‘I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING ALL OVER AGAIN’

JAMIE HAMILL has experienced at first hand the financial problems at Tynecastle — it’s just he never thought he would see them again.

The former Tynecastle midfielder represented the first wave of players who agreed to 50-per-cent pay cuts following the Edinburgh outfit’s dramatic descent into administration in the summer of 2013.

He had no qualms about the decision. The ruinous reign of Vladimir Romanov had left Hearts in £25million of debt.

But he has been stunned to see the same drastic measures taken this week, with owner Ann Budge — the woman who, along with fans’ group Foundation of Hearts, rescued the club from collapse in 2014 — preparing for the loss of income caused by the coronavirus crisis.

‘I had a real affinity with Hearts and the people there. Jim Jefferies showed a real desire to take me there, showed me around and gave me an opportunity to play for a huge football club,’ he said.

‘I appreciated that and, when the time came, I wanted to give something back.

‘The supporters were digging deep and pulling together and we could all see what a tough financial position Hearts were in after Romanov pulled the plug. It was a team effort to try and save the club.

‘Guys like myself, Ryan Stevenson and Kevin McHattie decided to take cuts because no one wants to see their club in big trouble.

‘So it’s disappointing when you see the news come out of the club now — and it’s worrying.

‘Having watched them come through administration you do think: “Well, those sorts of cuts are never going to happen again” especially with the size of the club and the infrastructure they have in place there.’

While Hamill didn’t flinch when the time came to slash his salary, the Stranraer defender is adamant the current crop at Hearts are well within their rights to consider their options.

Budge has taken a blunt approach and told all staff to either agree to the wage drop or ask for their contracts to be terminated and Hamill has underlined what a massive decision it is.

‘Fifty per cent is a huge drop,’ he said. ‘Players still have bills to pay, mortgage and car payments to keep up. These are all in keeping with their regular earnings. So it is a big decision and it’s too simple to just say: “Do this for the club”. It’s real life. ‘It is fundamentally unfair because you sign for a club and they’ll say: “You need to honour a contract” then, suddenly, it’s: “We’re taking 50 per cent off that otherwise the deal is null and void”. ‘The players will be looking at the big picture and trying to judge the vital signs. It’s not about the biggest earners in this situation, you are looking at the younger boys and the guys who aren’t on big wages. ‘What if they were to say no, take their release and then don’t get anything else? It’s such a difficult decision and there’s no right answer. ‘Everyone will want to help the club and hope that their loyalty is repaid when things are good but, let’s be honest, in football that isn’t always the case.

‘There is no guarantee the boys who take a wage cut would be looked after down the line.’

Hamill (above) fears Hearts’ woes should serve as a warning for the rest of Scottish football, with the harsh realities of several months without revenue streams likely to hit hard.

And he added: ‘It’s concerning for the rest of Scottish football. If these are the measures Hearts are having to take, then what is going to happen to other teams?’