SCOTLAND’S oldest football club Queen’s Park have denied reports that they have signed players on professional contracts and say they remain true to their amateur philosophy.
The Hampden club who turn 150 years old in July admit they do pay players £1 per week but say it is a pragmatic solution to a registration issue that first arose more than 20 years ago.
Several clubs have been highlighted as paying less than the National Minimum Wage to their players and Gus Macpherson's side were used as an example. That led to claims that any payment to players meant Queen's Park were no longer amateur however the club president Alan Hutchison has confirmed the club remain true to their historical traditions.
Hutchison said: “A recent article implied that Queen’s Park have abandoned 150 years of our amateur tradition, and further, that the contracts we are asking some of our players to sign may be subject to scrutiny under employment legislation.”
“That is not the case and I would like to reassure members, supporters and the wider football community that we remain totally committed to our philosophy of not paying our players.”
Hutchison explained: “As a club, back in 1995, we made the decision to sign players who had previously been professional at other clubs. At that time, we were advised by then governing body, the Scottish Football League, that we could not sign these players on an amateur form.”
“The pragmatic solution was to sign the players on a professional form which stated explicitly that their wage would be £1 per week in lieu of expenses.”
“When the Scottish Professional Football League came into being in 2013 they produced a new contract form which did not have the facility to use the term ‘in lieu of expenses’. This has never been an issue as we explain to each player who signs a professional form with us what is exactly involved in their contract, so there is no basis for doubt in the future.”
“Therefore we have players who are on professional forms but are on exactly the same expenses structure – based on how far away they live from Hampden – as those on amateur forms. The expenses paid are therefore purely reimbursement for costs incurred.”
This practice has been accepted with Hutchison adding: “HMRC did not have a problem with this either at the time this solution was set up, or at our last payroll audit. Neither HMRC nor our accountants have questioned these arrangements.”
“Nothing has changed we remain bastions of the amateur game.”
Queen's will be taking up the issue of the wording of the forms with the SPFL, or alternatively look at what documentation would be required for their players to confirm their commitment to the £1 per week in lieu of expenses with Hutchison adding: “If that is an area that we could be criticised for then we will look to get it amended.”
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