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Hearts challenge extension of signing embargo

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments23

Hearts manager John McGlynn

Manager John McGlynn says Hearts will "challenge" the extension of their transfer embargo.

Hearts, who had already been banned from registering new players due to late payment of player wages, thought the suspension would be lifted.

But the Scottish Premier League say the club have "not paid a number of bonuses and appearance".

"It's difficult to talk about it because we're going through lawyers," said McGlynn.

The club were initially placed under a 60-day transfer embargo in October for failing to pay their players and some staff their monthly wages on time for two consecutive months.

That sanction was due to end on December 23 and its extension effectively ends the prospect of a deal for Lithuanian striker Arturas Rimkevicius, who arrived last week on trial.

BBC Scotland has learned Hearts, who are now up to date with salary payments, will fight their case on the grounds that there is no fixed date in players' contracts for when bonuses or appearances have to paid.

It is believed the bonus payments relate to goalscoring, clean sheets and winning last season's Scottish Cup final.

McGlynn disputed the suggestion players declined to sign a notice deferring bonus payments until the end of the season

And he revealed that bonuses at his previous club, Raith Rovers, were only paid out at the end of the season.

"There are other clubs who don't pay their bonuses until the end of the season either," he added. "That's why this can be challenged.

"The board of directors have looked at it and went to get legal advice. They want to take that a stage further.

"This has not come from the players. The players are not concerned by this at all."

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23 comments

  • Comment posted by scotbot, at 16:07 21 Dec 2012

    Cue bitter Sevco / The Rangers 2012 fans comparing Heart's situation to that of Rangers 1872. Hilarious and totally misplaced.

  • Comment posted by well79, at 11:35 21 Dec 2012

    Even if there are legal loopholes, you shouldn't be allowed to sign new players when you are having to use a share scheme to rescue the club and are talking of an £800k shortfall - end of.

  • Comment posted by arc1012, at 12:09 21 Dec 2012

    Yet another case of the incompetent SPhelL....Did they pay all the TV money to the clubs on time? It would appear not
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19590746

  • Comment posted by User0417116111, at 11:51 21 Dec 2012

    I presume then that any club which has a bonus structure and has bonus payments outstanding will be under a similar embargo.

  • Comment posted by User0636282954, at 11:46 21 Dec 2012

    Some people have their nickers in a right twist !!....most bonuses are not paid until the end of the season. And on the player signing front, what will come in will be cheaper than what is going out...SIMPLES !!

  • Comment posted by User0672558724, at 14:23 21 Dec 2012

    To those beLIEvers I ask ...

    why did Hearts ask the players(and they refused) to defer these payments until the end of the season, if their contracts already state that this is the case?

    Truth be told, their contracts state that all remunerations are monthly paid, that includes bonuses and appearance monies.

    You're all doomed

  • Comment posted by lglater, at 11:42 21 Dec 2012

    @1

    I couldn't agree more. This embargo should not be lifted until Hearts can assure their staff that they will pay them all what is owed when it is owed. Taking on more players in my view will only increase the already high risk of the club going under.

  • Comment posted by Uriah Heep, at 13:32 21 Dec 2012

    ah dear - where have all the cudgel wielding supporters of sporting integrity gone to? Why not strip them of the scottish cup since they clearly were playing players they could not afford blah blah

    What does it matter they are only going to be selling in any case

  • Comment posted by User0412395152, at 18:12 21 Dec 2012

    Why should the SPL help Hearts as they only seem to help Celtic after years of crying.

  • Comment posted by User0636282954, at 11:59 21 Dec 2012

    All Jambos know the answer to that one John (6).....sigh......but others obviously much prefer to just call the Jambos paranoid.

  • Comment posted by pauluk, at 13:35 21 Dec 2012

    surely if Hearts are having money troubles the last thing they need to do in bring in more players, asking fans for money to save the club and then using it to bring in more players seems wrong to me so i can see the spls point in extending the embargo

  • Comment posted by User0116606025, at 17:30 21 Dec 2012

    The SPL should allow Hearts to sell the likes of Sutton who is probably on a huge wage and sign the Lithuanian striker they have in training on a much cheaper contract. This helps the club cope with a wage bill fair greater than they can afford. They should not be allowed to sign any players first though, only after players have been sold should they be allowed to replace them with cheaper ones.

  • Comment posted by imager614, at 15:25 21 Dec 2012

    Where are the Internet warriors threatening to boycott their own clubs if they don't demote Hearts in the name of Sporting Integrity?

    We know the reason they're absent, Hearts don't have a History of winning which they are jealous of!

  • Comment posted by frisnit, at 12:09 21 Dec 2012

    Hearts are quite right about there not being a fixed timescale for bonus payments. However if they won the Scottish Cup last season, shouldn't they have had their bonuses last season?

  • Comment posted by Davy, at 11:41 21 Dec 2012

    Nonsense to think you can hold payments..particulary appearance monies open ended. Players are entitled to know when they are expected to recieve payment same as any other profession. McGlynn may be happy to work for nothing but why should players have to put up with it. If the SPL had any balls, they would force clubs to ditch top earners where its clear they are living well beyong their means.

  • Comment posted by morgajx, at 16:01 21 Dec 2012

    I certainly would not allow them to sign players. Its an embarrassment what Vlad has be up to for a number of months now and I certainly would not shell out any money on shares while he is in charge. There is more than meets the eye. The games afoot......

  • Comment posted by comrade no 22, at 22:56 21 Dec 2012

    As we've been able to observe with Rangers (1872-2012), the SFA / SPL only kick clubs when they are at the point of being utterly defenceless. Now The Rangers (2012-) have a full cadre of lawyers and significant wealth behind them and now they've shed their debt and left Bhutta Minimart in the lurch, the beaks wouldn't say boo to Green, no matter how many scandalous comments he comes out with.

  • Comment posted by Giant Jambo, at 18:36 21 Dec 2012

    There's a lot of drivel in the comments here. This is a simple dispute over the facts: have the players been paid what they are contractually (not 'traditionally') due, or have they not?

    If they haven't, Hearts not only deserve the signing ban but need it. If they have, all those commenting here should go back to supporting League 3 clubs. And the SPL deserves a whopping great lawsuit.

  • Comment posted by Gizmo, at 11:46 21 Dec 2012

    Tick Tock.........

  • Comment posted by comrade no 22, at 23:06 21 Dec 2012

    I think you can tell from the last post I find it hard to determine who I have more contempt for - the spineless, gutless beaks or Chuck Green and his bully boy outfit.

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