https://www.premierleague.com/news/1651836

Key takeaways are:

• Season suspended indefinitely until it is safe to return with 'the full support of the UK government'
  
• Consulting all players about a 30% pay reduction + deferral
  
• £125 million to be advanced to EFL and National League clubs
  
• £20 million to support NHS
  

Quoted from MarinerDevil

https://www.premierleague.com/news/1651836

Key takeaways are:

• Season suspended indefinitely until it is safe to return with 'the full support of the UK government'
  
• Consulting all players about a 30% pay reduction + deferral
  
• £125 million to be advanced to EFL and National League clubs
  
• £20 million to support NHS
  

You missed out one very important point, due to precedents set in the war years when the leagues were last suspended any resumption of the league would see all teams starting from where the Leagues finished...that means we will now be 13th in the Premier League when play resumes and Scunthorpe will be getting rejected for League status for another 11yrs   ;D

Quoted from moosey_club

You missed out one very important point, due to precedents set in the war years when the leagues were last suspended any resumption of the league would see all teams starting from where the Leagues finished...that means we will now be 13th in the Premier League when play resumes and Scunthorpe will be getting rejected for League status for another 11yrs   ;D

If only!

Quoted from MarinerDevil

https://www.premierleague.com/news/1651836

Key takeaways are:

• £125 million to be advanced to EFL and National League clubs
  

What does 'advanced' mean? Sounds like a loan, rather than a gift.

I read it as an advance rather than a loan or grant. It’s next season’s money now which doesn’t help for the future much. Hopeful we can sell out home and away the first two games back but going forward from that we’ll need home sell outs every week to get back to some degree of financial normality.

Quoted from wigworld

What does 'advanced' mean? Sounds like a loan, rather than a gift.

"The EFL also notes and appreciates the decision taken today by the Premier League in respect of the short term financial relief it is to provide EFL Clubs through the advancement of solidarity payments, parachute payments and Academy Grants," they said in a statement.


Income which was due but now advanced.

Liverpool to furlough staff.

Cant see their fans been happy with that.
Wage bill around 310 million a year,7th richest football club in the world.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52165826

Quoted from Stadium

Liverpool to furlough staff.

Cant see their fans been happy with that.
Wage bill around 310 million a year,7th richest football club in the world.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52165826

I really don't understand why so many people seem to think football clubs are a special case and shouldn't be furloughing staff.

Every business in the country is entitled to use the furloughing scheme to retain staff that aren't required at the moment and would be laid off otherwise. LFC should be applauded for topping up salaries so their furloughed staff will be receiving 100% of their usual salaries.

The Premier League and it's club make huge contributions in tax payments to this country. Why shouldn't they be able to use a scheme that many multi-national businesses that divert their profits to countries with more favourable tax rates can use?

There's a scheme. It's open to all businesses. You can't pick and choose. If there wasn't that scheme then there would be several million employed people being made redundant instantly and claiming universal credit along with the 1 million or so self-employed people that have started claims in the last few weeks.

Quoted from GollyGTFC

I really don't understand why so many people seem to think football clubs are a special case and shouldn't be furloughing staff.

Every business in the country is entitled to use the furloughing scheme to retain staff that aren't required at the moment and would be laid off otherwise. LFC should be applauded for topping up salaries so their furloughed staff will be receiving 100% of their usual salaries.

The Premier League and it's club make huge contributions in tax payments to this country. Why shouldn't they be able to use a scheme that many multi-national businesses that divert their profits to countries with more favourable tax rates can use?

There's a scheme. It's open to all businesses. You can't pick and choose. If there wasn't that scheme then there would be several million employed people being made redundant instantly and claiming universal credit along with the 1 million or so self-employed people that have started claims in the last few weeks.

What an interesting view on that option.
Never thought it would happen when lower league fans were happy for the tax payer to fund a club when the players are earning wages beyond belief.

By the way I have no problem at all with clubs using the scheme who are seriously financially affected.
The scheme is meant for companies in fear of going out of business,not to replace slightly lower income.
And even Henry Winter is suitably disgusted,quite unbelievable.

https://twitter.com/henrywinter/status/1246451076297035778?s=20

Sorry, the scheme wasn't set up for any business whatever the size. It was setup to benefit employees and keep them in work when they would otherwise have been made redundant.

Which is exactly why the government has instructed companies to re-engage staff that had left their businesses since 28th February so they can use the scheme.

It's not for the benefit of business. It's for the benefit of individuals.

Quoted from GollyGTFC

Sorry, the scheme wasn't set up for any business whatever the size. It was setup to benefit employees and keep them in work when they would otherwise have been made redundant.

Which is exactly why the government has instructed companies to re-engage staff that had left their businesses since 28th February so they can use the scheme.

It's not for the benefit of business. It's for the benefit of individuals.

Interesting.
In the case of PL clubs you are saying its not a benefit for the business?
Couple of ex players thinking its not the right thing to be doing:

https://www.goal.com/en-ie/news/plain-fcking-wrong-collymore-carragher-slam-liverpool-over/1mnmo75u0wxeo1s0idwyq2glz6

Good article here around a conversation with a current player.

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

Think most people would agree with the last reponse.

“It’s not complicated,  Clubs pay non-playing staff wages in full for the duration. The Premier League or whoever has the power, takes the players and directors’ wage bill for three months and donates it to essential workers and the NHS. Six months if it goes on longer. That’s it. Not hard. No fuss and bother. Just do it. The lads will probably be glad to have the pressure taken off them. Then we’ll go round Hancock’s house and get his money off him. The twit.”

The PFA have made a very important point. If Premier League players take the suggested pay cut (30%) it works out at a combined £500m and that means the taxman (ultimately the NHS) lose out on £200m in income tax receipts and that's before you add-on employers contribution.

It seems barmy that certain ex-players are furious that clubs are using the furlough scheme for non-footballing staff as it will potentially cost the taxpayer tens of millions, but are quite happy for pay cuts to be agreed that will cost the taxpayer hundreds of millions.

The original question was around a club using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Nothing to do with the 30% pay cut.


The average footballer on just £2,000,000 a year PAYE gets his 12 monthly payslips and a net pay of just £1,071,140.00 a year to scrape by on.
It would make far more sense for him to donate the £50,000 funds (30% of one gross month) to a medical charity of his choosing using Gift Aid or via a 3rd party.

The whole point of the furlough scheme is to maintain demand in the economy by incentivising employers to keep people earning - and therefore spending - throughout the lockdown.  

Many clubs (or any other businesses) who couldn't ordinarily afford to keep paying employees are rightfully using this to keep staff on.

However, most clubs' biggest earners will obviously be their playing staff, so they really should be first in line for pay cuts/furloughing - if this really is about keeping clubs afloat.  

Liverpool are essentially saying that they're fine to keep paying six figure sums to their players but fancy letting the taxpayer save them a bit of money elsewhere.  Bit cheeky by anyone's standards.

Quoted from MarinerDevil

The whole point of the furlough scheme is to maintain demand in the economy by incentivising employers to keep people earning - and therefore spending - throughout the lockdown.  

Many clubs (or any other businesses) who couldn't ordinarily afford to keep paying employees are rightfully using this to keep staff on.

However, most clubs' biggest earners will obviously be their playing staff, so they really should be first in line for pay cuts/furloughing - if this really is about keeping clubs afloat.  

Liverpool are essentially saying that they're fine to keep paying six figure sums to their players but fancy letting the taxpayer save them a bit of money elsewhere.  Bit cheeky by anyone's standards.

Some good points there MarinerDevil, the scheme also aids the recovery of companies once we are back up and running by making sure companies have the skilled staff in their roles instead of the need to implement training and other costs that could see the economy recover a lot slower, more for industry me thinks but does suit other sectors.

The thing that is on mind mind during this time is can the government keep this going, should we be locked down until September, will we end up giving up some holidays to make this cost effective and surely a tax increase once we are back up and running to pay this back will be on the cards too, maybe an increase of National Insurance too.

Quoted from MarinerDevil

The whole point of the furlough scheme is to maintain demand in the economy by incentivising employers to keep people earning - and therefore spending - throughout the lockdown.  

Many clubs (or any other businesses) who couldn't ordinarily afford to keep paying employees are rightfully using this to keep staff on.

However, most clubs' biggest earners will obviously be their playing staff, so they really should be first in line for pay cuts/furloughing - if this really is about keeping clubs afloat.  

Liverpool are essentially saying that they're fine to keep paying six figure sums to their players but fancy letting the taxpayer save them a bit of money elsewhere.  Bit cheeky by anyone's standards.

Supporter group against this too.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/apr/05/liverpool-challenged-by-spirit-of-shankly-fan-group-over-staff-furloughs

https://www.goal.com/en/news/supporters-union-awaiting-liverpool-response-on/eg2q23dsnfaj12pig4xih600t

Good to see fans protesting against this.

Quoted from GollyGTFC

I really don't understand why so many people seem to think football clubs are a special case and shouldn't be furloughing staff.

Every business in the country is entitled to use the furloughing scheme to retain staff that aren't required at the moment and would be laid off otherwise. LFC should be applauded for topping up salaries so their furloughed staff will be receiving 100% of their usual salaries.

The Premier League and it's club make huge contributions in tax payments to this country. Why shouldn't they be able to use a scheme that many multi-national businesses that divert their profits to countries with more favourable tax rates can use?

There's a scheme. It's open to all businesses. You can't pick and choose. If there wasn't that scheme then there would be several million employed people being made redundant instantly and claiming universal credit along with the 1 million or so self-employed people that have started claims in the last few weeks.

Well they obviously reconsidered & reversed the decision.
Good victory for the fan pressure groups and PR damage limitation for the club.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52191140

On a similar vain, companies are getting a rates and tax holiday or whatever, understandable if your shop,company is closed so no income coming in but, evidently all supermarkets and other shops,companies that have remained open, thus still having an income and hopefully making a profit are also receiving the tax brakes, although such as Tesco say the last few weeks has been better then Christmas, so let’s get the supermarkets to make a contribution towards the NHS.

PL clubs starting to demand a season end date:

https://is.gd/BSVfaU

And would Ashley be getting rid of Newcastle, and it’s been reported it’s a cash sale, if this virus had never happened. At least he’ll have some money to pay his workers.

Quoted from Gaffer58

And would Ashley be getting rid of Newcastle, and it’s been reported it’s a cash sale, if this virus had never happened. At least he’ll have some money to pay his workers.

I will **** John Fenty in the centre circle of BP before the kick off of the first game back if workers in Ashley's empire see one penny of the money raised from selling NUFC. Every penny will go in Ashley's pocket.

I laughed at the reports that said the FA is undergoing it's right and proper person's checks before green lighting the sale. They should have done that when he bought the club.

Quoted from BobbyCummingsTackle

I will **** John Fenty in the centre circle of BP before the kick off of the first game back if workers in Ashley's empire see one penny of the money raised from selling NUFC. Every penny will go in Ashley's pocket.

Best check if it's alright with Ollie first, then Fenty   8)