HAMILTON ACCIES are under serious threat of relegation after being handed a shock 15-point deduction by the SPFL for breaching ‘multiple’ rules.
The North Lanarkshire outfit have plummeted to the bottom of the Scottish Championship and now find themselves EIGHT points behind ninth placed Airdrie with just three games to go following the decision from league bosses.
Kenny RamsayHamilton Accies are in serious bother[/caption]
Michael Schofield, News Group Newspapers LtdIt’s a worrying time for manager John Rankin and the players[/caption]
SNSThe club now face almost certain relegation to League One[/caption]
Hamilton now must win all three of their final matches to stand any chance of beating the drop.
The club have been slapped with four separate charges and hit in the pocket with a £9,000 fine for the crimes.
These include a failure to report not paying players, not providing correct stadium ownership information, downgrading their Sscottish FA licence and not submitting club membership criteria by the required deadline.
Accies have the right to appeal the sanction to the SFA.
Last August it was revealed several Accies players stages walkout over a major pay dispute just before the start of the new season.
Players and coaches refused to train after some didn’t receive their July wages.
A shock statement from the SPFL read: “Hamilton Academical Football Club have 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.
Hamilton now look set to drop down to the third tier again after spending last season in the division.
Accies were relegated from the Championship via the play-offs in the 2022/23 campaign but jumped straight back up via the same route after finishing second in the league behind Falkirk.
And now as the Bairns look set to make a stunning return back to the top flight after back-to-back promotions, Accies are expected to head the other way.
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