Danny Lennon has hit out at the way Hearts are being allowed to ignore paying their players’ wages.
St Mirren meet the Edinburgh side in a Scottish Cup replay with the winners earning a money spinning place in the semi-finals of the competition.
While Lennon has lived within his budget, paying his players on time and also fulfilling income tax and national insurance contributions it’s a different story at Tynecastle.
Despite an SPL inquiry and warning in December the Hearts players haven’t been paid their March salaries.
Rubbing salt in the wounds St Mirren lost out on the signing of Craig Beattie after the Jambos offered the striker higher wages- which he has yet to see.
Looking ahead to tonight’s match the St Mirren boss wondered aloud about the sporting integrity of the SFA’s flagship competition
“We’ve not got a level playing field in terms of what we can put out and what they can put out,” Lennon explained.
“Hearts are able to bring in players on three or four times the wages we can pay yet can’t fulfil them.
“It doesn’t stack up for me and it’s something we have to look at very carefully for the sake of the game.
“It’s been a fantastic month for Hearts on the park but mostly this season Hearts’ problems have come off it with the uncertainty about wages.
“We have to get a grip of that, we have to get our own houses in order in terms of income versus expenditure. We need to all live within our means. I don’t know the ins and outs behind the scenes.
“Whether you’re a football player or a joiner or a cleaner, you deserve your wages at the end of the week.”
Next week the SFA will charge Rangers with withholding ticket money to Dundee United from the Scottish Cup tie between the clubs at Ibrox in January.
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In all honesty he does have a point….Hearts are making money from this cup run which will help pay players. How does this endorse the SFA’s fair play policy….sign players, promise them the moon…don’t pay then release as you are skint.
Time rules were in place…wages not paid, forfeit games.
It’s now all set for Craig Beattie to really rub it in by scoring the winner and getting Hearts a highly profitable semi-final berth.
An excellent point. Why are other managers not brave enough to speak out and tell it like it is?