Partick Thistle deducted three points and fined £6,000 over amateur player payments

Partick Thistle have been deducted three points and fined £6,000 by the Scottish Women's Premier League for making payments to players who were registered as amateurs last season, BBC Sport reported. The penalty follows a hearing on Monday at which the Glasgow club were found in breach of rules on payments to amateur-registered players and on "submitting incorrect information regarding the submission of the certificate and undertaking document required as part of the membership criteria process".

The deduction drops Thistle from eighth to ninth in the 10-team table, three points behind Spartans. Half of the fine is suspended until the end of the season. Thistle had the right of appeal but said on their website that the club "acknowledges and accepts the verdict".

The club said the breach of SWPL player rule 37 and competition rule E31.11 resulted from a failure of internal process that has since been addressed and resolved, that it admitted the breach immediately when brought to its attention, and apologised to fans for the mistake and its consequences. Bottom side Aberdeen are now only four points behind Thistle.