Hearts players’ pay dispute: Hearts charged by SPL over late wages

By Stephen Halliday
Published on Tuesday 17 January 2012 14:13

THE Scottish Premier League last night instigated formal disciplinary proceedings against Hearts despite the insistence of the Tynecastle club they are not in breach of an order to pay their players on time this month.

The governing body and Hearts found themselves firmly at odds with each other during a day of claim and counter-claim as the long-running saga over late payment of salaries to first-team squad members dragged on.

Early in the afternoon, the SPL released their first statement of the day in which they said they had “received confirmation from Heart of Midlothian that the club has failed to comply” with the order made on 4 January to ensure full payment of January wages to the 14 players who had lodged a complaint were made by the due date of 16 January.

That deadline fell at midnight on Monday and despite claims from Hearts that the salaries had been processed and were on their way to the players, SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster made it clear clarification would be sought on Tuesday.

Following the SPL’s initial statement yesterday, which also revealed an emergency board meeting had been convened to decide upon the next course of action, Hearts responded with a firm denial that wages had been paid late once more.

“The club totally refutes the suggestion from the SPL that it failed to comply with this order,” read the Hearts statement. “The club has made payment of the remuneration to each of the players on 16th January 2012 and has documentary evidence to this effect.”

But the SPL remained unsatisfied as the manner in which the payments were processed from Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov’s bank in Lithuania meant the money would not reach the players’ accounts until after the deadline.

The SPL board, comprising Doncaster, chairman Ralph Topping, Eric Riley (Celtic), Stephen Thompson (Dundee United), Derek Weir (Motherwell) and Steven Brown (St Johnstone) held their meeting by telephone conference call before announcing the decision to press charges against Hearts.

“The Scottish Premier League Board met this evening to consider the alleged failure by Heart of Midlothian FC to comply with the terms of the order made by the SPL on 4 January 2012 that the club pay the January wages due to the relevant players on the due date of 16 January 2012,” read the SPL’s second statement of the day. “As a result, Heart of Midlothian FC are being charged under SPL Rule A3.1 with failing to behave with the utmost good faith to the SPL. A hearing date will be notified to the club in due course.”

The full text of the SPL rule Hearts are alleged to have breached states that “In all matters and transactions relating to the League and Company each Club shall behave towards each other Club and the Company with the utmost good faith”.

Hearts last night issued a further response, making it clear they will contest the charge laid against them. “The club has noted the decision of the SPL this evening and will defend its position at the appropriate time,” said the statement. “The club will make no further comment on the matter.”

There are a wide and unlimited range of sanctions the SPL can impose on Hearts if they find them guilty at the hearing. They include the lower end punishment of a reprimand or fine, through points deductions and transfer embargos, or any other action the board feels is appropriate.

If the SPL allegation is upheld, it will be the fourth consecutive month that Hearts have failed to pay their players on time. The players’ October wages were not received until 4 November; their November salaries were delayed until 15 December, following part-payments to some of the players of £1,000 earlier in the month; and December salaries were paid on 4 January, the day the SPL sub-committee met at Hampden to make their order.

Taken from the Scotsman