Hearts manager John McGlynn and six players not paid as wage crisis resumes

Hearts have been plunged into yet another wage crisis which could put them on a collision course with the SPL, after six players and manager John McGlynn were not paid.

For the second successive month, the Tynecastle outfit have not been able to deliver all of the salaries due to their 45-man squad, with several first-team players and the manager being forced to endure a delay.

Hearts have 48 hours to formally inform the league of the issue in writing, while there is as yet no time-frame for when the unpaid players can expect to 
receive their due monies.

The failure is sure to raise a red flag at Hampden given that the league’s governing body earlier this year vowed to implement a hard-line stance on any club who did not deliver wages as scheduled. The harsher regulations, passed by SPL member clubs on 30 May state that clubs are required “to pay their players and HMRC on time and be subject to sanctions if they do not”.

It is thought last month’s delay, which kept several of the club’s top earners waiting for three days, was discussed by the SPL during a meeting on 24 September, although no punishments have been forthcoming.

Hearts manager McGlynn cited the absence of £300,000 which the club claimed was due from the league in broadcasting and sponsorship money as being a factor in last month’s delay. That money, part of the £600,000 every top flight club receives from the SPL, was delivered last week, and no concrete reason has been provided for the current problems.

Among the sanctions which the SPL has at its disposal is a transfer embargo, with the financial fair play rules dictating that a new signing cannot be registered while wages are due to other individuals.