Hibs chiefs have held talks with the Black Knight Group but the future of manager David Gray wasn’t on the agenda, according to a report.
The billionaire Bournemouth owner became a minority shareholder in the Easter Road club earlier this year with a link-up between the two clubs formed.
But, after the Hibees appointed Gray as manager and Malky Mackay as sporting director, Foley gave an interview in which he complained the ‘other ownership’, the Gordon family, hadn’t been listening to his group’s input.
Things haven’t been going too well on the pitch since, with the capital club sitting bottom of the Premiership after a poor start to the season which has included just one win.
Hibs chiefs meet Bill Foley and the Black Knights
But club chiefs have now met up with Foley and key members of his group, reports the Daily Mail.
Director Ian Gordon and chief executive Ben Kensell were in Las Vegas during the international break to hold ‘clear-the-air’ talks with the US businessman, Tim Bezbatchenko, president of Black Knight Football Club and his representative on the Easter Road board Ryan Caswell.
It is believed the meeting was planned in advance with the aim of building bridges between the two parties after Foley’s claims.
There will also now be a weekly dialogue with Bezbatchenko in order to maintain the relationship.
But it’s reported that the future of Gray was NOT discussed after Hibs dropped to the foot of the Premiership ahead of this weekend’s Edinburgh derby.
Foley had told the BBC back in March: “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.”
Meanwhile, the club’s head of football operations Derek White has quit his role.
Gray gets tough on Hibs players
The latest defeat for Hibs was a sickening one – going down 3-2 to Dundee United after leading 2-1 before losing captain Joe Newell to a red card and then two stoppage time goals.
The manager insists his players need to start taking responsibility on the pitch after capitulating with the concession of two late goals
Gray said post-match: “You need to take accountability, you need leadership on this pitch, you need people to stand up and be accounted for. 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.
“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.”