Hearts lodge appeal over record fine

Hearts yesterday lodged their appeal against the record £100,000 fine they received from the SFA for ill-discipline last season.

The Tynecastle club last week vowed to contest the heavy penalty, with club owner Vladimir Romanov bizarrely claiming the governing body had attempted to "camouflage" injustices against his club with the censure.

The Gorgie chief even went on to declare the nation's referees were nothing more than the "slaves" of the SFA.

And the Lithuanian banker harked back to a 4-1 defeat to Dundee United in January 2008, when Marius Zaliukas, Lee Wallace and Michael Stewart were red-carded and three penalties were awarded against Hearts, when he cryptically described those running the Scottish game as "devoid of brain and conscience".

Hearts yesterday followed through on their intention to appeal the fine, which makes it the seventh year in a row they have been hit in the pocket because of their on-field behaviour.

An unprecedented 60,000 is due now, with 20,000 suspended until the middle of next season and a further 20,000 held off until next summer to encourage a "noticeable improvement".