Tynecastle

By Graham Barnstaple
January 4 2012

The SPL today gave Hearts a couple of deadlines to pay their players, and Hearts immediately paid December’s money!

An SPL committee decided Hearts had to pay December’s wages by Wednesday 11^th Jan, along with interest and legal costs. They also have warned the club they are required to pay January’s wage on time, 16^th January.

The sanctions for failing to meet any of these deadlines have not been laid out by the SPL who say this will be decided as part of a separate process. It is believed they will either be fined (although given the financial condition of Hearts that could be futile) or given a points a deduction.

It would appear a transfer embargo would not be considered, probably a good idea as this is possibly the only way the club could trade its way out of financial trouble.

Hearts then surprised everybody by paying December’s outstanding money this afternoon. Although they claimed this afternoon in a club statement, “the payment is the result of successful business conducted by the club and it is coincidental that this has happened on the same day.”

This is the second time they have paid after action from an outside body, they paid earlier salaries after the players had spoken to the SPFA.

January will be an interesting month down Tynecastle way, with Eggert Jonsson and Callum Elliot already gone, we are all waiting to see who else follows them out the door. It may well have been Jonsson’s transfer money which has allowed the December wages to have been paid.

It will also be interesting as a result of this SPL decision to see if they pay January’s salaries on time. Then if not what actions will the SPL take to ensure there is no repeat of the delayed payment of salaries.