Home » Kane & Others Ringfence Their Enormous Salaries Winning A Pat On The Head From Lineker [opinion]

Kane & Others Ringfence Their Enormous Salaries Winning A Pat On The Head From Lineker [opinion]

By The Boy -

Here’s a prediction for you, few to none football fans will be on their doorsteps any time soon, applauding England’s top-flight players for their selfless giving.

Against the backdrop of a national economic disaster, precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Premier League footballers have been embarrassed into making a concession – from their original position of making no contribution whatsoever.

After weeks of “extensive conversations”, the group has decided to assist the NHSCT with the threat of unspecified donations to the umbrella charity.

What is miserable here is that whilst “something is better than nothing”, this is nothing more than a token gesture, designed to shift attention, to pacify critics.

Whilst Lionel Messi is prepared to take a 70% pay cut, players literally not fit to lace his boots, are busy conniving as to how they can keep themselves out of the line of fire.

How long football is suspended, will directly affect how many clubs go to the wall, how many people in the game file for bankruptcy.

It’s not up for debate that whatever this group chips in will help, however, this isn’t Mr. and Mrs. Joe Average chipping in a few pounds after being moved by a Comic Relief report. These are millionaires, many of whom would never have to work again anyway- if football were to never return.

Not only could they give significantly more (and not vaguely feel it) but they also have it within their gift to help the English to not be obliterated during this financial crisis.

Again, for the record, I’m not a Marxist. I’m merely someone capable of looking a little further down the road than some millennial being deprived of a second Bentley.

Or have these poor mites been unfairly targeted as Lineker suggests? That’s former Tottenham player Gary Lineker, who’s net worth is thought to be £30million?

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Eddie
Eddie
3 years ago
Reply to  James McKevitt

Whilst the setting up of charitable causes is admirable,considering the huge salaries involved,particularly in NBA,I wonder how many are actually only tax dodges suggested by very well paid accountants.Yes I am an old cynic.

CowSpurs
CowSpurs
3 years ago

Is it right that today an MP has the opportunity to claim an additional £10k in expenses to work from home? Potentially that is £6.5m. Most of the cabinet are millionaires, the chancellor is potentially sitting on billions through his wife. This is more than a Football issue. Is the media going to vilify the politicians? All the people of wealth have a social responsibility, but it didn’t stop footballers or ex Prime Ministers off shoring funds and nor will it change. I wanted Kane to stand up and speak as an individual, but I was not naive to think he would. Matt Hancock created a seize mentality against the footballers and backed them into a corner. However, without singling them out where would we be? Maybe a push was needed, but don’t just push one group in society. Politicians can’t antagonise footballers then accept a pay rise!

CowSpurs
CowSpurs
3 years ago
Reply to  Eddie

Totally agree.

DannyG
DannyG
3 years ago

Wasn’t the original proposal for players to take a cut in wages because the clubs were going to struggle to pay them with the loss of revenue due to the lack of games and potentially TV money? It was more of a Suggestion of a practical way to survive as a business Through a difficult time. I don’t quite know how or why this got flipped into players being vilified for earning big bucks and not giving up their salaries for charity, but they are two separate things as I can see.

The business case says players should take a cut To protect the clubs and for the ongoing health of the game. Clubs pay players. If clubs incomes take a massive hit, that’s going to affect their ability to pay the players. Only the richest clubs will come out of this situation intact. The rest are going to struggle badly. If the players aren’t working, surely they can accept a cut in such an extraordinary time?

As far as charitable donations for NHS goes, I think this should be up to the players to decide and what they have done is a positive step – but there is plenty of room to donate much more. They are role models and should do something to help.

Harry Hotspur
3 years ago
Reply to  James McKevitt

I was told recently that Harry Kane gave a tonne of merch and kit to some local kids. I was also told that he didn’t pay for any of it…

James McKevitt
James McKevitt
3 years ago

We shouldn’t forget that footballers already do a lot. Sadio Mane built a hospital in his home country. Juan Mata started a charity called Common Goal, footballers and managers donate one per cent of their income. Spurs played RB Leipzig recently and their manager Julian Nagelsmann donates one percent of his income. A lot of people are probably doing things in private so we need to bear that in mind. I know United States sports teams have huge charitable foundations and seem to do much more work in their communities than British sports teams do. Almost every NBA player has a charity which they lead. Maybe this is a wake up call for the Premier League to reconnect with their local people. I know Tottenham do have a foundation, but they could always do more.

Sangepouche
Sangepouche
3 years ago

As much as people say it is unfair for footballers to be singled out, i am unaware of any body walking about with a top flight lawyer or stockbrokers name on their back. These people are role models, and as such derive their living from being liked/adored/hated etc. To that end they do need to step up and realise how lucky they are and how unfortunate most of the general public are. I have seen pop stars industry leads and film stars giving some thing back, but no football team. I am a season ticket holder, but after this is over I will not be renewing. They are sad, selfish thoughtless people. just how much money do you need? Even those poor spurs employees who have been furloughed. A worry how to support your family in these troubled times is not what you need.

Eddie
Eddie
3 years ago

Whilst this situation has been badly handled by all involved,it is very noticable that other wealthy groups of people are happy to remain in the shadows silently watching top flight footballers in particular,take a lot of flack from the general puplic and other sections of society.The only winners to come out of this sorry mess are the various sections of the health service fighting overwhelming odds on the front line in an underfunded industry.

This is an unprecedented occurence and nobody has come out of it well including the government who ,to my mind have always been reactive in their actions.This has mostly been due to their unpreparedness and the result of cut backs in the NHS particularly during the Tory imposed period of austerity.
When football eventually comes back I suspect it will be in a totally different form with clubs having gone to the wall and perhaps thousands of players unemployed.But hopefully we will see the end of horribly bloated transfer fees and salaries and the game will perhaps come more back to the people.

James McKevitt
James McKevitt
3 years ago

Singling out footballers is unfair, but that shouldn’t stop them doing the right thing. If football restarts in June or July all this bad feeling may be swept under the carpet in the euphoria of life getting back to some kind of normality. In an extraordinary statement Toby Alderweireld’s agent said wage cuts only benefit the employers and that clubs must stick to both sides of restrictive contracts.
Does he not realise if there is no football there will be no wages for Toby or anybody else. If clubs get into serious financial trouble one of the outcomes will be the Premier League and European Leagues will introduce a wage cap and in four or five years when all the bloated contracts have expired players wages will drop considerably. Any player signing for Spurs in the summer will not be on as good a contract as the players there now. I think transfers will be well down, with players sticking with the deals they have.

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