Hammers captain Mark Noble: "I am proud that our entire squad have made clear their strong desire to play our part in helping to support others through this situation"
Saturday 11 April 2020 08:19, UK
West Ham players will defer a percentage of their salaries to help the club during the coronavirus crisis, while manager David Moyes and vice-chairman Karren Brady will take a 30 per cent pay cut.
In a number of measures announced on Friday, the club said joint-chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan are joining fellow shareholders to inject £30m into the club to ensure stability during football's shutdown.
Gold and Sullivan, who have not taken a salary or dividend throughout their 10 years at the club, are deferring interest payments on shareholder loans.
The Hammers are only the second Premier League club whose players have agreed to a wage deferral, following Southampton's announcement on Thursday.
In a statement, West Ham said: "The savings created by the measures above will support the entire infrastructure of the club and enable us to retain jobs and continue to pay 100 per cent of staff salaries.
"It will also help us to continue to support the most vulnerable in our community."
Brady added: "I would like to say a big thank you to David Moyes and his backroom team, our captain Mark Noble and our fantastic squad of players for the commitment and determination they have shown to offer their help and support.
''I would also like to thank the shareholders whose support through this injection of equity once again demonstrates their commitment to the future of the club.
"The joint-chairmen and I are truly proud of how they and everyone at the club has stepped up to play their part in this situation - we are in it together to support one another, our community and our C=club. That is the spirit of the West Ham United family.
"There is still a long and difficult road ahead but we remain committed to doing everything we can to support those most in need, and together we will come through it stronger."
Brady says she fears for players' health if they are to return to action without having the time to attain sufficient levels of fitness, and believes potential resulting injuries could put pressure on an "already overburdened" NHS.
Writing in the Sun newspaper, Brady also revealed she worries a Premier League restart could see players spread the virus by being unaware they are infected.
"The PL have said that whatever happens there will be at least a three-week return to fitness before any game is played and the season recommences," she wrote.
"Each club's medical team have a different view about if this is enough time to get properly match-fit.
"And then what happens if games recommence and players get injured when playing? Are they sent to an already overburdened NHS hospital, as most private clinics are closed, and private hospitals repurposed?
"How will we know if they are even fit to play and not able to spread the infection to other players?
"We know some people can have the infection but remain asymptomatic. So how will testing be done, and by who?"
Brady questioned the Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor over what she describes as "stubbornly resisting collective reaction to football's Covid-19 crisis."
Taylor expressed his astonishment at Health Secretary Matt Hancock's suggestion Premier League players should take a pay cut, before leading top-flight players launched a fund for NHS charities called #PlayersTogether - a fund Taylor has donated £500,000 to.
"Talking of finance, we have the players' union chief executive Gordon Taylor stubbornly resisting collective reaction to football's Covid-19 crisis," Brady added.
"I wonder why? Surely it is in the interests of his members from the elite to the everyday that as many clubs as possible remain intact. Keeping players' jobs is one of his duties."
West Ham captain Mark Noble said: "As players we have been in constant dialogue with the Club since the situation around COVID-19 emerged and I am proud that our entire squad have made clear their strong desire to play our part in helping to support others through this situation.
"At West Ham United, we are one team and our priority reflects the Club's aim to help ensure the staff get 100% of their salaries while we are unable to play our matches. We continue to do all we can, collectively and individually, throughout this period for the benefit of those around us, our colleagues, our supporters and our community.
"On behalf of the players I send our best wishes to all of our supporters and their families, especially those who have been directly affected by the virus, and I look forward to the day that we can all be back together again."
West Ham's players also joined the rest of the Premier League squads in launching a fund for NHS charities called #PlayersTogether earlier this week.
