Hearts fined again for indiscipline

Hearts have been fined for a tenth successive year for poor discipline after the SFA dished out sanctions to 22 clubs for their records last season.

Osman Sow pictured during pre-season. Hearts have been fined for their disciplinary record last season. Picture: SNS

Hearts were relegated after finishing bottom of the Premiership and they also propped up the disciplinary table last term courtesy of their five red cards and 86 bookings. The Tynecastle side have now fallen foul of the SFA’s end-of-season “review of player misconduct” for the last decade, with a record £100,000 fine – which was reduced on appeal – imposed by the governing body in 2011.

With the disciplinary rules undergoing an overhaul that summer, all clubs had their slate wiped clean, but Hearts have gone on to infringe the new laws, which have lower financial implications, in every year since. The initial £5,000 penalty for 2011-12 was increased by 20 per cent in 2013 and this time by 40 per cent to £7,000 for a “second season 
repeat offence”.

Hearts were the only top-flight club fined, with Championship sides Livingston and Alloa both charged £2,000 for first offences, and Ayr United and Peterhead each hit with a £1,200 penalty for second-season infringements in League 1 and League 2 respectively.