Improved Tynecastle discipline saves £10,000

Hearts have avoided having to pay a £10,000 fine after showing a big improvement in their disciplinary record this season.

The Tynecastle club were hammered with a record 60,000 fine last summer after picking up 10 red cards and 89 cautions last season. They were ordered to pay 50,000 within 30 days, with the remaining 10,000 suspended until the mid-season disciplinary committee review this month. As a result of their improved record this term, the disciplinary committee at Hampden has decided that they will not invoke the payment of the suspended 10,000.

Despite there having been a big improvement in the number of red and yellow cards in the first half of the season, a total of 38 Scottish clubs have been issued with a warning to improve their disciplinary record in the second half of the season as the SFA's disciplinary department want the improving start to the season to continue.

Up until the end of December there had been 235 sendings off this term compared with 395 for the same period last year. Cautions have dropped from more than 4,200 for the first half of last season to 2487 for the July-December period of this season.

St Mirren, Dundee, Falkirk and Ross County have been told to show an improvement along with Ayr United, who were fined 2000 last year, as well as Airdrie, Forfar Athletic, Arbroath, Clyde and Montrose.