SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster has denied misleading a Scottish Parliament committee over his knowledge of illegal £1 per week contracts.

Mr Doncaster, and Scottish FA chief operating officer Andrew McKinlay, gave evidence to Holyrood’s public petitions committee in December over allegations that some clubs had been paying young footballers below the national minimum wage.

The SPFL chief told SNP MSP Rona Mackay that he “did not have knowledge of any clubs paying £1 per week”.

This was brought into question on Thursday by the children and young people’s commissioner, Tam Baillie, who told the committee that Mr Doncaster was sent a copy of a £1 per week contract belonging to the then St Mirren footballer Kieran Doran in 2015.

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In response to the allegations, the SPFL said Mr Doncaster’s comments to the committee were solely about a newspaper report last year which alleged three Scottish clubs failed to pay players the minimum wage, not the wider issue of £1 per week contracts.

Mr Baillie told the committee: “Well, I’ve got letters here dating back to December 1, 2014 on the part of the petitioners to the SPFL highlighting the reports in the papers of a contract of £1 per week.

“There is a response to that from Neil Doncaster which says they cannot comment on it because they have an adjuration role so they are not able to comment on it.

“The petitioners then wrote again on January 23, 2015 with a copy of the contract and I understand that was given by recorded delivery but there was a response to that but there was another communication highlighting a similar issue in September 2016 which did get a response.”

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STV News has seen a copy of the contract sent to Mr Doncaster, as well as correspondence between himself and Scott Robertson, president of youth football side Musselbourgh Windsor, who first submitted a petition to Holyrood calling for an investigation into contractual practices in 2010.

The contract: “Weekly basic wage – £1 from 1st December 2012 to 30th June 2013”.

December 1, 2014

Mr Doncaster is made aware of possible illegality by SPFL member clubs.

December 9, 2014

In response to possible illegality by SPFL member clubs, Mr Doncaster said: “In these circumstances I cannot make any comment on individual cases or on the application of the national minimum wage to players generally, since that might prejudice our ability to be, and be seen to be impartial in future adjudications that players might seek.”

January 23, 2015

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A copy of Kieran Dornan’s contract, stating he was paid £1 per week, is sent to the SPFL chief. Mr Dornan was paid £1200 by St Mirren over the deal.

Mr Doncaster’s appearance at the committee came less than a week after the Daily Record published allegations that Dundee, Stirling Albion and Queens Park football clubs all failed to pay players to legal national minimum wage standards.

The SPFL said Mr Doncaster’s comments to the committee were solely about the three clubs, not the wider issue of £1 per week contracts.

An SPFL spokesman said: “In response to the question from Rona Mackay – ‘Are you saying that you did not know that until you read it in the press?’ – that is indeed the case.

“Neil was not aware of the recently reported cases (involving Dundee, Stirling Albion and Queen’s Park) before they were reported in the press, which is consistent with the response to committee on December 22. Further, no player reported to be involved in these cases brought their case to the SPFL directly.

“With player registrations administered by Scottish FA, it is not routine for the SPFL to have sight of player contracts.

“For avoidance of doubt, no player has ever approached the SPFL asking for the assistance of the SPFL in securing payment of sums claimed to be due to him by his employer club in terms of National Minimum Wage legislation.

“However, the SPFL Board recently wrote to all member clubs to remind them of their National Minimum Wage obligations and this requirement will be made more explicit on standard form SPFL professional player contracts from this summer.”

In response to Mr Baillie’s evidence, Conservative MSP Brian Whittle said he would “like to see the SFA and the SPFL back in here, quite frankly.”

He added: “It has come to light, obviously, that some of the evidence has been less than forthright and, perhaps, less than truthful.”

The committee’s convener, Johann Lamont, said: “The committee will continue to consider the issues raised by this petition, including the issue of any possible inaccuracies in SPFL evidence, in future public meetings.”

She added: “The children and young people’s commissioner told us that the SFA and SPFL are no longer fit to regulate themselves in relation to youth football contracts. We also heard about ‘a conspiracy of silence’ in football, where young people and their families do not speak out, for fear it may damage budding careers.

“Many issues came through in the commissioner’s evidence, and the committee will wish to hear from SFA and SPFL again, as well as taking evidence from the Scottish Government on these issues.

“This petition has been under consideration for some time and the committee would expect to see clear progress in the coming months.”