Hearts are hanging onto their money which puts Abroath in a difficult position.

Hearts appear to be still a tad slow with paying their debts. This time they could be in trouble with the SFA as Arbroath have lost patience over the non-payment of money due to them following the long-running saga over the transfer of Andy Webster. Hearts players and staff were affected by the recent late payment of wages and this time Arbroath have asked the SFA's general purposes committee to act on their behalf. Way back in 2001, centre back Webster left Gayfield for Tynecastle with £82,500 heading in the opposite direction along with a sell-on clause of 17.5% for any future transfer monies included in the deal. In 2006 Webster invoked a little-known clause applicable to players entering the final year of their contract to sign for Wigan after he refused to sign a new contract with Hearts.

Resigned to losing the player, Hearts sent in a demand for a transfer fee in compensation for the remaining year of Webster's contract. FIFA, had to intervene to get things moving between the two clubs and ruled, in May 2007, that Webster should stump up £625,000 in compensation. However, Webster took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in January and his compensation bill dropped by £475,000. During all this time, Webster had moved to Rangers on loan from Wigan before signing a permanent deal and he remains an Ibrox man although he is now on loan at Bristol City.

With the compensation between Hearts and Webster finally agreed, Arbroath sent in an invoice for their 17.5% share of the deal. Hearts and Arbroath finally agreed on a figure of £16,000 and Hearts were invoiced for that amount on August 1. Arbroath secretary Gary Callan said: "It is over three months since we sent the invoice for the agreed amount and we have still not been paid."

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