Hearts facing record fine for falling foul of disciplinary standards for sixth season in a row

HEARTS are today set to be handed a record fine for falling foul of the SFA’s disciplinary standards for the sixth season running.

The Tynecastle club was hit with the biggest ever censure last year when it was given a £50,000 penalty, with £10,000 suspended until the mid-season analysis at the turn of the year.

However, after the players failed to improve their on-field behaviour in the opening half of last term, the Gorgie hierarchy was forced to pay up the full £50,000 in January.

Hearts proved the worst offenders in the SPL yet again. The capital side received 11 red cards during the campaign, with four coming in the one game – against Hamilton in December. The Jambos also earned 85 cautions in their 42 domestic league and cup games last season and are certain to be censured yet again by the SFA’s disciplinary committee when it meets today.

Manager Jim Jefferies will be hoping to put a stop to the bad behaviour, having vowed when he took over from Csaba Laszlo in January he would draw up a new code of conduct.

While Hearts are setting records for all the wrong reasons, clubs in the Second Division have been keeping out of trouble, resulting in the unusual scenario where no club from that division is expected to be fined.