Michael Stewart has branded Hearts a disgrace and put the blame for the recruitment email at the door of Ann Budge.
Last week suspicions were raised when the Edinburgh side announced that they would be imposing a 50% pay cut across the entire club.
Over the last two seasons the club has played in three semi-finals and reached the final of the 2019 Scottish Cup while handing out lucrative contracts to players like Liam Boyce and Steven Naismith who are the best paid in Scotland outside of Glasgow.
The cost of a new Main Stand at Tynecastle doubled during construction but after emerging from administration in 2014 it was assumed that the club was being prudently run with close to 10,000 fans subscribing £18.76 to the Foundation of Hearts.
Last week’s pay cut announcement was quietly followed by an email sent to agents to see which players might be available when the summer transfer window opens.
Football and morals have a difficult relationship but Hearts hit rock bottom as they imposed savage pay cuts while finding money to entice new signings to the club.
In The Sun Stewart writes:
IF I was a Hearts player and I saw the email John Murray sent out to agents, I’d be livid.
But that is nothing compared to how angry I’d be if I was a member of staff there right now.
It was a DISGRACE. Pure and simple.
Ann Budge might have generated a lot of goodwill since rescuing the Jambos seven years ago. But that’s been erased in a stroke. And someone must be responsible for that.
Either Budge signed off on it despite asking people to take 50 per cent wage cuts or she didn’t know about it and things like this are going on behind her back at Tynecastle.
Hearts are currently in bottom place in the SPFL Premiership, four points behind Hamilton Accies although they are in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.
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With no effective form of Financial Fair Play in Scottish football it seems that Hearts will avoid punishment despite effectively using players that they clearly can’t afford.
Naismith was given a four year contract in the summer and is the first player to agree to the 50% pay cut.