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 t

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