Ex-Hibs ace Kevin Harper praises former club and brands rivals Hearts wage move 'shocking'

Ex-Hibs ace Kevin Harper has praised the way his former club have approached the possibility of having to defer wages to help during the coronavirus pandemic.

At the same time, the manager of League Two side Albion Rovers slammed Hearts’ decision to request 50 per cent amongst staff not long after the season was postponed.

It was reported at the weekend that the Hibs hierarchy have discussed possible measures with the first-team squad.

The club are not believed to have asked players to take a wage cut, but rather a wage deferral which would see stars reimbursed with what they are owed once the season is back up and running and a semblance of normality has been restored.

The club’s owner Ron Gordon released a statement last week noting “difficult decisions will have to be made”.

He said: “There are some certainties – we have lost our revenue streams, while our ongoing running costs remain largely in place, and we anticipate that we will not be playing matches in the coming months. This is clearly not sustainable.”

Harper believes Hibs have gone the right way about trying to save money during this difficult period, branding the measures Hearts have taken as “shocking”.

He told the Daily Record: “It’s difficult to ask people to take drops in wages because not everybody can afford it. That’s the hard facts of life.

“At least Hibs are not coming out and saying ‘you must take a 50 per cent pay cut’. For Hearts to do that after the game was suspended was shocking.

“You have got to broach the subject with their players and staff. They are human beings. You can’t just go in with the big stick and say ‘this is what’s happening’.

“You have to have a conversation to explain what you are looking at and why. Then the players can decide. At the end of the day the players have contracts. If they are willing to defer payments then that’s fantastic. But if they’re not then you have to agree on the contract.

“I have said all along that if it comes to the point, no matter what club, where the manager and the players contracts are paid up and they have to leave to save the club then that’s what happens. You have to rebuild.”

Hearts and owner Ann Budge has faced criticism for the decision to ask all staff to take a 50 per cent wage cut.

It was something which Budge sought to explain in a lengthy statement last week which covered different aspects of the running of the club, from the financial position to cost-cutting plans to revenue regeneration.

She said: “The reason we are implementing cost control measures is because we could be facing up to 6 months of totally abnormal operations. Given that we all know we have to plan for that eventuality, I see absolutely no reason for sitting back and waiting either on a miracle or for the Government to bail out every company in the country… in a timely enough manner.”

Harper, who has been in charge of Albion Rovers since November 2018, reckons more and more clubs will follow the likes of Hearts and Hibs in implementing cost-saving measures.

He has, however, seen fans of his club rally to help in a time of need.

He said: “The most important thing is the club surviving. I look at our club. Albion Rovers are still paying our wages which is fantastic for a club our size and the budget we have and the crowds we get.

“Why is it different for the bigger clubs? They may speculate to accumulate whereas we work to a very, very tight budget. We have not got an overdraft facility of a million pound that we can dip into here, there and everywhere. Our club is run to the penny.

“We are fortunate with our fan base as well. They have a justgiving page which has raised over £7000 and we are really appreciative of that.”