Shameless Hearts have begged the SPFL for an advance to see them through till the end of the season.
The freshly relegated Edinburgh side have provided an embarrassing sideshow throughout the first season of the SPFL having delayed administration to cash in on being in this season’s Premiership.
Despite that cash withfall- denied to Dundee- it looks like Hearts could go into liquidation any day now with no decision taken on whether UKIO Bankas, who hold security over Tynecastle, will transfer their 29% shareholding in the club to Ian Murray’s BIDCO consortium.
With European and relegation play-off places to be decided Hearts going into liquidation will have a major impact on both ends of the table.
Justifying the request to the SPFL Murray told the BBC: “The club does need money to survive and if it had come out of administration yesterday (Monday) then the Foundation of Hearts was committed to putting in some working capital to see it across the line in any case.
“When that working capital goes in, it will just be reflective of the fact that the club will either need more or less resources when it comes out of administration so it shouldn’t really make too much of a difference in that sense.”
The shambles of a season from Hearts further highlights the relaxed view of insolvency held by the Scottish football authorities.
In order to prevent a repeat it would surely be in everyone’s interest if any club in administration is instantly demoted to the bottom division to allow them to sort out their problems without impacting on other clubs that do their business properly.
Former Hearts director Campbell Ogilvie is the president of the SFA.