Hearts fined over tunnel brawl

11 May 2010 14:38

Hearts have been fined by the Scottish Football Association over December's so called 'Battle of New Douglas Park'.

The Jambos were hit with a £10,000 fine, £5,000 of which is suspended for two years for the post-match tunnel brawl which marred their 2-1 defeat at Hamilton.

Accies were given a £10,000 fine, all of which was suspended for two years.

Both clubs were also censured over their behaviour during the December 6 match at New Douglas Park, which saw five players and a masseur sent off.

All but one of the men were from Hearts, whose previous poor disciplinary record was taken into account by the SFA on Tuesday.

Jambos captain Michael Stewart and Ismael Bouzid were shown red cards during the game, although the former had his reduced to yellow on appeal.

The rest of the sendings-off occurred in the tunnel, with Hearts players Suso Santana and Ian Black and club masseur Alan Robson all dismissed, along with Hamilton striker Leon Knight.

The trouble was sparked by a clash between Suso and Knight, with police and club officials needed to separate the rival players in unsavoury scenes.

Hearts decided to fine Suso, Black and Eggert Jonsson - who was booked in the aftermath of the game - for their behaviour. But they were forced to abandon those punishments under pressure from PFA Scotland after it emerged they had failed to follow the correct procedures for disciplining their players.

Hearts were fined £50,000 in August for their poor disciplinary record during the 2008-09 season, the fifth consecutive year they had been punished.

Source: PA