Black Knights chief makes Hibs visit as Bill Foley influence at Easter Road escalates after poor start

Black Knight FC chief Tim Bezbatchenko has run the rule over Hibs' daily operations at their East Mains Training Centre as Bill Foley firms up his influence on the club.

BKFC president Bezbatchenko - formerly general manager of MLS sides Toronto FC and Columbus Crew - spent a fact-finding week in Edinburgh, speaking to staff from boss David Gray down to the academy coaches and sharing the consortium’s own expertise on on and off field matters. Next week marks a year since Foley’s interest in the club was first made public and the billionaire Bournemouth owner said right from the start he planned to make Hibs the undisputed third force in Scotland. They currently sit bottom though and relations were strained earlier this season.

Foley bought a 25 per cent stake after being given the green light by the SFA back in February but in July claimed his input was being ignored by the club’s majority shareholders, the Gordon family. Foley was understood not to be on board with the appointment of Gray as head coach.

However owner Ian Gordon and chief executive Ben Kensell - who have held monthly meetings with Black Knights officials since Foley's buy-in - travelled to Vegas two weeks ago to strengthen the relationship. And Hibs insiders insist Bezbatchenko was impressed with what he saw on his visit to the capital last month. He also took in a game. But there will be no Black Knight representation when Hibs host Hearts in the first derby of the season this Sunday.

Meanwhile Gray insists he has ‘no doubts’ over either himself or his players, despite Hibs crashing to the bottom of the Premiership at the weekend after capitulating in a 3-2 defeat at Dundee United. The manager goes into Sunday’s derby under mounting pressure.

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