Jamie Hamill insists keeping Hearts up would be 'bigger than 5-1 final'

STV 25 June 2013 15:50 BST
Jamie Hamill has taken a pay cut to stay at Hearts and help battle relegation.© SNS Group

Hearts defender Jamie Hamill says beating the 15 point punishment slapped on the club for going into administration will top the Jambos' famous 5-1 Hampden win over Hibernian.

The Tynecastle outfit are now under the control of finance trouble-shooters from BDO as they battle their cash crisis.

Their insolvency woes last week triggered an SPL points penalty that now has them favourites to be relegated from the top flight.

But full-back Hamill - who agreed to take a 50% wage cut to stay with Hearts - insists the club can overcome the 15 point and thrive in the SPL.

And he claims it will be a bigger achievement than the Gorgie side's 5-1 drubbing of their city rivals in last year's Scottish Cup final - or any of the club's trophy triumphs.

Hamill said: "Can we overcome the 15 point penalty and beat relegation? Of course we can - otherwise I wouldn't have stayed on.

"What is the point of signing on again just to get relegated? I'm here to do well and I think we can move on from the 15 points fine and compete.

"If we can overcome that punishment it will be bigger than any Scottish Cup victory this club has ever had. It will be the biggest achievement in the club's history.

"We've still got the core of the team from last year here. Hopefully we can push on and put all the negatives behind us.

"Don't get me wrong - it is going to be difficult. But if we can get to 11th in the league, everyone will be very happy."

Hamill is the third senior player from boss Gary Locke's squad to agree a wage cut after goalkeeper Jamie Macdonald and midfielder Ryan Stevenson, while Scotland Under-21 defender Kevin McHattie is also close to a similar arrangement.

Hamill has called on the fans to understand the gravity of the situation currently being placed on the club's players, who have yet to receive their June pay packets along with the rest of the club's staff.

"It's difficult right now money-wise," he said. "Obviously we are hoping that we will be paid soon.

"I've already gone X number of weeks without getting money and folk need to realise that. I've got a family to feed. You have to weigh these things up before committing to something like this.

"As the gaffer said, it's not just a decision you can make right off the cuff. I had a few days to mull it over with my missus and I spoke to the gaffer on the phone about the situation too.

"It was a hard choice to make but ultimately I felt it was the right one."

BDO have already laid off 14 members of the Jambos backroom staff and say the club must sell 3000 season tickets in the next ten days in order to survive.

The Hearts support, who raised £1m in December to save the club from an earlier court bid launched by HM Revenue and Customs, have rallied to the cause once more, purchasing 1200 since the warning went out on Friday.

Hamill said: "The fans have been amazing. Hopefully they can keep giving us their support for the rest of the season and help us out of this situation."