Time for the SPL to take action over unpaid wages at Hearts, says Flood

AS THE beleaguered Hearts team completed a fourth consecutive match without scoring a goal at the weekend, one of their opponents said it was time the Scottish Premier League took action over late payment of wages at Tynecastle – and claimed that the matter would have been dealt with more swiftly by the authorities in England.

For the second month in a row, senior players – the club’s highest earners – have not yet received their salaries, which were due last Wednesday, and the club admitted that it did not have the funds necessary to pay the wage bill. Hearts went down 1-0 to Dundee United at Tannadice at the weekend, and United player Willo Flood said that he sympathised with the plight of the Tynecastle squad. There was speculation during the summer that Hearts were interested in signing Flood – who is happy to have ended up at Dundee United instead.

“I think I’m better off here; at least there is bread on the table for the little fella!” said Flood. “You expect your wages, anybody who works expects their wages, and I feel for them. People say ‘oh it can’t affect them when they are playing’ but I’m sure it does, worrying about the direct debits and your food and your messages and your overdraft. I hope they get it sorted soon.

“Against us, you wouldn’t really have known [there were off field issues], they dug in and played for themselves and their manager. But, how long do you get to go without paying wages? I think it has to be only a matter of time before the league steps in and starts doing something about it. If this was down south, and it had happened this amount of time, I can’t imagine them doing nothing about it down there.”

At the weekend, Hearts director Sergejus Fedotovas tried to assure fans that owner Vladimir Romanov will continue to work in the best interests of the club but admitted they will be a “very different team” next season with senior players set to depart.

Romanov wants to sell the club after becoming disillusioned with football but Fedotovas insisted that would not undermine the future of the club.

Fedotovas said the club were not working to a timescale in their search for a new buyer, but hinted the board were committed to “transforming the business into a much more youthful, enterprising, entertaining and financially viable club”.

Fedotovas could not say when senior players would be paid their missing wages. “I think it is important to credit the players for their professionalism in the matter,” he said. “I do believe they understand that when we say we are doing everything to source funding for their salaries then they accept that we are.

“Despite a sporadic delay at times, we have always paid our players and we fully intend to continue to do so.”

Fedotovas also confirmed players would be offloaded to reduce the club’s wage bill.

“We have several players that have reached the peak of their career at Hearts and are ready for a move,” he said.

“Whether this will be January or the summer - we will need to see what options will be available to us. Our strategy involves bringing through the best young players while selling or releasing some of the senior and fringe players.”