THE Newcastle Jesters and their owners have been fined £10,000 for not paying last season's squad and told to make arrangements to hand over the wages immediately.

The decision was announced by the Ice Hockey Superleague (ISL) on Friday following its board meeting on Wednesday.

Around £150,000 is owed by the club's owners, Fablon Investments, and its media arm, the Eye Group, from February, March and April's wage packets.

The Superleague's standards committee found the club, the Eye Group and chairman Paul Smith "jointly and severally" guilty of the charge of failing to pay the players and coach at the end of last month.

This decision was then referred to Wednesday's board meeting, for the punishment to be determined.

A ban on the Jesters registering new players with the ISL will be kept in place until arrangements for the transfer of the money have been made.

A league spokeswoman said: "To the best of the ISL's knowledge, that is taking place now."

The club last week appointed Glenn Mulvenna, who coached the side for the last five games of the 2000/1 season, as its new director of hockey and he has less than a month and a half to put together a squad.

And, although he has agreed terms with at least two players, including the club's top goalscorer, Mikko Koivunoro and former Manchester Storm captain Blair Scott, he is unable to register them with the league.

Read more about the Jesters here.

Updated: 15.50 Friday, July 20