Scottish PFA act to stop repeat of Hearts woe

Scottish football clubs should not be allowed to appoint new managers unless they have honoured the contracts of outgoing coaches, according to the Scottish Professional Footballers Association. The SPFA have called for legislation to be put in place which would prevent, for example, the situation which has developed at Heart of Midlothian this season.

Hearts have sacked George Burley and Graham Rix and neither has received compensation for the outstanding portion of their contracts. The issue has again been highlighted by the extraordinary stand-off at Dundee, where Alan Kernaghan and his assistant, Billy Kirkwood, were told on Monday night that their services were no longer required.

The pair were offered a total of £15,000 severance pay, although their contracts entitled them to around £50,000. The attitude of the chief executive, Peter Marr, is that Dundee are enduring a troubled financial passage and that Kernaghan and Kirkwood should be realistic.

Last night, the SPFA secretary, Fraser Wishart, said: "There is absolutely nothing to protect managers and coaches. We would to see football clubs told that they cannot bring in a new manager until they have come to a satisfactory arrangement with the outgoing manager.

"The situation with managers is different from that of players. Under normal circumstances, players cannot just have their contracts terminated by clubs but there is no such protection for managers."

Hearts are five points ahead of Rangers in the race for the SPL's runners-up spot and a place in the Champions League qualifiers.


Taken from telegraph.co.uk