Hamilton Academical face almost certain relegation to League One after the SPFL meted out a 15-point deduction and a £9000 fine to the Lanarkshire club, with a statement released by the governing body detailing ‘multiple’ breaches of league rules.
The shock scale of the punishment leaves Accies eight points adrift of rivals Airdrie at the bottom of The Championship with just three matches to play.
But what were the charges, and what now for the club?
What rules did Hamilton breach?
The SPFL statement detailed that Hamilton had broken four separate rules, the most serious of which related to a failure to report not paying players and the breaching of a transfer embargo. For these offences, they received an immediate 12-point penalty and a £5000 fine.
Over and above these charges, they were also deducted an additional three points after their Scottish FA Club Licence overall award was downgraded from Bronze to Entry level, and were hit with nominal fines for two other breaches.
The statement from the SPFL read: “Hamilton Academical Football Club (the “Club”) have today (17 April) received a 15-point deduction and been fined £9,000 after the Club was found to have breached multiple SPFL Rules by an independent SPFL disciplinary tribunal.
“The SPFL Board had issued four charges against the Club and the Club were found by the independent tribunal to have breached SPFL Rules and have been sanctioned as follows:
- Charge 1: Breach of Rules B1, E17 and E18 in relation to the failure to notify the SPFL of Remuneration Defaults in respect of six players and a failure to act with the utmost good faith in its representations to the SPFL Board regarding the lifting of a transfer embargo after previous Remuneration and Tax Defaults.
Sanction: Immediate 12 point deduction and £5,000 fine
- Charge 2: Breach of Rule D4.3.2 in relation to the provision of incorrect information regarding stadium ownership in the Club’s Season 2024/25 Membership Criteria submission.
Sanction: £3,000 fine (£1,500 of which has been suspended)
- Charge 3: Breach of Rule D4.8 in relation to the downgrading of the Club’s Scottish FA Club Licence overall award from Bronze to Entry level.
Sanction: Immediate 3 point deduction
- Charge 4: Breach of Rule E28.7 in relation to the late provision of the Club’s Membership Criteria submission for Season 2025/26.
Sanction: £1,000 fine (fully suspended)
The William Hill Championship table will be updated accordingly.
Did Hamilton fail to pay their players, then?
Last summer, a number of Hamilton players staged a walkout over a pay dispute just days before the start of the new season, refusing to train as their wages had not been paid in full.
The club though moved swiftly to rectify the situation, pinning the blame not on a lack of finances, but on an issue with their bank.
A statement released at the time read: "In light of tabloid reports this morning, the Club can formally confirm that there is a live and ongoing issue, which is in the process of being resolved.
"Due to the very specific nature of this issue with our nominated bank the club proactively contacted all players & coaching staff in advance of training this morning, in an attempt to identify who had and who had not received their scheduled pay from yesterday’s payroll run.
“Any players, coaches or staff who confirmed that they have been affected, have also been advised and reassured of payment facilities being made available to them imminently by the club whilst we seek to resolve the matter with our Bank and their Internet Banking platform respectively.
"For the avoidance of doubt, the Club have expressed our sincerest of apologies to all staff members affected as well as given them the reassurance that the new measures being implemented will prevent a reoccurrence of such an issue arising again in the future."
What has been the club’s response to these sanctions?
Privately, officials at the club are believed to be shocked by the severity of the punishments handed out by the SPFL. The club do retain the right to appeal the sanctions to the Scottish FA, and this is now being considered.
A short statement from a spokesperson read: “We are astonished, but we shall wait for the written reasons, then the board will meet to consider an appeal.”
What will the consequences be for Accies?
Pending any appeal, relegation to League One could have serious consequences for Hamilton. While backed financially by local businessman and CEO Seref Zengin, it is unclear whether their current expenses could be maintained with the reduction of income that relegation would bring.
For example, the club currently have a number of former Premiership stars on their books with contracts that run to next summer or even beyond.
Former Motherwell winger Stuart McKinstry has a deal until next summer, while former Fir Park striker OIi Shaw is contracted until the summer of 2027. Former St Johnstone midfielder Connor Smith also has another two years left on his deal, as does forward Scott Robinson.
With many within the support base already disillusioned, and having already voiced their displeasure with the way their club is being run with protests against manager John Rankin as well as director of football Gerry Strain, this latest controversy is only likely to increase their displeasure with the club’s custodians.
There are fears among many of them this evening that these latest developments may push the club into administration or worse, and the future of one of Scotland’s oldest clubs may now be under threat.
