Now PFA uses NHS to argue player pay deferrals!

PFA boss Gordon Taylor

The Professional Footballers’ Association says proposals for a 30% pay cut for Premier League players would be “detrimental to our NHS”.

And according to the BBC the PFA also called on the league to increase its own £20m charity pledge.

The league wants players to take a 30% salary cut in order to protect jobs but the union says that equates to more than £500m in wage reductions, and a loss in tax contributions of more than £200m to the UK government.

The union also questioned Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s public criticism of footballers’ salaries during a news conference on Thursday.

“What effect does this loss of earning to the government mean for the NHS?” the statement read. “Was this considered in the Premier League proposal and did the Health Secretary factor this in when asking players to take a salary cut?”

Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport tweeted: “Concerned about the turn football talks have taken…People do not want to see infighting in our national sport at a time of crisis.

“Football must play its part to show that the sport understands the pressures its lower paid staff, communities and fans face.”

The PFA said all Premier League players “will play their part in making significant financial contributions in these unprecedented times”.

ClaretandHugh says: There should be no discussion, no argument, no hard line contradictory views from the PFA. We are into a situation where we all simply do what we must do and the simple and elementary truth is that footballers – as probably most of them we are quite sure understand and accept – HAVE to play their part. For the PFA  to be arguing on behalf of the NHS when all that is required for them is to give the nod to the players to do what they believe is right. This is not a matter of Union discussion but a matter of morality and doing the right thing. The PFA is showing itself to be the unacceptable side of the game. Just do the right thing because it’s precisely this sort of approach that’s seeing football being shamed – the public relations is appalling among everybody living in the real world.