Transfer embargo on Hearts over pay delay

Graeme Macpherson

HE Scottish Premier League board will convene on Monday to discuss what further sanctions, if any, should be handed down to Hearts for their repeated late payment of wages.

Six first-team players as well as manager John McGlynn were among those at the Tynecastle club whose October salaries were not paid on time, following on from a similar delay last month.

The SPL imposed a transfer embargo on Hearts for the late payment of September's wages and will now consider what action to take for a repeat offence.

In May, the governing body introduced new regulations on "renumeration default" that stated member clubs would need to "pay their players and HMRC on time and be subjection to sanctions if they do not" after Hearts failed to pay wages on time on four separate occasions last season.

The SPL board, comprising chairman Ralph Topping, chief executive Neil Doncaster, secretary Iain Blair, Eric Reilly of Celtic, Kilmarnock's Michael Johnston, Stephen Thompson of Dundee United and Aberdeen's Duncan Fraser, will meet to discuss for how long the transfer embargo should remain in place and whether to consider alternative sanctions.

As things stand, if Hearts wanted to sign a free agent outside of the transfer window, the SPL could not register the player without consulting their board, who would make the final decision.

Rudi Skacel, the former Hearts player, has been training with the club in recent weeks but is not expected to sign on for a third stint, even if the transfer embargo is lifted.

Taken from the Herald