Still unpaid, but Hearts hold fire on taking action
Paulo Sergio is understood to have discussed the wage issue again with his squad. Picture: Jane Barlow
Hearts’ band of unpaid players are so far continuing to remain patient with the club over the latest wages saga, despite the delay moving into an 11th day.
Members of the Tynecastle squad – who are preparing to take on Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Tynecastle this afternoon – were on the verge of taking official action over the 19-day wait for their earnings for October until manager Paulo Sergio persuaded them not to submit a letter of complaint.
The correspondence, drafted with the help of PFA Scotland, was about to be sent to the SPL, and the top-flight’s governing body could have held back commercial money due to Hearts.
The possibility of invoking article 14 of Fifa rules was also discussed – a move that could have allowed the players to terminate their contracts – before they were eventually paid on 4 November.
Despite there appearing to be no end in sight for those who again remain without their wages, the players have so far opted against going down the route of threatening to dispatch a collective letter of complaint.
It’s thought that club officials and Sergio have again tried to appease the squad over the matter during the week.
The Hearts team are due their earnings on the 16th of each month and Hearts announced on 17 November that 33 players, most of them thought to be youths, had received their salaries and that the remainder would be paid “as soon as practically possible”.
The debt-ridden Gorgie outfit have confessed that cashflow problems are behind the reason for the delay, with owner Vladimir Romanov also indicating he is scaling back his investment in a club he has put up for sale. The reported £50 million price tag he has placed on the club has done little to encourage hopes that a buyer will be found any time soon.
Portuguese coach Sergio admitted after last weekend’s defeat by Dundee United that the saga was beginning to affect the players on the pitch.
Meanwhile, Richie Foran hopes Inverness can pile more misery on the Hearts players still awaiting their November wages.
Since the Edinburgh side’s players first suffered delayed payment of their wages this season, they have failed to score and collected just one point from a possible 12 – slipping to sixth place in the SPL table. Hearts have not won since the 15 October defeat of Dunfermline.
Foran is hopeful that Terry Butcher’s men can make Hearts suffer even more. The Irish striker said: “There’s been some ups and downs in their club with their wages and hopefully their players will be thinking about that. Hopefully it’s an unsettled dressing room.
“They’re being messed about a little bit and we’re hoping it will affect their performance and their supporters can turn on them. That will only work to our benefit and we can take advantage of that.”
Foran nevertheless expressed sympathy for the situation which the Hearts players find themselves in, admitting that such uncertainty is never a pleasant experience for a footballer.
He said: “It’s not the right situation to be in. It’s very unprofessional. I do feel for them. It’s happened to me at a couple of clubs, being messed about with wages. These Hearts players have mortgages to pay, they’ve got bills to pay and it’s not like they’re playing in the English Premier League and have millions in their bank accounts. They need their wages and they need them on time.”
Caley Thistle lost 2-0 to Celtic last weekend following Greg Tansey’s sending-off – a decision which was reversed on appeal and means Butcher has a full squad to choose from for today’s match.
Foran said morale is high, with the 6-3 win at Kilmarnock still fresh in their minds. “We’re really looking forward to facing Hearts,” he said. “We’ve scored eight goals in the last three games, so we’re very confident.”
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Comments
There are 49 comments to this article
Page 1 of 4
SeeEmmEss
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 02:42 PM#47 pundit. Aye, Killie never seem to present rangers with too much of a problem...that's the best I can put it without coming across as paranoid. LOL. Seriously, though, they're not exactly rangers' bogey team, it has to be said.
The Green Green Grass of Home
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 02:14 PMCan Hearts not persuade their friends on the council to find a way to pay the players out of council tax payers money. Ridiculous? Naw, they expext the council to build them a stadium don't they?
thepundit
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 02:13 PM#46 I reckon Celtic will win comfortably today 3 or 4 nil. Same for the Gers tomorrow, i'm not counting my chickens but i'd be surprised if Rangers didnt win at Rugby Park. Its not usually a difficult venue for us. That said, the last match i attended there we drew 0-0...
SeeEmmEss
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 02:05 PM#43 pundit. I know what you meant, but even with their wee flurry at the end, there never looked to be any chance of them getting an equaliser. Other than their goal, I don't remember them having a shot on target in that period. I just hope that we can take our chances today, because it should have been 6 or 7-0 on Wednesday. Rack up a few today, and we won't have to have a tense finish again. And then the pressure's on rangers tomorrow...don't expect Killie to do much, though. :(
idee fixe
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 02:03 PMRangers fans will be hoping and praying that Craig Whyte has put Rangers players tax and NI deductions aside so that HMRC can be paid when they demand them paid ! Rangers fans will be hoping that Craig Whyte has not been using that cash store to keep Rangers afloat in the interim.
tommy-tommy
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 02:00 PMComment removed by moderator
thepundit
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 01:57 PM#42 Relax, man, i was meaning in the last 10 mins or so, which they did. Hence Lenny's very professional outburst at a frothing fan.
SeeEmmEss
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 01:52 PM#40 The Pars had us on the ropes? LOL. What game were you watching? Surely not the one where Celtic had 75% possesion and 16 goal attempts to 6? Dunfermline had a spell in the second half, but at no time was I worried they would equalise. Maybe you mean the Pars got themselves off the ropes for a few minutes?
idee fixe
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 01:52 PMComment removed by moderator
thepundit
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 01:47 PM#38 I think if St Mirren are to get anything out of the game it will be a 0-0. I doubt they'll score. Although, in saying that, the Pars had you's on the ropes the other day, and it was not the rope-a-dope...
Hen Broon
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 01:42 PMFFF....take it U realised that was nearly 2 months ago! U guys have really got it bad.
SeeEmmEss
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 01:42 PM#33 pundit "Mindless thugs on both sides." Exactly, and that's why neither side can take the moral high ground until it has its own house in order. Celtic today? 3-1. St Mirren are having a good season by their standards, but Celtic should have too much for them. Play as well as we did on Wednesday - and maybe take our chances a bit better - and there should be no problem there.
idee fixe
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 01:41 PMSounds like Sone Aluko could be DaillyWhoppers kind of player.
idee fixe
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 01:39 PMMcCoist and Aluko have got their player-manager relationship off to a flyer as McCoist calls Aluko a liar in todays newspapers.
Hen Broon
Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 01:35 PMGentleman & keyboard cowaeds Tight Fisted & Tommy the cretin.........the players would have everty right to withdraw their services but to a man THEY have decided that is not THEIR chosen course of action. Tam TAm ....R U trying to deny them their basic right of the freedom to do as THEY see fit.? Tightfisted.....changing your name will not disguise the meenan with the big gob........now off to see the Hearts players & fans unite together & bring Hearts the 3 points. 2-0.
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