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[Football] Liverpool are the next club to announce furloughing non playing staff.



Blue Valkyrie

Not seen such Bravery!
Sep 1, 2012
32,165
Valhalla
Isn't it worse, can't the player demand damages equal to remaining payments up to the end of their contract? Or maybe there is some kind of force majeure that allows termination in this case
Maybe. I hadn't even considered that.
 




PeterOut

Well-known member
Aug 16, 2016
1,238
I am no economist, but as others have already said, where is the problem with ...

1. Players continue to receive full wages (so no breach of contracts / players leave on a free / clubs lose 'assets').
2. Players pay all of the support staff wages at the club (possibly create a limited company to do this as direct employers of those support staff)
3. When this is over, and revenue starts to flow for the clubs, the support staff revert back to direct employment by the club again

Result includes reduced overheads for the club, players are seen to contribute, fans do not have to subsidise / contribute to the owner's costs by an even greater amount than we already do, Treasury does not lose tax income.

Clearly the details are more complex than this, but there is already a small army of contract lawyers, tax specialsts, accountants etc floating around every club who can make it happen in no time at all.
Just get on and do it, before the fans get so disillusioned that nobody cares if/when the season re-starts!!!
 
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Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
24,120
GOSBTS
It seems people expect Tony to take the whole financial hit, which given what we owe him, doesn't sit well with me.


If we had been making a profit ( like Liverpool ) then perhaps that would be different.

Imagine if when we were at the Withdean, fans were told if we ever got the Premier League we’d still be losing money. And we are losing money because we ‘overspent’ on players right?

If Tony Bloom can afford to get us what we have now, I’m sure he can pay staff on 20-30k a year for a few months? Or why not furlough players who are basically furloughed anyway?

Can we get back that £250k from Richard Scudamore?
 
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Blue Valkyrie

Not seen such Bravery!
Sep 1, 2012
32,165
Valhalla
I am no economist, but as others have already said, where is the problem with ...

1. Players continue to receive full wages (so no breach of contracts / players leave on a free / clubs lose 'assets').
2. Players pay all of the support staff wages at the club (possibly create a limited company to do this as direct employers of those support staff)
3. When this is over, and revenue starts to flow for the clubs, the support staff revert back to direct employment by the club again

Result includes reduced overheads for the club, players are seen to contribute, fans do not have to subsidise / contribute to the owner's costs by an even greater amount than we already do, Treasury does not lose tax income.

Clearly the details are more complex than this, but there is already already a small army of contract lawyers, tax specialsts, accountants etc floating around every club who can make it happen in no time at all.
Just get on and do it, before the fans get so disillusioned that nobody cares if/when the season re-starts!!!
Good solution.

The PL also need to sort out a deal with Sky so money doesn't have to be paid back ( or at least paid back over time ).

Certainty needs to be established asap with regard to next season ( not start date, obviously ). This means clubs knowing which league they will be in by the end of June - otherwise forward financial planning is screwed totally.
 




Westdene Seagull

aka Cap'n Carl Firecrotch
NSC Patron
Oct 27, 2003
21,186
The arse end of Hangleton
The why is....

... any contracted player who is furloughed can walk away from their contract. So assets on the balance sheet disappear overnight. Forget amortization of transfer fees, it is all gone in 1 hit. And say goodbye to any transfer income for that player.

For example, is it worth furloughing, say, Lewis Dunk to save a few hundred thousand, but then lose tens of millions in a sale fee ?

A player is on a contract just the same as almost all workers - it just happens to be a fixed term contract. The players couldn't walk - for starters where are they going to go ? And secondly the club would still retain their registration.
 


Blue Valkyrie

Not seen such Bravery!
Sep 1, 2012
32,165
Valhalla
Imagine if when we were at the Withdean, fans were told if we ever got the Premier League we’d still be losing money. And we are losing money because we ‘overspent’ on players right?

If Tony Bloom can afford to get us what we have now, I’m sure he can pay staff on 20-30k a year for a few months? Or why not furlough players who are basically furloughed anyway?

Can we get back that £250k from Richard Scudamore?

That is exactly what he is doing.

He can't commit to always doing it ( I suspect without certainty of which league we will be in next season ).
 


Blue Valkyrie

Not seen such Bravery!
Sep 1, 2012
32,165
Valhalla
A player is on a contract just the same as almost all workers - it just happens to be a fixed term contract. The players couldn't walk - for starters where are they going to go ? And secondly the club would still retain their regisration.

Not correct.

If a club breaks a contract, the players can walk away. The club does not retain the registration.

I suspect PL players have enough of a rainy day fund to sit it out until they get a multi-million signing on fee elsewhere.



And...

With respect to the government furlough scheme, every employee has to agree to be placed on it. For most it is go on the scheme or lose their job - an easy choice. Not the same calculation for a player.
 




father_and_son

Well-known member
Jan 23, 2012
4,646
Under the Police Box

F**king slimy f**king scum.

If they are paid £500m less (per annum) and this loses £200 million in tax (per annum). (Because yes, they all pay 40% tax.)

But if half of that money were used to protect non-playing wages, thus negating the need for 500 people per club drawing from government funds (say, 500 people X 20 clubs X £2k X 12 months = £240m)

So actually, you could comfortably balance the loss of HMRC revenue with the reduction in drawdowns on the emergency funds *AND* those 10,000 will be paying tax and so it actually works in HMRC's favour!!

And that is only allocating HALF of what could be available. Pay £125m to lower leagues in solidarity payments (and not advance but PAY) and you still have a pot of around £125m for the NHS.

The f**king c**ts at the PFA are pretending their members are doing the right thing by not helping and yet they are just using flawed arguments and dodgy maths to continue to earn millions while people, already on low wages, drop to 80%, paid for by people worried about their own jobs.

Utter f**king b*llsh*t.

Morally bankrupt scum!
 




sully

Dunscouting
Jul 7, 2003
7,855
Worthing
I am no economist, but as others have already said, where is the problem with ...

1. Players continue to receive full wages (so no breach of contracts / players leave on a free / clubs lose 'assets').
2. Players pay all of the support staff wages at the club (possibly create a limited company to do this as direct employers of those support staff)
3. When this is over, and revenue starts to flow for the clubs, the support staff revert back to direct employment by the club again

Result includes reduced overheads for the club, players are seen to contribute, fans do not have to subsidise / contribute to the owner's costs by an even greater amount than we already do, Treasury does not lose tax income.

Clearly the details are more complex than this, but there is already already a small army of contract lawyers, tax specialsts, accountants etc floating around every club who can make it happen in no time at all.
Just get on and do it, before the fans get so disillusioned that nobody cares if/when the season re-starts!!!

The treasury will lose out in that scenario, but not as much as picking up the lower paid salaries. The players would be reducing their taxable income.

What should happen is that the top earners take a bigger percentage reduction than the lower paid workers before any furlough is considered. Our club have shown the way with the Chief Exec, manager, etc, but the players need to play their part - and quick.

I’m still not understanding why people say the players have to agree. These are exceptional circumstances and the clubs revenues have stopped. I’ve seen other companies just inform their staff that salaries are cut by a percentage with immediate effect whilst those staff are still working full time and bringing in the same income as before whilst taking on the additional burden of having to pay all the additional heating, lighting and power costs of working from home, so surely footballers who are currently unable to work shouldn’t expect full pay to sit at home playing on their games machines.
 




ManOfSussex

We wunt be druv
Apr 11, 2016
14,778
Rape of Hastings, Sussex
This is a ****ing disgrace. I won't be happy, but it's difficult to know exactly how I'll feel if Albion go down this route, until or if it happens. The club have been brilliant in everything so far, so long may that continue. Personally I may find myself in a situation where I can't afford next season's STH anyway. We'll see.

I've always had Hastings United as a complimentary fix to Albion, but as the upper echelons of the professional game do whatever they're going to do, I have to concede paying £10 and sitting in the main stand that's as old as The Queen at The Pilot Field when this is over, may be far more appealing than watching The Premier League from the West Upper.
 




Blue Valkyrie

Not seen such Bravery!
Sep 1, 2012
32,165
Valhalla
- It seems to that clubs should be allowed to furlough staff - but the PL should commit to paying all the furlough money back to the country out of the first TV income payment.

- Furloughing players is a non-starter as an idea.

- The PL needs to do a deal with the TV companies so that any rebate is paid over time, or instead compensated with extra games.
 




Blue Valkyrie

Not seen such Bravery!
Sep 1, 2012
32,165
Valhalla
...and yet, not one has stepped forwarded and agreed to forego a portion of their fees to help the non-playing staff.

They either need the money or they don't. The human thing to do is help.
And yet Alireza Jahanbakhsh has sent money back to rural Iran to help fund the fight against the virus.

The human thing to do is indeed to help.
 


Springal

Well-known member
Feb 12, 2005
24,120
GOSBTS
Part of the problem is the players are generally young with not much real world experience. It’s ok for a CEO of a business having experience and all the detail / know how to make a decision. There were stories that when LuaLua joined us he knew nothing about his bank details, how to contact his bank. The club basically had to run his life for him.

Now we’re expecting these players to make a decision on pay cuts / donating wages / etc. How much do they give etc etc. They’re probably confused as **** and the majority will want to do good, but not sure exactly how. Really a blanket agreement needs to be made and they all go with it - but that’s not a quick thing I don’t imagine
 




father_and_son

Well-known member
Jan 23, 2012
4,646
Under the Police Box
And yet Alireza Jahanbakhsh has sent money back to rural Iran to help fund the fight against the virus.

I'm sure that a number are making private contributions. Ryan's generosity during the Bush Fires indicates he could well be doing something. BUT... Their union is representing them and making them look like scum and not one of 500 PL elite players is breaking ranks and publically saying it's wrong.
 




crodonilson

He/Him
Jan 17, 2005
13,582
Lyme Regis
When football is back and Liverpool have their first home game and play 'You'll Never Walk Alone' it will never have felt so ironic.
 


Bakero

Languidly clinical
Oct 9, 2010
13,883
Almería
Here's a good interview with an anonymous player on a related topic: https://www.football365.com/news/feature-premier-league-player-wage-cut-matt-hancock

A snippet-

Journo: “So you don’t think players should donate money to the NHS or help pay the non-playing staff wages?”

Player: “You know my thoughts on our money. It’s absolutely disgusting the amount players get. It’s ridiculous. We’re just footballers, not brain surgeons. The fact I’m paid more money than an actual brain surgeon is ****ing stupid. And all the while millions live in poverty, getting cans of beans from a food bank. How can that be? I couldn’t live with that, which is why I give it all away now.

“But the thing with this current situation is, it shouldn’t be left up to the lads to make individual donations. The non-playing staff wage bill isn’t that big. The club should fork out for that or the ****ing owners should; they’re richer than any of us.”
 


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