Hamilton Academical punished by SPFL and given points deduction after paying amateurs and trialists

Hamilton Academical have been hit with significant punishments including a points deduction from the SPFL after the club broke rules on paying players while under a transfer embargo.

The crisis-hit Lanarkshire club was relegated from the Championship at the end of last season following a 15-point deduction relating to a failure to pay players on time, providing misleading information on the ownership of their stadium and other rule breaches.

In July, the club was put under a transfer embargo and banned from signing senior professional players for failing to fulfil its tax obligations, meaning manager John Rankin was only permitted to sign amateur players as they prepared for life in League One.

It’s now been revealed that the club were paying players registered as amateurs, as well as trialists who had appeared for Accies.

That has led to a disciplinary panel imposing a six-point deduction from the team’s League One total, a one-point deduction from the KDM Evolution Trophy League phase, and a fine of £22,000 of which £3,000 is suspended until the end of season 2026/27.

It’s the latest in a series of damaging outcomes for the troubled club, who reported a loss of £1.8m in their most recent accounts.

A row over stadium ownership and rental in the summer saw Accies leave New Douglas Park and rent Clyde’s Broadwood Stadium, while Clyde reached an agreement to continue to play at New Douglas Park for the season.

Accies were joint-top of League One as they aimed to win promotion back to the Championship but have now dropped to sixth place following the deduction.

An SPFL statement read: “Hamilton Academical Football Club (the “Club”) have today (October 22) received points deductions and been fined £22,000 after the Club was found to have breached multiple SPFL Rules by an independent SPFL disciplinary tribunal.

“Following a hearing which took place on October 10 2025, the Club was found in breach of the following rules whilst under a transfer embargo:

Making payments to players who are Registered as Amateur Players for the Club and/or who the Club have attempted to Register as Amateur Players.
Making payments to players who have appeared as Trialists for the Club.
Breach of the Club’s duty to behave with the utmost good faith towards the SPFL and other Clubs regarding its paying of Trialists and Amateur Players.
Abuse of the Registration system by attempting to Register Professional Players as Amateur Players.
Failing to keep records and documentation required under SPFL Rules.

“As a consequence, the independent disciplinary tribunal imposed the following sanctions:

An immediate six-point deduction from the Club’s total in William Hill League 1.
An immediate one-point deduction from the Club’s total in the KDM Evolution Trophy League phase.
A fine of £22,000 of which £3,000 is suspended until the end of season 2026/27.

“The William Hill League 1 and KDM Evolution Trophy League Phase tables will be updated immediately. The Club has the right to appeal the sanctions to the Scottish FA.”