Hearts confirm pay delay

HEARTS confirmed players would not be paid as scheduled today - but hit out at fringe squad members who chose to “stagnate” and take the club’s money “while offering very little or nothing in return”.

Players now face a fourth significant delay in monthly payments this season but the club appeared to lay the blame towards some of the squad for not leaving in January.

A club statement read: “Hearts today rejected any funding doubts following confirmation that the playing squad would not receive their wages today.

“The club expects players to be paid before the end of March and players were informed of this yesterday.”

The club admitted they had expected a more profitable transfer window but they have vowed to reduce the wage bill in the summer while still remaining the biggest spenders outside the Old Firm.

“The marketplace has changed significantly in favour of clubs, as opposed to players and their agents, and we fully expect to reduce the playing staff salary bill towards recommended industry standard levels,” the statement added.

“This is important as the club has been moderately successful in agreeing mutual early terminations with players, which assisted eight players to exit the club in January and allowed those players to develop their careers elsewhere.

“It is, however, unfortunate that it was outwith the power of the club to persuade some remaining fringe players to leave early as they elected to stagnate, preferring to take the club’s money while offering very little or nothing in return.

“This is an issue that the club will resolve to a large extent at the end of the season and at that point we would expect that payment delays should be eradicated.”

The likes of Calum Elliot accepted a severance deal in January while Ryan Stevenson joined Ipswich and Eggert Jonsson was sold to Wolves, which enabled the club to pay wages.

The statement continued: “The club’s cost base will continue to reduce and further significant gains will be realised when the squad is reshaped at the end of the season.

“The club is very confident that we shall be able to not only maintain the quality of the squad but also improve it and do it more efficiently than previous years aiming to remain as one of the top three spenders.”

Players officially complained to the Scottish Premier League in December after three consecutive and significant delays in monthly payments.

The SPL dismissed a charge against the club in January after they processed payments on the 16th of that month.