Partick Thistle have received a three-point deduction and a £6,000 fine from the Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) after it was discovered the club made payments to players registered as amateurs during the previous season.
Breach of League Regulations
The sanctions follow a hearing held on Monday, where the Glasgow-based club was found to have violated regulations regarding payments to amateur-registered athletes. Additionally, the club was penalized for providing inaccurate information concerning the submission of mandatory membership criteria documentation.
As a result of the points deduction, Partick Thistle has dropped from sixth place to second-bottom in the 10-team league table. They now sit three points behind Spartans, while the bottom-placed club, Aberdeen, has moved to within four points of them. Under the terms of the penalty, half of the £6,000 fine has been suspended until the conclusion of the current season.
Club Response and Internal Changes
Although the club held the right to appeal the decision, they confirmed on their official website that they acknowledge and accept the verdict. Partick Thistle attributed the violations of SWPL player rule 37 and competition rule E31.11 to a failure in their internal processes.
The club stated that they have since addressed and resolved these procedural issues to ensure such errors do not recur. Furthermore, the club noted that they admitted to the breach immediately upon being notified of the issue. In their statement, the club offered an apology to their supporters for the error and the subsequent impact on their league standing.
