The SFA confirmed their laid back approach to Financial Fair Play and licensing matters by imposing a meaningless registration ban on Hearts yesterday.
Almost a decade of over spending resulted in debts totalling £28.95m forcing the club into administration.
On the park Hearts were able to celebrate two Scottish Cup successes and various European campaigns to the detriment of clubs that lived within their means and paid all social taxes.
St Johnstone’s relative success in Europe this season demonstrated what can be achieved by well run clubs with Hearts benefitting from recent European ties against Spurs and Liverpool at the expense of clubs like St Johnstone and St Mirren.
BDO, administrators of Hearts, have admitted that the future of the club is down to the attitude of the administrators of Ukio Bankas who have security over Tynecastle Stadium.
Three days before the club start the new season the SFA finally issued their verdict on the club for going into administration with a slap on the wrist penalty imposed.
Confirming the sanction imposed for administration an SFA statement read: “Prohibition up until 1st February 2014, of registration of new players aged 21 and over.
“This prohibition will not apply to players currently registered with the Scottish FA as being with the club.”
With no prospect of being able to sign any players Trevor Birch of BDO had little to complain about over the so-called sanction.
He said: “We had a fair hearing, but I’m slightly disappointed in the embargo, which has been extended to the end of January for players over 21.
“So we are allowed to sign players under the age of 21 once we come out of administration, but not to sign anybody over 21 until 1 February 2014.
“How can I say how it is going to impact us on the pitch? It is certainly not going to help. We had hoped they would just extend it to the end of December and give us the opportunity to refresh the squad in January.
“But that’s presuming, of course, that we are out of administration by then. It is not going to be a quick resolution, which is why I’m saying we may not even be out of administration by January. Therefore, in that situation it wouldn’t affect us. We still have the situation in Lithuania to resolve. That process will take time. It may well drag on and we have to be prepared for that.”
The SPL/SPFL imposed a 15 point penalty on Hearts for going into administration on June.
I’ve said it before…and I’ll say it again….
The people who are paid to run our game…are NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE….
Total joke….
Financial abuses…avoidance of Social Taxes….
Clubs like this should be shut down…end of.
With their leniency on Oldco Rangers and ass-kissing, forelack-tugging acceptance of all things Newco (including letting all associates of them get away with verbal murder) they have set a really dangerous precedent for the future.
Where is the real disincentive for clubs to avoid huge debts and liquidation if they then give carte blanche to them to shed the monies owed and carry on as normal like nothing happened?
I think Hearts have at least tried to pay their taxes, although I would take the total amount owed with a huge pinch of salt. Remember this is from Vlad’s bank and he was issuing invoices to himself – the bank was run by HIS family so I’ve no doubt figures were increased and salaries upped to certain individuals within the clique.
Hearts like Sevco have been ripped off…now set to lose their ground for hee haw…Vlad will get what he was after.
I know a few Hearts fans that won’t put a penny into the club until they cut all ties with Vlad and his cohorts.