Hearts tells staff they'll get paid 'on Friday'

HEARTS have insisted both staff and players will be paid in full on Friday, following uncertainty over their wages.

The issue over salaries had intensified after the club's staff were informed their monthly salaries would not be paid tomorrow as normal, with no guarantee given about when the money would arrive.

But at around 4.30pm yesterday staff were called to a meeting with managers at Tynecastle to be told that their wages would be paid in full on Friday.

The uncertainty followed the news that players salaries had not been paid last week, and the club has also said they will receive all overdue wages on Friday.

Non-footballing staff at Tynecastle normally receive their salaries on the 24th of the month but were told this morning that the club could not provide a date when wages would be paid, and that funds would definitely not be deposited into bank accounts tomorrow.

A spokesman confirmed that the problem with staff wages had been caused by the same "glitch" that led to players wages being a week behind.

"Staff will now all be paid in full on Friday," he said. "They were told about this resolution this afternoon, and while there had been some concern over the uncertainty they are now relaxed and happy with the situation.

"Staff are paid monthly and this means payment will only be a few days behind, so it shouldn't cause any of our staff a serious problem."

The Edinburgh club's finances are controlled by Vladimir Romanov's Ukio Bankas Investment Group.

Hearts' last audited accounts revealed net debt of 36.25million, although July's approval of a debt-for-equity scheme will reduce that figure by 12 million.