Hamilton players stage walk-out over unpaid wages as club blames  ‘banking error’ on eve of new season

By Stephen Mcgowan

Hamilton’s preparations for the new season have been thrown into turmoil after first-team players staged a walk-out over unpaid wages.

The Championship club are due to face Ayr United on the opening weekend of SPFL action on Saturday.

Scheduled to receive their wages by bank transfer on Wednesday, however, manager John Rankin and first team players Barry Maguire and Kyle MacDonald were amongst those left unpaid.

And yesterday morning players downed tools and left the stadium, raising concerns over Saturday’s game.

Hamilton have already contacted players and staff to assure them that a global technical issue with internet banking was to blame rather than a cash crisis.

Currently in discussions with their bank to resolve the issue, the club have also offered to pay those out of pocket by cash raised from gate receipts and insist the game against Ayr will go ahead.

The Lanarkshire club have been hit by an unwanted disruption ahead of the big kick-off

Hamilton booked their place in the Championship after a play-off win over Inverness

Manager John Rankin is among those affected by the banking error that has hit Hamilton

Football director Gerry Strain told Mail Sport: ‘An issue outwith our control has affected the whole club. None of the existing board of directors here is a signatory of the legacy bank accounts that the previous owners set up. That’s the issue we have.

‘Some players and staff received their wages on time yesterday and some didn’t. This is being sorted.

‘The players who are affected have been offered wages and cash from gate receipts at the club and I am waiting to find out who wants to take that offer up.

‘One of them has said he does and wants to be paid tomorrow. Either way, there is no cash issue and so far as we are concerned the game against Ayr United will go ahead.

Hamilton take on Ross County in the Premier Sports Cup, where they finished third in Group H

‘Once the bank fixes the issue, those who have not been paid will then have a choice of whether to take that money as an advance on next month’s wage or re-pay the club.

‘Either way, there are no cash issues. The issue here is administrative with the bank.’

While businessman Seref Zengin assumed control of the football club last summer, the original stadium owners still own New Douglas Park — with Accies shelling out £2million a year for the right to play there.

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Hamilton players stage walk-out over unpaid wages as club blames  ‘banking error’ on eve of new season

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