Daily Express Monday, April 6, 2020 59By John CrossMcCLEAN
HITS BACK
JAMES McCLEAN says the
Government should stop attacking
footballers and give more help to
the NHS.
The Stoke winger is annoyed by
Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s
call for footballers to take a pay
cut to help fight coronavirus.
McClean, answering an online
plea for protective equipment,
donated 400 pairs of gloves, 100
face masks, protective visors,
more than 100 gowns and 10 hand
sanitisers to the hospital in his
home city of Derry.
“I was going through Facebook
and saw a post asking for help,”
said the Republic of Ireland
international. “I just typed into
Google to see what I could get and
was fortunate to find equipment.
“It begs the question, if I’m
able to go online, why can’t the
authorities supply enough
equipment? It’s ridiculous. No one
seems to like footballers, but I’ve
seen players do great deeds.”By David Andersonstatements last Thursday and on
Saturday, the latter stating that all
top-flight stars will play their part.
The Premier League has
imposed a 30 per cent limit on
cuts and deferrals but clubs have
already asked players to do more.
There was no concrete proposal
from the clubs after Saturday’s
conference call for the captains to
take back for discussion – just a
presentation.
The captains wanted to be able
to indicate to the players where
they might be going but instead it
is being left to skippers to talk to
their chief executives and
chairmen individually.
They signed off the
WhatsApp group chat
by insisting they stand
together and no-one
should break rank.
They also decided to
spend yesterday with
their families and
reflect on the situation,
no matter what
pressure they receive
from the clubs. They will not talk
again until today.
The players unanimously
supported forming their own
charity foundation, with
Henderson and Manchester
United’s Harry Maguire garnering
overwhelming backing from team-
mates, as has been the case up and
down the country.
But they feel there has been a
lack of leadership from the PFA
while clubs try to bully players.
They also feel remarks by
Health Secretary Matt Hancock
for them to “do their bit” have
been unhelpful.
This dispute has already turned
ugly – and promises to get worse.their money to go to the right
places, not straight back into the
pockets of wealthy club owners.
There was a commitment for all
club staff to be looked after while
players also want to make
contributions to the NHS, charities
and community groups looking
after people hit by the crisis.
Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson,
West Ham’s Mark Noble and
Watford’s Troy Deeney were
thought to be impressive and
authoritative in the WhatsApp
exchanges.
What has annoyed the captains
is how clubs have gone
to players privately to
pressure them into
pay cuts and deferrals.
The timing of the
announcement by
Liverpool putting staff
on the Government’s
furlough scheme could
not have been worse.
The club recorded a
pre-tax profit of £42million less
than two months ago and got a
£100m prize pot from UEFA after
winning the Champions League.
That is at the heart of the matter.
Players are happy to dig deep but
feel the Premier League and
the PFA could be doing a lot more
for the football family and clubs in
their hour of need.
There is anger and frustration
among some of the footballers
about a lack of leadership and
direction from the PFA, with
75-year-old Taylor now back on
the front line and actively
involved, and it is understood
senior players had to force the
union into making strong publicBy John CrossNHS from £20million to £50m – and
to improve the offer of funding for EFL
and National League clubs from £125m
to £200m.
They also want the League to
lobby the Government to get
other wealthy sports people
to make sacrifices of their
own to aid the fight against
COVID-19.
The pressure on all sides
to reach an agreement
today is close to breaking point- but a compromise looks a long
way off, with the players determined to
do the right thing – but on their own
terms.
donation straight to the NHS and
various charities of their choice –
a process which has already
started.
Players are determined to dig
deep to help but have made it
clear this will have to be on
their terms.
Clubs like Liverpool,
Tottenham and Newcastle
deciding to take advantage
of the Government’s furlough
scheme has angered them.
The players feel let down by both
their clubs and the PFA.
They want the Premier League
to increase their donation to theGovernment and footballing
authorities.
Star names have been angered by
remarks made by Health Secretary
Matt Hancock, right, for them to “do
their bit”.
The 20 captains were told that clubs
will face losing up to £1billion in
revenue from TV, sponsorship deals and
matchday income if the season is not
finished.
A proposed 30 per cent wage cut
would save clubs almost £580m, but
players are refusing to agree to the
proposals until they see a clear plan
outlining where their wages will go.
They would prefer to make a combinedLEADING PLAYERS IN REVOLT OVER WAGES
FROM BACK PAGE
stand strong together and spurn the
plans.
The players are totally committed
and willing to making big financial
sacrifices – but are determined that
their money goes to charities and not to
wealthy club owners.
More talks with club and league
representatives will take place today
but no agreement is in sight – with
players wanting to make a donation to
the NHS on their terms as well as
calling on other millionaire sports
stars to join the fundraising
efforts. They also believe they have
been made scapegoats by theThey a
lobl by
otho
tot
oo
CCtto
ttoda
–butacdig
ithby bothWAYNE ROONEY says it is a
“disgrace” the way footballers
have been demonised by the
Premier League and politicians.
Derby striker Rooney
launched a blistering attack on
Health Secretary Matt Hancock
and league bosses for trying to
publicly shame players when
they were already in discussions
about setting up their own
charity.
The former England captain
said: “How the past few days
have played out is a disgrace.
First, the Health Secretary said
Premier League players should
take a pay cut.
“Why was the pay of
footballers even in his head?
Was he desperate to divert
attention from his government’s
handling of this pandemic?
“The Premier League then
announced it was looking for its
players to give up or defer
wages by 30 per cent.
This despite
owners and the
Premier League
board
knowing
players
were
already in
deep
discussion
about
what their
contribution
should be.
“It feels it
is to shame
players and
force them
in a corner
to pick up
the bill for
lost
revenue.”Player attack
is a disgrace
rages Rooney
ROONEY:
Slated league
and HancockFOOTBALL: PREMIER LEAGUE IN CHAOS
PLAYERS
MAKING
A NOISEJordan Henderson,
Troy Deeney, right,
and Kevin De Bruyne,
below, have shown
leadership qualitiesTHE video conference
was “feisty” and
“chaotic”, with about
70 people dialling in.
It opened up with
PFA chief executive
Gordon Taylor talking
about Macclesfield,
Bolton and the football
family.
Premier League
executive director Bill
Bush took over to detail
the brutal financial
realities for top-flight clubs.
The 20 Premier League
captains were all on
Saturday’s video conference
call, along with managers and
chief executives who were
told of a £1.1billion black
hole – and why players are
being asked to take pay cuts
and deferrals.
Saturday’s video gathering was
perhaps the most important
meeting of football personnel
since the coronavirus crisis began.
But there were so many people
on the call, it was a struggle to
make any point. Manchester
City’s Kevin De Bruyne spoke
eloquently but pressure was put
on the players to bail football out.
Tellingly, after the video
conference, the 20
Premier League
captains held their
own informal
gathering, with the
WhatsApp group they
have set up being
bombarded with messages.
The overwhelming
message to emerge was
they all know they earn well
and are all willing to make
financial sacrifices – but they wantUNDER FIRE:
PFA chief
Gordon TaylorClubs have
privately put
pressure on
the players