PFA call for emergency financial meeting as clubs impose pay deferrals

Championship leaders Leeds United confirmed on Thursday that players and senior management staff had volunteered to take a wage deferral for the foreseeable future to ensure all non-football staff could be paid.

It’s also been reported that Birmingham City have asked their players to consider deferring wages during a period of reduced revenue.

Further down the football pyramid, League One clubs MK Dons and Accrington Stanley have furloughed all staff.

A meeting is expected to be held on Friday so that clubs can plan how to operate in the coming months.

A statement from the PFA said: “The PFA has called for an urgent meeting with both the Premier League and English Football League to discuss the impact that the COVID-19 crisis is having on the finances of both clubs and players.

“As with other industries, the current COVID-19 crisis is having a severe impact on the finances of the game. Several clubs have already approached players with a view to imposing pay deferrals.

“In order to deal with this situation, we have called for an urgent meeting with both the Premier League and EFL to discuss how we might proceed going forward.”

The statement went on to say the PFA are working “closely with the Premier League, EFL and WSL (Women’s Super League), agreeing on protocols in terms of training regimes and timetables for suspension of group training” and are holding “regular discussions at international level regarding areas relating to contractual stability and the eventual resumption of the leagues.”

PFA Chief Gordon Taylor told Sky Sports earlier this week: “We're looking at a number of different options including an emergency fund and we have our grant service available to our members.

"We have funds for the particular situation we're in now and they will be made available to any individual players and their families should they be in difficult times."

The EFL and Premier League have suspended their seasons until at least April 30 but are keen to complete the 2019/20 campaign when safe to do so.