When people think of football – and I include the government in this – they tend to focus on the millions and billions of pounds splashing around the Premier League.
What they don’t realise is that probably 80 percent of professional players in this country are living week to week and month to month.
I know, because I’ve been there. When I managed Blackpool in the mid-nineties, the lads used to run to the bank on a Friday afternoon to see if their wages had gone in. Sometimes they had, sometimes they hadn’t.
It was the same at Preston North End. The wages would always be cobbled together one way or another, but finances were very tight.
A shock like this would have sent us under, and that’s exactly the scenario faced by every club from League One down.
A lucky few might have some cash in reserve, or perhaps an owner who can foot the bill. If not, your revenue streams will deplete very quickly. And if you’re a semi-professional football club, like many in the National League, it’s even harder.
Lads at those levels have a short career. They might earn £500 or £600 per week, and they’ve got to pay mortgages and provide for their families whilst trying to save for retirement. It’s very difficult.
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That’s why there needs to be some form of bailout, and I think everybody needs to help. We’ve heard this week about the government measures to help wider society.
Denne historien er fra March 22, 2020-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
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Denne historien er fra March 22, 2020-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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SHAKERS REVEL IN MAKING HISTORY
DAVE McNabb says Bury's FA Cup heroes are proud to be writing their own chapters in club history.
WILCOX: WE FEEL COMPLETE WITH WIN
RUSS WILCOX'S verdict after watching his Gainsborough Trinity side outmuscle and outplay their hosts was that it was \"probably our most complete performance\".
CRACKER BY KABIA TOPPLES TUDORS!
ASSISTANT boss Stewart Yetton said his Truro City side were good value for their win over table-toppers Hemel Hempstead Town.
BRAKES PUT STOP ON BORO BATTLERS
SEPARATED only by goal difference before kick-off, these sides remain neck and neck in the embryonic table after playing out 90 minutes in the October sunshine that was a great advert for the division.
BOSS COTT'S GOT A REALLY GOOD THING WITH ROVERS
STEVE Cotterill hailed Forest Green Rovers’ first class performance as they produced a spirited comeback to topple fellow high-flyers Eastleigh at the Silverlake Stadium.
SKIPS STEER HEED'S SHIP
GATESHEAD captains of the past and present are playing a lead role in helping the National League club move on from the departure of FA Trophy-winning manager Rob Elliot.
FA CUP PREVIEW: SWEET! 'DREAM' DRAW IS CHANCE OF OUR LIFETIME
DAVE NORTHFIELD says minnows Biggleswade FC were like 'kids in a sweet shop' when they drew out York City in what he describes as the 'draw of a lifetime'.
PARKER'S HEART IS STILL AT HOME
FORMER England right-back Paul Parker has revealed he would never completely rule out a return to management – but says he would only do so for one of his beloved local clubs.
LOCALS RALLY TO REBUILD BRIDGE
WHEN committee members at Bamber Bridge set out to raise £30,000 to protect the club's future, they were apprehensive about the response they'd get.
RUTHLESS BEES FIND THEIR FEET
ASTERLING second-half performance resulted in league leaders Barnet brushing aside a Boston United outfit that led at the interval through Keaton Ward’s early strike.