Overwhelming majority of YouGov poll thinks footballers should accept wage cuts

Pressure is intensifying on professional footballers and their union to accept wage cuts or deferrals as the financial impact of the coronavirus crisis continues to be felt.

A YouGov poll found 92 per cent of respondents felt Premier League players should take a wage cut to reflect the loss of revenue created by the Covid-19 outbreak, with more than two-thirds saying the cut should be at least 50 per cent.

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, along with other senior non-playing staff at the south coast club, have agreed to take a significant and voluntary pay cut for the duration of the crisis. A number of Cherries staff have also been furloughed under the Government’s job retention scheme set up to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the British economy.

The players’ union, the Professional Footballers’ Association, is holding talks with the Premier League and the English Football League regarding a possible collective agreement on wage deferral.

Tranmere chairman and former Football Association chief executive Mark Palios told the PA news agency a collective agreement was “absolutely essential” while his Scunthorpe counterpart Peter Swann criticised the union on Wednesday, saying: “It’s embarrassing regarding the silence of the PFA in all of this”.

Swann said cuts or deferrals of player wages was the only measure which would make a meaningful difference, and said it should be “at least 50 per cent” for those earning more than minimum wage.

At Bournemouth, Howe was joined in accepting a pay cut by chief executive Neill Blake, first team technical director Richard Hughes and assistant manager Jason Tindall.

“There is no script for moments like this,” a club statement read.

“No tactics and no set plays to find a winning formula. But as a board we are continually looking at ways to ensure the future of the club and our employees is protected when the season returns.”

Julian Knight MP, the chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, said football was operating in a “moral vacuum” over the issue of wage deferrals.

“It sticks in the throat,” said Knight.

“This exposes the crazy economics in English football and the moral vacuum at its centre.”

Tottenham announced on Tuesday they were furloughing non-playing staff, before any player wage deferrals have been agreed.

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor suggested on Tuesday that a task force could be established to assess wage deferral requests on a case-by-case basis, as he highlighted that even within divisions there was great disparity between clubs.

“It’s about trying to avoid clubs doing their own thing without any particular structure or guidance so that you end up with players at one club envious of players at another,” he said.

Newcastle and Norwich have also joined Spurs in furloughing non-playing staff.