It’s times like these that really give you a true insight into the nature of certain people – while we have seen so many heartwarming stories about human compassion, the news is also filled with tales of greed from those who feel there is money to be made or saved.
It’s not a new thing to hear that football clubs pay players as much as possible while trying to cut costs everywhere else, but the decision to use the government’s furlough scheme on non-playing staff is particularly galling – especially if players are still getting paid.
READ MORE: Liverpool and Chelsea given fresh hope of beating Man United to Jadon Sancho transfer
Liverpool were the latest to make the decision to do that yesterday, and the backlash from the fans and former players has been phenomenal.
The Mirror reported on some comments from Danny Murphy, and it’s clear that he’s critical of any clubs who decided to go down this route:
“It is grotesque because it wasn’t introduced for Premier League clubs who have more than enough money to look after their own.”
“I’m particularly disappointed with the decision coming from Liverpool yesterday because it runs against the togetherness and unity the club has always been renowned for, particularly over the last 30 years since Hillsborough.”
“I don’t think the players would object to the principle but they deserve to know first what their money would be used for instead,”
“We are talking significant amounts, millions of pounds. If it went to the frontline NHS or charities, that’s one thing. If it remained in the clubs’ pockets, that is another.”
“From my experience, footballers do step up when needed and it’s no surprise to me that Jordan Henderson and other Premier League captains have been looking at ways to use their financial power to help the NHS and charities.”
The point about the pay cut is particularly important, because it’s beyond reprehensible if the club is just keeping that money and also asking the government to pay the wages of the non playing staff too.
Footballers have been getting a hard time for not taking a pay cut but we’ve seen so many examples of individuals making donations and trying to help out, which is a whole lot more than some clubs are doing right now.