Hearts wage crisis to beaddressed by SPL today

The Hearts first-team squad and PFA Scotland delivered a letter of complaint to the SPL on Friday after the players’ salaries failed to arrive on schedule for the third successive month. That came a day after the players signed a letter of permission allowing PFA Scotland to represent them in their battle to recover their owed monies after growing tired of the ongoing uncertainty.

Wages are due on the 16th of each month, but October wages arrived on 4 November. On that occasion the intervention of manager Paulo Sergio stalled a complaint and 24 hours later payment was made.

Earlier this month, the players received a £1,000 part-payment from funds generated from the game against St Johnstone at Tynecastle, and on Thursday the November salaries were paid in full, 29 days late. However, there was no sign of further payment on Friday and PFA Scotland chief executive Fraser Wishart made the players’ displeasure formal by delivering a letter of complaint to the SPL’s Hampden Park offices.

Sergio, meanwhile, has praised the fighting spirit of his side amid their ongoing turmoil after Hearts claimed a second win in eight games since their payment troubles began, beating bottom club Dunfermline 4-0 at Tynecastle, with Andrew Driver left out of the squad after indicating he will be asking for a transfer.

“I’m very happy with the boys,” Sergio told Hearts TV, with the club’s media ban ongoing. “They deserve it, they are living very hard times. We have to learn to fight together, not to turn our backs on the problems and be cowards. It’s about the cumulative, it’s thinking as one, as the team. It’s for Hearts that I’m here. Thinking always about Hearts, not just one individual person.”