Decision follows Liverpool U-turn to furlough staff last week after backlash from supporters
Tuesday 14 April 2020 10:07, UK
Tottenham have reversed their decision to use the government's furlough scheme following criticism from their own supporters, and will pay staff in full.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy said at the end of March they would reduce the wages of 550 staff members by 20 per cent, while utilising the government's scheme with a number of staff furloughed during the outbreak.
That decision led to widespread criticism and scrutiny and Tottenham made a U-turn on Monday, stating all non-playing staff 'will receive 100 per cent of their pay for April and May'.
A statement from Spurs read: "We are acutely aware that many supporters were against the decision we made regarding furloughing staff who could not carry out their jobs from home - due to the nature of their work - and our intention to apply, if applicable, for the coronavirus job retention scheme (CJRS), a scheme designed to ensure that jobs and employment rights are protected.
We regret any concern caused during an anxious time and hope the work our supporters will see us doing in the coming weeks, as our stadium takes on a whole new purpose, will make them proud of their club
"Indeed we have seen opposition from fans to fellow Premier League clubs accessing the CJRS too. This once again underlines that we bear different pressures to other businesses, many of whom have and will continue to apply for support from the scheme as the Government intended.
"In view of supporter sentiment regarding the scheme, it is now not our intention to make use of the current CJRS that runs until the end of May.
"We shall consult with stakeholders, including the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust with whom we have been in dialogue over the past week and who share our desire to protect jobs, should circumstances change going forward."
Liverpool changed their decision to furlough staff due to a fierce backlash, with Levy feeling the heat as the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters' Trust railed against the move.
"The criticism the club has received over the last week has been felt all the more keenly because of our track record of good works and our huge sense of responsibility to care for those that rely on us, particularly locally," said Levy.
"It was never our intent, as custodians, to do anything other than put measures in place to protect jobs while the club sought to continue to operate in a self-sufficient manner during uncertain times.
"We regret any concern caused during an anxious time and hope the work our supporters will see us doing in the coming weeks, as our stadium takes on a whole new purpose, will make them proud of their club."
Spurs announced equipment has now been installed at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium so it can "operate drive-through Covid-19 testing and swabbing for NHS staff, families and their dependents".
In addition to being the first Premier League ground used for testing, the club said that "the stadium has been repurposed and fitted out to house the North Middlesex Hospital's Women's Outpatient Services, freeing up much-needed capacity at the hospital itself to treat patients with Covid symptoms, while supporting the redirection of pregnant women away from the hospital during the pandemic".
Analysis from Sky Sports pundit Phil Thompson:
"They've come to the right decision. Liverpool reacted very quickly to the pressure that was out there, and now Tottenham have done it. It's taken them a little bit of time, but without a doubt they've come to the right decision.
"It brings a lot more respect to the football club. I know they went along with it for quite a while, but it takes a brave decision to come out and admit they got it wrong and to reverse it for all the right reasons."
Before Tottenham's announcement, Gary Neville questioned how there could be a wave of transfer activity this summer in light of the coronavirus pandemic that has forced several clubs to furlough non-playing staff while also falling back on the CJRS.
Neville told The Football Show: "These transfer discussions, whether it be Harry Kane to United for £200m or Jadon Sancho to City or United for £100m... it completely undermines the discussions the Premier League are having with the players around taking a 30 per cent pay cut.
"If you're asking for a 30 per cent pay cut across the board and you're going to spend another £1bn in two months on transfers... the Premier League spent £1.4bn last summer on transfers and the previous three summers they also spent over £1bn... if you're trying to get 30 per cent pay cuts from existing players, you may have to put a transfer embargo in place.
"If I was the PFA, and Tottenham want a 30 per cent pay cut, or Manchester United on their players, which was what was said a couple of weeks ago, then it's very difficult for the existing players to then see their club do a transfer for £200m three weeks later.
"Transfers are things the fans love, and we love players moving around, but it does seem to me to be awry when we've got such a behind-the-scenes war going on with respect to players taking cuts, the clubs needing support, and then in the next breath you've got a £200m transfer speculation going on.
"That doesn't feel right to me. Premier League clubs can't stop the speculation, but there's no smoke without fire. I would suggest the Premier League, to stop this, would probably put a transfer embargo in place on all clubs that are looking to reduce their players' wages.
"That would take away a lot of the angst that is existing among the players behind the scenes who feel they're having the wool pulled over their eyes by the clubs."
