Who knew, Scottish Football's relative pauper status might just be it's saviour

[TheSouthMoroccan]

Just been reading that Burnley, who would appear to be one of the better run clubs down South, reckon that they will have a £50m hole in their budget and they could be bust by August. Just got me thinking, the massive gulf in TV revenues etc that has built up over the last 10 to 15 years is something we have all been very conscious of given that we can hardly compete with league 1 clubs for players. Given all that is going on, maybe that lack of money in our game will be the very thing that makes it easier for us to survive. If there are any positives to be taken, hopefully the financial madness that exists down south in terms of revenues, transfer values and player wages will re calibrate into something more balanced and sustainable. While I still watched the occasional game in the pub, the amount of money sloshing around down south has killed off any real interest I had in the the clubs in the Premiership and the Championship. I love football but I'm not sure I'd really care if the whole lot of the big clubs went bust. Imagine the irony, well run lower league clubs survive and take the place of those sucked into the madness who go bust.

[ScottB]

Not sure, it’s all relative. A £50million budget hole could sink Burnley, obviously no Scottish club is going to have one that big develop over the coming months, but a few million is very plausible and could still drive clubs here into administration.

If anything, the clubs like Burnley who have been in the Prem for years but not running insane wage bills are probably the best placed to weather the storm with cash reserves built up. Lower league English clubs, and many clubs up here, likely exist almost month to month; 1 missed game had Hearts in a panic!

[Viva_Palmeiras]

Been saying to anyone that would listen since the emergence of the 101 percenters (clubs that can’t afford to do what they do but can’t afford not to - and get relegated from the Premiership) that this is a dereliction of duty on the part of the football associations.
Firstly They should be about the sustainability of the game. They fell asleep at the wheel whilst the alarm bells rang.

[Ozyhibby]

The govt will bail out any decent size club who goes bust just now.


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[hibbyfraelibby]

The govt will bail out any decent size club who goes bust just now.


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No they wont. Have you seen or heard the slaughtering the big clubs and the top earners are getting from politicians on all sides in England just now. When it comes to rebuilding the economy at the end if all this football clubs owned by mbilliinaires and multi-millionaires will be way down the priority list.

This government just spent in a week more than the total cost of two world wars which we are all still paying for. Jeezo they just paid of the Napoleonic wars two years ago.

[Sammy7nil]

The govt will bail out any decent size club who goes bust just now.


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I think there would be riots if they did nurses and doctors dying and government spends money on football :rolleyes:

[Viva_Palmeiras]

The govt will bail out any decent size club who goes bust just now.


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IMO This is (Or should be) the massive correction that football (and looney-tunes US sports) needed. Caught with their pants down it’s time that football like other businesses (dot com bubble anyone?) get real about finances.
What goes up must come down. For too long we thought this never applied to football, house prices or wages. We could be in for a big shock. And I don’t see why football should be immune and shame on the PFA for all of a sudden showing concern for the NHS.

[Eyrie]

Why would the government bail out football clubs so they can continue paying excessive wages to a small number of employees?

It's like the odious comments from the English PFA yesterday that cutting wages by 30% will cost the NHS £200m due to the tax collected on £500m of wages. So what happens to the other £300m?

[Sammy7nil]

Why would the government bail out football clubs so they can continue paying excessive wages to a small number of employees?

It's like the odious comments from the English PFA yesterday that cutting wages by 30% will cost the NHS £200m due to the tax collected on £500m of wages. So what happens to the other £300m?

There is no way they will pay 40% tax on their full income their accountants will ensure they pay huge amounts in to pension funds to avoid tax. The accountants will be very very well paid.

[lucky]

The EPL and their players are having a PR nightmare with their attitude and behaviour on the situation around Coronavirus. Clubs furloughing non playing staff whilst paying millionaires their full salary is ridiculous. The players themselves seem oblivious to what’s going on, there’s talk of a charity donation as long as they keep getting their salaries. The clubs want a 30% cut in salaries to advance the EFL £125m, £25 to the national league and £20m to the NHS. The money to other football clubs is only an advance which means the clubs pocket £125m at a later date. I also doubt that Sky or BT will pull the plug on the EPL. They need them playing ASAP as subscriptions will be falling. If there’s no football again this season a deal will be done to reduce the new tv deal.

But overall their bloated product is going burst in front of them but they are all too busy trying to get a much out of the trough to notice.

[where'stheslope]

Heard on BBC sport on Breakfast tv, that the government would lose £millions in tax if clubs reduced their players monies!
Football clubs are just not getting it, if we are to continue to save lives and football has no money coming in, paying full wages to stars who are on lockdown will eventually cripple most clubs!!!
And as for what Liverpool has done so the government pays their staff is criminal!!!

[Onion]

There is no way they will pay 40% tax on their full in one their accountants will ensure they pay huge amounts in to pension funds to avoid tax. The accountants will be very very well paid.

Their accountants will have creative tax avoidance schemes but the pen tax relief system won't be one. Lifetime limit and annual relief limits see to that.

[Onion]

The EPL and their players are having a PR nightmare with their attitude and behaviour on the situation around Coronavirus. Clubs furloughing non playing staff whilst paying millionaires their full salary is ridiculous. The players themselves seem oblivious to what’s going on, there’s talk of a charity donation as long as they keep getting their salaries. The clubs want a 30% cut in salaries to advance the EFL £125m, £25 to the national league and £20m to the NHS. The money to other football clubs is only an advance which means the clubs pocket £125m at a later date. I also doubt that Sky or BT will pull the plug on the EPL. They need them playing ASAP as subscriptions will be falling. If there’s no football again this season a deal will be done to reduce the new tv deal.

But overall their bloated product is going burst in front of them but they are all too busy trying to get a much out of the trough to notice.

Fair summary. 25 years of silly money has corrupted the industry from UEFA down to individual clubs. They've lost all sense of proportion.

[tamig]

The govt will bail out any decent size club who goes bust just now.


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You’ve come out with some belters lately but this is on another level. Seriously?

[JohnMcM]

The govt will bail out any decent size club who goes bust just now.


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Only if they want to see a good measure of social unrest and backlash.

[Ozyhibby]

The govt is running up debts it/we can never pay back. When the furlough scheme was announced it was expected that around 10% of workers would use it, instead it’s already above 40% and it looks like it will have to last longer as well. There is no chance this money can be paid back by taxation. The govt is going to have to inflate its debts away. As most football clubs are heavily indebted, they will benefit from this.
A straight out bailout might be impossible but there will be more money thrown out into the economy in he next few weeks. Football will be making sure they get some.


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[Viva_Palmeiras]

The EPL and their players are having a PR nightmare with their attitude and behaviour on the situation around Coronavirus. Clubs furloughing non playing staff whilst paying millionaires their full salary is ridiculous. The players themselves seem oblivious to what’s going on, there’s talk of a charity donation as long as they keep getting their salaries. The clubs want a 30% cut in salaries to advance the EFL £125m, £25 to the national league and £20m to the NHS. The money to other football clubs is only an advance which means the clubs pocket £125m at a later date. I also doubt that Sky or BT will pull the plug on the EPL. They need them playing ASAP as subscriptions will be falling. If there’s no football again this season a deal will be done to reduce the new tv deal.

But overall their bloated product is going burst in front of them but they are all too busy trying to get a much out of the trough to notice.

Afaik The donations for NHS/charities will be a means of reducing their tax bill - a form of tax shield if you like. So a perhaps bit disingenuous - it’s really keeping money away from the tax man (although ultimately cash to said cause but don’t believe the hype)

[Hakim Sar]

I think what Liverpool and Spurs have done, using the furlough scheme, is disgusting actually.

You just feel that clubs could have said to their players... right lads let’s all have a dutiful whip round and make sure the office workers, the kit men/women, the tea lady, the ticket office staff etc are all looked after during the crisis. It’s peanuts to someone on 90k to 500k per week.

I’ve just been thinking about how many clubs started out as charitable institutions, community organisations, sports clubs for workers etc and how so many clubs are a million miles away now from their roots. Ticket prices bleeding the ordinary public for every penny they can, football tops that cost £110 often times, players on 300k a week while nurses and doctors die on the front line, swathes of fan bases out of work and redundant. The bloated and self indulgent Premier League really makes me sick at times. This coming from a fairly ardent Arsenal supporter too. It’s vomit inducing.

[Since452]

I think what Liverpool and Spurs have done, using the furlough scheme, is disgusting actually.

You just feel that clubs could have said to their players... right lads let’s all have a dutiful whip round and make sure the office workers, the kit men/women, the tea lady, the ticket office staff etc are all looked after during the crisis. It’s peanuts to someone on 90k to 500k per week.

I’ve just been thinking about how many clubs started out as charitable institutions, community organisations, sports clubs for workers etc and how so many clubs are a million miles away now from their roots. Ticket prices bleeding the ordinary public for every penny they can, football tops that cost £110 often times, players on 300k a week while nurses and doctors die on the front line, swathes of fan bases out of work and redundant. The bloated and self indulgent Premier League really makes me sick at times. This coming from a fairly ardent Arsenal supporter too. It’s vomit inducing.

It's extremely poor imo

[Viva_Palmeiras]

I think what Liverpool and Spurs have done, using the furlough scheme, is disgusting actually.

You just feel that clubs could have said to their players... right lads let’s all have a dutiful whip round and make sure the office workers, the kit men/women, the tea lady, the ticket office staff etc are all looked after during the crisis. It’s peanuts to someone on 90k to 500k per week.

I’ve just been thinking about how many clubs started out as charitable institutions, community organisations, sports clubs for workers etc and how so many clubs are a million miles away now from their roots. Ticket prices bleeding the ordinary public for every penny they can, football tops that cost £110 often times, players on 300k a week while nurses and doctors die on the front line, swathes of fan bases out of work and redundant. The bloated and self indulgent Premier League really makes me sick at times. This coming from a fairly ardent Arsenal supporter too. It’s vomit inducing.

Tell me - where the financial benefit from the Billions of cash generated from the TV deals go? Improved facilities for disabled supporters?

Subsidised travel for away fans? Reduced season tickets ? Or straight into the pockets of agents and players? The worlds best players will still be the worlds best players regardless of what they get paid

As a society we lost touch with what really matters. That’s now coming into sharp focus. Premiership Footballers should not Immune from the term “fat cats” esp given the apparent attitude to the person on the street.

[neil7908]

I think what Liverpool and Spurs have done, using the furlough scheme, is disgusting actually.

You just feel that clubs could have said to their players... right lads let’s all have a dutiful whip round and make sure the office workers, the kit men/women, the tea lady, the ticket office staff etc are all looked after during the crisis. It’s peanuts to someone on 90k to 500k per week.

I’ve just been thinking about how many clubs started out as charitable institutions, community organisations, sports clubs for workers etc and how so many clubs are a million miles away now from their roots. Ticket prices bleeding the ordinary public for every penny they can, football tops that cost £110 often times, players on 300k a week while nurses and doctors die on the front line, swathes of fan bases out of work and redundant. The bloated and self indulgent Premier League really makes me sick at times. This coming from a fairly ardent Arsenal supporter too. It’s vomit inducing.

Well said. I used to enjoy watching the English Premier League and Champions League but I've soured over the years. Apart from Leicester winning the league it's been generally pretty uninspiring. I really hope seeing millionaire footballers moaning about being asked to help out will start to open some eyes.

[high bee]

Wayne Rooney has been complaining that footballers are being made scapegoats and that all the rich should be included, a fair point maybe but I find it disgusting that some of the EPL stars earn more money in a day than some NHS Staff earn in a year and they are spewing over 30%. If they’re paying standard tax it’s much less taken out their hand anyway.

If the majority employees are having to get by with losing 20% of a normal wage and they are getting by then even the lowest paid EPL player can ram it if they think I feel any sympathy at the thought of a 30% pay cut.

We’re all in this together, or at least we should be.

[TheSouthMoroccan]

Wayne Rooney has been complaining that footballers are being made scapegoats and that all the rich should be included, a fair point maybe but I find it disgusting that some of the EPL stars earn more money in a day than some NHS Staff earn in a year and they are spewing over 30%. If they’re paying standard tax it’s much less taken out their hand anyway.

If the majority employees are having to get by with losing 20% of a normal wage and they are getting by then even the lowest paid EPL player can ram it if they think I feel any sympathy at the thought of a 30% pay cut.

We’re all in this together, or at least we should be.

One thing that Rooney did highlight, which was something I had not tuned in to, was the impact for HMRC in lost tax if all the Premiership stars took a 30% cut, something along the lines of £500m in a full year I think he quoted. Maybe it would be better that they get their full salary and then donate the 30% to the NHS. If they take a pay cut, where does the money go ? It stays with the clubs. Worth thinking about if nothing else.

[Pretty Boy]

Some footballers seem to think they are being exclusively targeted. Maybe it's a case of those at the top of the game not really living in the real world when they earn in a week what it would take many ordinary joes a decade to earn. Whatever the case they aren't being treated any differently from anyone else when being asked to take a pay cut. Workers all over the country are taking pay cuts or accepting deferral agreements to help their employers survive.

I don't think that clown Hancock was right to call them out in his press conference, that was arguablya situation in which they were unfairly targeted. However the idea they should take a pay cut of a similar percentage as non playing staff doesn't seem remotely unfair.

[Jim44]

:violin: Burned Nero Rome while fiddled. :timebomb: :crazy:

[Peevemor]

Not just football, but it was reported on French TV at lunchtime that 60% of businesses who currently sponsor sports have said that they are unlikely to be able to do so next year.

[GloryGlory]

Why would the government bail out football clubs so they can continue paying excessive wages to a small number of employees?

It's like the odious comments from the English PFA yesterday that cutting wages by 30% will cost the NHS £200m due to the tax collected on £500m of wages. So what happens to the other £300m?

To help Murdoch keep turning a profit on Sky Sports subscriptions?

[Ozyhibby]

Some clubs are worse than others though. Hibs players have deferred a chunk of their wages at this time of need while Hearts continue to give their players their full wages. It embarrassed the whole game, clubs behaving like that.


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[greenlad]

To help Murdoch keep turning a profit on Sky Sports subscriptions?

Murdoch's long since not had any Sky involvement

[Viva_Palmeiras]

Not just football, but it was reported on French TV at lunchtime that 60% of businesses who currently sponsor sports have said that they are unlikely to be able to do so next year.

What goes up must come down. The revenue and returns just aren’t there.
Could it be that we see clubs that swam against the tide and focused on sustainability (Hibs, Celtic) come out better in the longer term than their rivals who charted a different course?

[Ozyhibby]

What goes up must come down. The revenue and returns just aren’t there.
Could it be that we see clubs that swam against the tide and focused on sustainability (Hibs, Celtic) come out better in the longer term than their rivals who charted a different course?

Hibs pretty poor commercial income previously might help lessen the blow.
Wonder if our investment in the stadium will go ahead? With less commercial income on the horizon it may be we cancel or it could go the other way and it helps us compete harder for the commercial income that is out there. And there is also the fact that it will also probably be available at a knock down price just now as firms struggle to get back going again.


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[jgl07]

Heard on BBC sport on Breakfast tv, that the government would lose £millions in tax if clubs reduced their players monies!
Football clubs are just not getting it, if we are to continue to save lives and football has no money coming in, paying full wages to stars who are on lockdown will eventually cripple most clubs!!!


Can anyone explain to me what benefit would come to the NHS, the Government, or Society at large from Premiership players accepting a pay cut?

[Sammy7nil]

Can anyone explain to me what benefit would come to the NHS, the Government, or Society at large from Premiership players accepting a pay cut?

You would hope that if clubs are saving millions they would not furlough office, admin, grounds staff and u21 players etc

[Pretty Boy]

Can anyone explain to me what benefit would come to the NHS, the Government, or Society at large from Premiership players accepting a pay cut?

I think the argument is big clubs are placing non playing staff on furlough and asking the government to pick up the slack by paying 80% of their wages whilst continuing to pay their first team players hundreds of thousands of pounds a week. It's not against the rules of the scheme but I'm not sure it's in the spirit of it. It's also about safeguarding future jobs, continuing to pay out crazy money with limited commercial income coming in is unsustainable in the medium to long term.

There are exceptions of course. I believe Man City have said they will continue to pay all non playing staff in full for the duration.

[Jim44]

The problem is that this government initiative will last only for three months. A friend of my daughter who has a fairly big company which is using the furlough scheme told her that, due to financial restraints, there was no way it might be extended beyond June. There’s nothing to suggest that we might be in a better situation virus-wise by then.

[tamig]

The problem is that this government initiative will last only for three months. A friend of my daughter who has a fairly big company which is using the furlough scheme told her that, due to financial restraints, there was no way it might be extended beyond June. There’s nothing to suggest that we might be in a better situation virus-wise by then.

Yet the official pages state for a three month period - initially. It also stresses there is no limit on how much the govt can provide to individual companies other than the individual employee monthly cap. That doesn’t sound to me like the tap will be turned off after the three months. Depending on the situation at that time obviously.

[Viva_Palmeiras]

Can anyone explain to me what benefit would come to the NHS, the Government, or Society at large from Premiership players accepting a pay cut?

Yes it’s just one of this “Let them eat cake” moments isn’t it - pass the Port...

[ScottB]

Can anyone explain to me what benefit would come to the NHS, the Government, or Society at large from Premiership players accepting a pay cut?

The likes of Tottenham or Liverpool continuing to pay players £100k a week each while we taxpayers pick up the tab for their other staff is pretty damn abhorrent really.

Those players taking cuts could allow those clubs, and their invariably billionaire owners, to comfortably pay their own staff, and free up the resources of the state for use in the NHS etc. Though I find it hard to believe they can’t afford to continue to pay said staff regardless, Man City have announced they’re paying all their own staff costs, for example.

[Keith_M]

The likes of Tottenham or Liverpool continuing to pay players £100k a week each while we taxpayers pick up the tab for their other staff is pretty damn abhorrent really.

Those players taking cuts could allow those clubs, and their invariably billionaire owners, to comfortably pay their own staff, and free up the resources of the state for use in the NHS etc. Though I find it hard to believe they can’t afford to continue to pay said staff regardless, Man City have announced they’re paying all their own staff costs, for example.


No, you've got it all wrong!

Didn't you read the English PFA's statement that we should all be grateful that taxes on the astronomical wages of the Premier League players are helping to fund the NHS.... therefore cutting their wages would have a detrimental effect?


Apparently, we should all be prostrating ourselves at their ($1,000 a pair) Christian Louboutin clad feet, and thank them as they graciously poor champagne over our heads and step into their Bentley/Rolls-Royce/Ferrari.

[mcohibs]

Can anyone explain to me what benefit would come to the NHS, the Government, or Society at large from Premiership players accepting a pay cut?

To take an example, Spurs are furloughing 500 non playing staff and asking Taxpayer for £1.25m per month (£3.75m for 3 months)...

Spurs Annual Wage Bill is about £300m. Harry Kane (himself) earns £866,000 a month!!

Oh aye...and Owner of Spurs worth £4.3 Billion !!!

Asking the taxpayer to contribute towards the couple of grand a month for their furloughed staff when it could easily be generated through miniscule wage cuts for players. It's an absolute disgrace.

[CropleyWasGod]

To take an example, Spurs are furloughing 500 non playing staff and asking Taxpayer for £1.25m per month (£3.75m for 3 months)...

Spurs Annual Wage Bill is about £300m. Harry Kane (himself) earns £866,000 a month!!

Oh aye...and Owner of Spurs worth £4.3 Billion !!!

Asking the taxpayer to contribute towards the couple of grand a month for their furloughed staff when it could easily be generated through miniscule wage cuts for players. It's an absolute disgrace.

Of itself, the pay cut would result in lower income for HMG.

[Keith_M]

To take an example, Spurs are furloughing 500 non playing staff and asking Taxpayer for £1.25m per month (£3.75m for 3 months)...

Spurs Annual Wage Bill is about £300m. Harry Kane (himself) earns £866,000 a month!!

Oh aye...and Owner of Spurs worth £4.3 Billion !!!

Asking the taxpayer to contribute towards the couple of grand a month for their furloughed staff when it could easily be generated through miniscule wage cuts for players. It's an absolute disgrace.


:agree:


It's a total nonsense that clubs like that are taking government handouts.

[danhibees1875]

Of itself, the pay cut would result in lower income for HMG.

The pay cut could match the wages of non-playing staff that would be furloughed though. Which I think is the point behind wanting players to take pay cuts.

So if there's £3M worth of staff costs for furloughed people to be paid, HMRC would have to stump up £2.4M (80%).

If it was paid by taking £3M off the top earners, HMRC would lose £1.3M (45% top rate of tax) in tax revenues.

Without adding NI or any tax relief schemes into the mix which would complicate things, that would seem to me like the way that millionaires and super rich clubs/businesses could sacrifice a bit less to save HMRC from doing so.

[Keith_M]

Of itself, the pay cut would result in lower income for HMG.


So reduce their wages and make a gift to the NHS instead?



Or if they can afford to keep paying them ridiculously high wages, stop claiming money from the government for non-playing staff.

Or players could volunteer to pay the non-playing staff from a fraction of their incredibly high wages.

[CropleyWasGod]

So reduce their wages and make a gift to the NHS instead?



Or if they can afford to keep paying them ridiculously high wages, stop claiming money from the government for non-playing staff.

Or players could volunteer to pay the non-playing staff from a fraction of their incredibly high wages.

... which is one of the sensible ways to do it.

The debate had been around "how does reducing player wages help the Government?". As I said, of itself, it doesn't.

[FilipinoHibs]

IMO This is (Or should be) the massive correction that football (and looney-tunes US sports) needed. Caught with their pants down it’s time that football like other businesses (dot com bubble anyone?) get real about finances.
What goes up must come down. For too long we thought this never applied to football, house prices or wages. We could be in for a big shock. And I don’t see why football should be immune and shame on the PFA for all of a sudden showing concern for the NHS.

Agree this could be the big leveller that brings football back to earth. The TV companies will be struggling with people cancelling or not being able their subs. Unemployment and poverty will rise dramatically accross Europe with a big reduction in TV deals and sponsors. Footballers, most of whom don't have an alternative profession, will be forced to take big wage cuts. Those in work will be struggling to clear their back debts from the lockdown. People will generally, be more conservative about their spending.

[theonlywayisup]

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden has called for football authorities to reach an agreement on financial support during the coronavirus crisis "urgently", adding the public will take a "very dim view" of clubs furloughing low-paid workers.

Some Premier League clubs, including leaders Liverpool, are facing criticism for furloughing non-playing staff.

Players have been urged to do more by Health Secretary Matt Hancock and the Premier League proposed a 30% pay cut.

But the Professional Footballers Association says that may harm the NHS while former England captain Wayne Rooney has called the power struggle a "disgrace" and says players are being treated like "scapegoats".

Speaking to the Telegraph, Mr Dowden said "clubs, players and owners should be thinking very carefully about their next steps".

"Leaving the public purse to pick up the cost of furloughing low paid workers, whilst players earn millions and billionaire owners go untouched is something I know the public will rightly take a very dim view of," Mr Dowden said.

"At a time of national crisis, our national sport must play its part.

"I expect to see the football authorities judge the mood of the country and come together with an agreement urgently."


I find it abhorrent that footballers are continued to get paid £100k per week and more, whilst their football clubs expect the tax-payer to pay 80% of their low wage earning employees.

Absolutely disgusted by it. Let's hope that the Government turn up the heat on these overpaid football stars.

[Peevemor]

I find it abhorrent that footballers are continued to get paid £100k per week and more, whilst their football clubs expect the tax-payer to pay 80% of their low wage earning employees.

Absolutely disgusted by it. Let's hope that the Government turn up the heat on these overpaid football stars.I found it abhorrent before the current crisis, which is why I've very little interest in football apart from Hibs.

[Viva_Palmeiras]

I found it abhorrent before the current crisis, which is why I've very little interest in football apart from Hibs.

Yup that’s it for me. Sky lead football like the pied piper - that’s pretty much globally as they’ve done things in other countries - Brazil for example games were free ok Globo paid for through advertising. They disrupted that to the point where you need to subscribe to Sky to see the games - and if it’s a Classico - then PPV on top of that.

But it’s up to the associations and clubs what they do with the money.
Imo clubs have shown they need to be protected from themselves - wreckless financial mismanagement despite coining it in. Sustainability should be the foundation. And that’s where I believe the associations have been severely lacking.

[ballengeich]

Going back to the original theme of the thread, it's possible that the clubs further down the pyramid may be better placed than some of the bigger ones. In leagues 1 and 2 players are nearly all on one year contracts and a lot of the admin work is done by volunteers. If these clubs can make it to the summer then running expenses drop to very little and what's then needed is more in the range where a wealthy fan or director can put in enough to keep things going.

I don't envy the club finance directors who're trying to plan for the future. Sponsorship will be very difficult to find once things resume. I can see a number of full-time teams going part-time and part-time outfits switching to an amateur basis.

[Ozyhibby]

Liverpool now reversed decision to furlough workers.


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[B.H.F.C]

I find it abhorrent that footballers are continued to get paid £100k per week and more, whilst their football clubs expect the tax-payer to pay 80% of their low wage earning employees.

Absolutely disgusted by it. Let's hope that the Government turn up the heat on these overpaid football stars.

I don’t actually hold anything against football players being paid what they are. I think it’s wrong that they’re being dug out when there are folk in other professions earning similar and more. I don’t see why football players should have the heat turned up on them. If they want to help, which many of them will want to do, they can.

I do find football clubs at that elite level intending to use the job retention scheme, when making profits of millions, morally wrong though. Again, that doesn’t just apply to football clubs though.

[Phil MaGlass]

The EPL and their players are having a PR nightmare with their attitude and behaviour on the situation around Coronavirus. Clubs furloughing non playing staff whilst paying millionaires their full salary is ridiculous. The players themselves seem oblivious to what’s going on, there’s talk of a charity donation as long as they keep getting their salaries. The clubs want a 30% cut in salaries to advance the EFL £125m, £25 to the national league and £20m to the NHS. The money to other football clubs is only an advance which means the clubs pocket £125m at a later date. I also doubt that Sky or BT will pull the plug on the EPL. They need them playing ASAP as subscriptions will be falling. If there’s no football again this season a deal will be done to reduce the new tv deal.

But overall their bloated product is going burst in front of them but they are all too busy trying to get a much out of the trough to notice.

Funny, I think there was a thread a few months back where a few of us were talking about hoping their bubble bursts. UEFA exactly the same, time for wholesale change.
All greed, deserve everything that happens to them.