Cash flow crisis at hard-up Hearts

* Ewan Murray

Heart of Midlothian have insisted their second wage crisis of the season had been resolved yesterday, despite an ongoing issue over the payment of win bonuses.

All but six of the Hearts playing staff received their weekly pay on Monday, three days late. Those six players, among whom are the highest earners at the club, agreed to have their salaries deferred amid cash-flow problems with the Ukio Bankas Investment Group, Hearts' Lithuania-based parent company.

Basic salary payments for the entire squad are now up to date, but attempts from board level to implement a new, incentive-based bonus structure mean none of them have been paid for the last four of Hearts' five wins in succession.

"The bonuses have not been paid at the moment," confirmed the midfielder Michael Stewart. "The wages have been but the bonus situation is under discussion. At the start of the season, the new management wanted to implement a bonus scheme which the board accepted. Three weeks ago, there was discussion about renegotiating that. Having spoken to the hierarchy, we have been assured that the bonuses will be paid very shortly."

Stewart and his team-mates held talks with senior club officials before training yesterday morning in a bid to clarify Hearts' financial position. The mood thereafter, publicly at least, was positive. "This club pays players weekly, which is different from any other club I know of," added Stewart. "If you miss your wages one week and receive double a week later, it is no big deal and not all doom and gloom as is portrayed in the media. Money is not the be-all and end-all in life."

Hearts are adamant the current situation is short-term. It will be remedied in part by an upcoming £350,000 payment from Sunderland when Craig Gordon, the goalkeeper who moved from Tynecastle last August, makes his 50th appearance. Player departures are likely in January and next summer, when 24 of the Hearts squad are out of contract.

Celtic's manager, Gordon Strachan, yesterday collected the Scottish Premier League's manager of the month award for November. The league leaders travel to Hibernian tomorrow.

Taken from the Guardian/Observer