Hearts players wages: Players paid February wages on time

By STUART BATHGATE
Published on Friday 17 February 2012 00:06

HEARTS faced three significant obstacles at the start of the week: a Scottish Cup replay against St Johnstone, a winding-up order from HMRC, and the need to find the money to pay their players’ salaries on time.

They won the replay and paid their tax bill on Tuesday, and yesterday made it a hat-trick of positive results when it emerged that the players had received their February wages on time.

Hearts have been short of ready funds since owner Vladimir Romanov announced last autumn that the club would have to become self-financing, and it was thought that the payment of the tax bill of around £150,000 would compromise the club’s ability to pay its players. Instead, Romanov and his Ubig group released additional cash, and the club was able to process payment of salaries on Wednesday, a day before the money was due in players’ accounts. That fact, and the payment of the tax bill several days before the deadline, has convinced Hearts staff that Romanov appreciated the seriousness of the situation and so decided not to indulge in his usual brinksmanship.

The prompt payment contrasts with the situation in the last three months of 2011, when severely late payment of their wages eventually led the players to issue a formal complaint to the SPL via their union, PFA Scotland. Last month the SPL found that Hearts had technically breached an order to pay January salaries on time as some players had not received their money until the 17th, but at the same time the club were cleared of the charge of not acting in “the utmost good faith” over that payment.

Despite the apparent renewal of Romanov’s enthusiasm for Hearts and this month’s prompt payments, there is still a serious question about where the money is coming from for the rest of the season. The sale of Eggert Jonsson to Wolves last month helped fund the January wage bill, but Hearts had hoped to move on several other players in addition to the Icelander and Ryan Stevenson, who moved to Ipswich.

The extra-time victory at St Johnstone will go part of the way to bridging the gap between income and expenditure, as it has set up a home quarter-final against St Mirren that will be shown live on television. Further progress in the cup would likely bring in a larger sum than the quarter-final will generate.

Hearts are still owed around £800,000 by Rangers for the transfer of Lee Wallace, and failure to pay the next tranche when it falls due in July could have serious repercussions. For the moment, however, the Edinburgh club are simply “monitoring the situation very closely”, according to a spokesperson.

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83

Tam O'Banter

Friday, February 17, 2012 at 06:59 PM

ditto Sauzy - take your bitterness and bile back to your hibs threads.

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82

Tam O'Banter

Friday, February 17, 2012 at 06:57 PM

Dear PP - 'As this is a Hearts thread' - Why are you here????

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81

Baldrick

Friday, February 17, 2012 at 06:28 PM

Surely the best part of this Beattie coup is that we have nicked from right under the nose of the madman Shiels. Wouldn't be surprised if Vlad did it for that reason alone. Warm welcome to him. He is now a Jambo and his best footballing days are ahead of him. Just more very good news.

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80

media4one

Friday, February 17, 2012 at 04:19 PM

Athol Brigade: I read your post at 66 and I was wondering if you have issue with people that hate Hearts FC? Does it really impact on your world if people say bad things about them?

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79

Peterperfect

Friday, February 17, 2012 at 01:57 PM

#70 Although this thread is not about PERFECT me, let me just say that Hibs will survive if they go down last time they came back stronger, but we know that Hibs will not go down. Although, if this makes your little winkle a tad stiff, go on with your excitable thoughts - tee hee. Since this is a Hearts thread, what is the plan and contingency here? Talking on the field - do you think that they can be as lucky as they were midweek and do you think that this luck will solve the off field issues?

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78

themanwith2brains

Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:28 PM

i dont know what idiot thinks hmrc will get their money last, maybe they are sniffing the glue etc, but its the taxman who is persuing gers through courts, now they and all former directors want to know where the missing millions have gone, and if whyte doesnt come up with right answers, he will be done with fraud. ger fc are in deep sh1t not just because of debt more the fact that someone has trousered tax money. go and try tell the taxman you aint paying last yrs tax and see what happens. only today in court taxman, berated gers fc and every one involved that someone. anyone better come clean about tax and ni or someone is going to get their erse felt, all clubs are now under scrutiny about their finances, the days of hiding finances are gone,hibs nearly went under when the owner tried the same a few yrs ago. he then got jailed for trying to diddle taxman. the other folk who are owed money will be lucky to get 2 bob in pound, and gers fc will in end in liquidation unless some arab sheik plows in 75m right away, or gers fc will cease to exist, maybe a change of name is on cards, jus like airdrie gretna 88 etc, how does hearts of the meadows sound lol.

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77

First Green

Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:18 PM

More bad news for Hearts in Beattie article-70k to be paid to an ex player. Hope that was budgeted for.

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76

jambo2006

Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:57 AM

Or 30 or 31 depending on the month lol xx

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75

jambo2006

Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:56 AM

Poor First Green...another 28 days of rising in the morning rushing to his HFC calendar to cross of another day.....how sad ! lmao

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74

Hen Broon

Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:52 AM

FFS...just what we need another Hibs keyboard commando!

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73

Hen Broon

Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:52 AM

#64 Bitterness is eating away at you.

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72

Sauzee

Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:45 AM

#66 Disagree. I do not hate Hearts. Just ignorant Jambos such as your good self. And the irony of your user name and suggesting others are guilty of hatred is rich. Plum.

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71

First Green

Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:41 AM

As countdown to next players payday starts i was wondering if it`s good for Hearts that it`s a leap year. An extra day to find money but also an extra day of electricity etc to pay. Anyway 28 days to go with a couple of home matches to come.

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70

jambo2006

Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:25 AM

#PP "you cannot change the mindset of this gullible lot" in case of hobo economists and sports journos from the scotsman...i can't agree more..bravo !! meanwhile down ER hibs season to start on Sunday for the umpteenth time in 2011-12 with every liklihood that a defeat will root them to the bottom of the SPL....GULLIBLE ? oh ma sides !

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69

Esox Hunter

Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:21 AM

Rambo what could Bathgate offer as a suggestion as to how you are going to get your cash..although theres a certain delicious irony that Hearts, who are serial offenders at avoiding their obligations are the victims in this case. The bottom line is you have little chance of recouping anything close to the £800k you are owed so live with it !! lol

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