Charitable Wage Gesture But Should PL Clubs Be Able To Furlough? | Vital Football

Charitable Wage Gesture But Should PL Clubs Be Able To Furlough?

I have already posted a link of article on another thread with an MP claiming that premier league clubs are in a 'moral vacuum' and I totally agree with that.
Sadly our greedy and selfish owners have joined the odious owner of Newcastle and crazily rich Spurs in going the furlough route.

We have all had to accept that premier league footballers earn obscene wages and that ex professionals actually defend them, BUT it does not make it right and during these unprecedented times when the entire country and population are facing possible financial ruin, it becomes utter greed.
I understand that players have legal and agent representatives and clubs have to deal with at least 25 individual players of varying character but they should all take at least a 50 % pay cut for say about 3 months and accept it.

We all have a place in the scheme of things and people with higher salaries have more outgoings. It is all relative. However there is a huge difference in a surgeon earning say £ 150 k a year being only wage earner in family, running 2 cars, having 3 children at private school and a life style to match, not being able to take a loss in wages and a footballer earning around £ 50 k per week.
What sort of lifestyle needs that sort of income ?

£ 200 k is a large amount but if spread out over say 30 high wage earners
that is about £ 7k each and maybe 1/6 of their weekly gross wage.
To us mere standard workers that could be the equivalent of a one off
donation of £ 80. That makes their donation a very small gesture.

As Tuckster points out the fans are facing huge financial issues, not just now but
a knock on effect for months to follow.
Whilst we are paying out for games not being played, a future season without starting date and cup / away games with no idea of when we get to watch football and no refunds, during times of possible zero wages, the rich footballers are still cashing in obscene full wages with fresh fruit and veg being delivered to the doors of their large houses.

I am self employed and busy as always but already noticing clients slowing in responses to put off paying my fees and am already suffering but have not had any Government contact about claiming for help and even if I do manage to apply the cash is not even scheduled until June.That means July at best.
Mrs DG is working flat out at N and N for an average salary and many NHS staff are literally risking their lives for average salaries, working without the proper PPE and not being tested for coronavirus whilst spoiled footballers sit at home with massive amounts of money pouring into their accounts and going onto social media juggling toilet rolls or giving us advice on what do do with our spare time. It is insulting. Do they not realise we are all working our arses off trying to keep our heads above water.

After years of obscene wages it is time for footballers to take large pay cuts for a couple of months and the rich owners to re direct this money to low paid non playing staff without taking furlough money from the people who deserve it much much more. A few phone calls to elderly fans and relatively modest charitable donation simply does not cut it.

Time for footballers to think of others for once instead of being totally selfish.
 
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I see Hanley this morning saying how humble he is after talking to vulnerable fans . Maybe he is , but he wants to try being in his third week of total isolation with no-one to talk to , to really understand what is happening outside the mega rich , sheltered world of football
 
Extract from BBC below.
The pathetic response from Townsend is typical of a rich selfish footballer.
How the f**k do you think the NHS workers can be paid more. The entire set up is on its fu**ing knees due to so many of us getting treatment for free with funding as much as it can be bearing in mind the costs incurred.
Many premier league footballers are paid double in a week than an NHS worker earns in an entire year. Note I use the words 'paid' and 'earn' !

They are an easy target as they live an easy life and the so called pressure of not winning does not mean losing money whereas NHS staff have all our lives in their hands on a day to day basis That is real pressure.

I am so angry about the greediness that I am seriously thinking about
giving up watching professional football.

We are all crapping ourselves about losing premier league status.
What does it really mean ? Paying out more ( just recalling that I have
already paid £ 25 to get in the on line queue for away tickets next season ! ) whilst the players double their wages.

Over 3600 UK citizens have died over past few weeks and we are discussing players obscene wages.

Read on ....................


'Footballers painted as villains'
During the enforced break from action, some clubs have furloughed non-playing staff but not looked at players' wages.

Hancock has called on players "to do more and play their part" and his comments were echoed by Julian Knight, who is chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee.

Knight has written to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters calling for action on player wages, saying clubs that furlough non-playing staff but do not impose cuts on player wages should be subjected to a windfall tax if they do not change their approach by Tuesday, 7 April.


But Palace winger Townsend was unhappy with the demands of Hancock and told Talksport: "Football is trying to do a lot of good. To wake up yesterday and see footballers being painted as villains was a bit of a surprise.

"The health secretary, deflecting blame on to footballers: I don't think that is right. His job is the responsibility of NHS workers. NHS workers have been underpaid for years."

Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend has said players are "an easy target".
 
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Send him to work 12 and a half hour shifts in a coronavirus ward on NHS wages and maybe he would think a bit differently
 
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Premier League Statement from this afternoon:

The Premier League released the following statement on Friday 3 April, 2020.
At a meeting of Premier League Shareholders today, clubs discussed in detail how to respond to the COVID-19 global pandemic. First and foremost, it was reaffirmed that the overriding priority is to aid the health and wellbeing of the nation and our communities, including players, coaches, managers, club staff and supporters.
It was acknowledged that the Premier League will not resume at the beginning of May – and that the 2019/20 season will only return when it is safe and appropriate to do so. The restart date is under constant review with all stakeholders, as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic develops and we work together through this very challenging time.

The Premier League is working closely with the whole of professional football in this country, as well as with the Government, public agencies and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the game achieves a collaborative solution. With this, there is a combined objective for all remaining domestic league and cup matches to be played, enabling us to maintain the integrity of each competition. However, any return to play will only be with the full support of Government and when medical guidance allows.
The sporting and financial implications for Premier League clubs as well as for The FA, EFL and National League were considered at today’s meeting.
In the face of substantial and continuing losses for the 2019/20 season since the suspension of matches began, and to protect employment throughout the professional game, Premier League clubs unanimously agreed to consult their players regarding a combination of conditional reductions and deferrals amounting to 30 per cent of total annual remuneration. This guidance will be kept under constant review as circumstances change. The League will be in regular contact with the PFA and the union will join a meeting which will be held tomorrow between the League, players and club representatives.
Discussions also took place regarding financial relief for clubs in the short term and while there is no single solution, measures are to be put in place to immediately deal with the impact of falling cash flow. Critically, the League unanimously voted to advance funds of £125 million to the EFL and National League as it is aware of the severe difficulties clubs throughout the football pyramid are suffering at this time.
Further to that assistance, the League remains committed to supporting the National Health Service, its staff and helping people in communities, not least those who are most vulnerable. The League, clubs, players and managers express huge appreciation for the heroic efforts of NHS staff and all other key workers who are carrying out critical jobs in such difficult circumstances.
In consultation with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the Premier League is immediately committing £20 million to support the NHS, communities, families and vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes a direct financial contribution to the NHS and funds to enable clubs to refocus their efforts and develop significant outreach programmes to help communities, including those most in need. This funding will enable both immediate and longer-term support during the crisis.
In response to COVID-19, Premier League clubs have been supporting tens of thousands of people in their communities each and every day through targeted activity including donations to foodbanks, telephone calls to the elderly, food parcels delivered to the vulnerable and a wide range of free resources to support wellbeing and education. Many Premier League clubs are also working closely with their local NHS Trusts to provide valuable support through the provision of resources, volunteers and facilities. Now, more than ever, clubs are playing a vital role to support the wellbeing of those in their communities and alleviate pressure on critical health services.
Working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, Public Health England and the NHS, the wide reach and appeal of the Premier League and our clubs will continue to be used to promote important public health messaging throughout this crisis.
The Premier League would like to reiterate that the thoughts of all our clubs are with all those directly affected by COVID-19.
 
The £125m payment to the EFL and National League will be very welcome, I’m sure.
Shame they couldn’t stump up a bit more than “only” £20m to the NHS etc...
 
It seems that the Premier League are getting more and more desperate about finishing the season at any cost - Behind closed doors, a three week festival of football and even playing games in China!
I‘ve read all sorts of crazy ideas today.
While people continue to die of CV, sport just isn’t important.
 
Over 3600 of our own people have died over past few weeks through no fault of their own. It is all down to a terrible disease starting thousands of miles away.

Each one of the these people have loving relatives and friends who must be
totally heartbroken and are not even able to comfort them in the last few days.
I simply cannot imagine their grief and I hope that I never have to.

I have loved football since I was old enough to kick a ball with my Dad and up until now I still loved the game.
However my relationship with football has been steadily in decline over the past few years as the money becomes more important than the fans.
The ridiculous £ 50 to have a chance of getting on a computer to obtain tickets to away games on being best at IT basis and obvious greed of sky, premier league and 20 clubs of today is bad enough but when I look at the news as thousands of people die and the desperation to play football for financial reasons appears more important I become physically sick.

The premier league was always going to implode but I never imagined it may be caused by such human tragedy.

As far as I am concerned the premier league and its obscene riches can go
f**k itself and all I am bothered about is the well being of everybody in the world in particular my friends and family.
 
Interesting take on the greed in football and the current discussion about players not being put on furlough but non playing staff (who can ill afford it) are.

Quite good on the players being accused of being greedy:

https://www.football365.com/news/feature-premier-league-player-wage-cut-matt-hancock

He’s a really interesting person, very self-effacing and kind. He has given away all of his £200,000-per-month wages for about three years now, donating it to various charities and investing in projects, anonymously where possible. His position is that Premier League footballers are massively overpaid and that something needs to be done about it, preferably a radical wage cap. He’s very critical of the people in football, from agents to club owners and directors, and “all the flies that circle around the shit”, almost all of whom he says are “horrible greedy bastards”.
 
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