought to build and maintain bridges after the Texan billionaire complained that his input to key decisions was being ignored.
Planned in advance, it’s understood that the discussions did not touch on the status of manager David Gray. Hibs slumped to the bottom of the Premiership after a late capitulation to Dundee United at Tannadice, with Gray’s appointment believed to be one of the big calls which led to Foley complaining that his views were not being fully taken into account.
Hibs executives flew out to Las Vegas to meet major shareholder Bill Foley last week
Hibernian director Ian Gordon has met with shareholder Bill Foley for talks
Chief executive Ben Kensell joined director Gordon in Las Vegas for the meeting with Foley
Hibs executives have now opened a weekly dialogue with Bezbatchenko in a quest to strengthen the relationship and extend maximum benefit from the agreement after Foley went public with his unhappiness in an interview with the BBC.
Also a shareholder of Lorient in France, relegated from Ligue 1 last season, and Auckland FC in New Zealand, Foley said of Hibs: ‘I am absolutely looking out for them. If the other ownership group at Hibernian listens to us, they will do better. So far, they really haven’t been listening to our input. I believe they will listen to our input now.’
Gray has demanded his players stand up and be counted as they look to bounce back in this weekend’s Edinburgh derby.
Tim Bezbatchenko, president of Black Knight Football Club, also met with the Hibs executives
Hibs were down to 10 men following captain Joe Newell’s dismissal for two yellow cards when Luca Stephenson and Meshack Ubochioma scored in stoppage-time to condemn them to a fifth defeat from eight league outings.
It was a similar story in their previous match after Motherwell notched a winner just moments after Nectar Triantis picked up his second caution.
Hibs host Hearts on Sunday with the teams occupying the two bottom spots in the table and head coach Gray insists his players need to show more character.
He said: ‘You need to take accountability, you need leadership on this pitch, you need people to stand up and be accounted for.
Hibs are bottom of the Premiership following Saturday's 3-2 loss against Dundee United
‘Nobody does these things on purpose, the decision-making to make a mistake.
‘We are being punished for individual errors, but I talked about doing the basics and the principles before the game and the basics of football that are required to get three points. In that decision- making and dealing with adversity again, it’s something we’ve come up short on.’ Gray, who took the reins during the summer, knows the buck stops with him and has refused to single out his players for criticism.
He added: ‘I’m well aware of the fact that it’s not good enough.
‘I could stand and point the finger and come up with excuses like I’ve already touched on but this is my responsibility.
‘I’m responsible for results at this football club and, at this moment in time, I know we are massively underachieving.’
Hibernian’s head of football operations Derek White, meanwhile, has left the club.
Formerly club secretary at Livingston, White occupied an administrative and logistical role and has tendered his resignation.