Hearts: Craig Levein frustrated but 'every indication' Tynecastle will be ready

Hearts hope months of redevelopment work will culminate in its reopening on Sunday

Hearts manager Craig Levein admits a feeling of frustration as Tynecastle still awaits the green light to host Sunday's match against Partick Thistle.

Redevelopment work on the main stand is incomplete but the club hope to be awarded a safety certificate in time.

Edinburgh City Council (CEC) officials inspected the ground on Friday, with a final visit on Saturday at 12:00 GMT.

Hearts owner Anne Budge said in a statement that "every indication points to the game going ahead".

"Following our meeting with CEC officials this morning, there are a few elements of work still to be completed," Budge added. "Our Construction Management Team is very confident that this will be achieved.

"A final visit will take place tomorrow at 12 noon, following which I hope to be able to issue a "we are open for business" message early tomorrow afternoon. However...no guarantees!"

The council could pass the stadium safe, grant the club more time or advise that there is still too much work to be done for another inspection to be carried out before Sunday's match.

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Levein expects the atmosphere at Tynecastle to be enhanced by the new main stand

Speaking earlier on Friday, Levein was optimistic Sunday's game will go ahead.

"We're preparing for the game to be on," he said. "I don't think there's any point in doing anything else. I was slightly more hopeful yesterday than when I was there the week before, so we'll see.

"There's an awful lot of work gone into the stand in recent months. From pitch-side, it looks nearly complete and it's a great feeling. We've come a long way in a short period of time.

"The feeling is a slight feeling of frustration now that it's not ready at this minute in time, but I'm hopeful it'll be ready for Sunday. There's an overwhelming feeling of pride and satisfaction that we've managed to get the building up."

Work on the redevelopment of the main stand was scheduled to have been complete by September.

The delay has led to Hearts playing nine of their first 13 Premiership games away, with four 'home' matches at Murrayfield. They have only scored more than one goal in two of those games.

Hearts lost two of their four games at Murrayfield

"It's not been easy but it's been what it's been," said Levein. "I'd rather have more points than we actually have but we're still in the top six when we go back to Tynecastle, providing it's on.

"We've got a chance now to put ourselves on an even keel with everybody else. In fact, probably a slight advantage that we have more home games than everybody else between now and the end of the season. Historically, we pick up more points than we do away from home.

"We want to play there, that's the whole thing. There was a debate years and years ago about a new stadium and where it would be built and I think a lot of people were up in arms that we might move away from Tynecastle.

"I think initially the announcement [owner] Ann [Budge] made over a year ago about us staying at Tynecastle and building a new stand was something that everybody was really looking forward to. That's what the supporters wants.

"We are now in a situation where we're close to delivering that. The stand won't be finished completely, of course. We still have another phase to do and there's lots of other things to be done. But the supporters will get in and get to see the new Tynecastle and also be able to sit in their seats and feel the atmosphere, which I think will be even better than it was previously.

"I can absolutely guarantee it. The very structure of the stand makes it better for holding the noise within the stadium than the old one did. I sat up in the back row of the new stand and looked down. It's a wonderful view - no pillars in your way or anything like that."