Ross County release 14 players

They are keeping players on temporarily so they can claim 80% wages on furlough. They have told them they wont be getting resigned so are utilising a government scheme. Does not sit right with me.

That doesn't benefit Ayr. That's simply looking after average punters earning a few hundred quid a week.

A lot of businesses are doing it to keep food on people's tables.
 
That doesn't benefit Ayr. That's simply looking after average punters earning a few hundred quid a week.

A lot of businesses are doing it to keep food on people's tables.

The problem I’ve got is that the players are on fixed term contracts that have come to a natural end. Ayr are fleecing the taxpayer by playing the system. I appreciate the club don’t benefit, however they are using the system in a dishonest manner IMO.
 
The problem I’ve got is that the players are on fixed term contracts that have come to a natural end. Ayr are fleecing the taxpayer by playing the system. I appreciate the club don’t benefit, however they are using the system in a dishonest manner IMO.

I dont have an issue with it at all in the present circumstances when the option was someone (far from rich) being put on the dole with no employment chances as their industry was closed due to the pandemic.

The same situation applies to a number IT professionals who contract for a living and earn similar wages to what Ayr pay.

Just because it's a football club, doesn't make it different for those individuals.

Theres a difference between Ayr and Liverpool acting this way for furlough.

Furlough was to help in a time of crisis. You cant say an Ayr player on 30k suddenly losing their income (and who cant gain re-employment at the moment) doesn't deserve the same protection as Dave from IT.
 
I dont have an issue with it at all in the present circumstances when the option was someone (far from rich) being put on the dole with no womplymwnt chances as their industry was closed due to the pandemic.

The same situation applies to a number IT professionals who contract for a living and earn similar wages to what Ayr pay.

Just because it's a football club, doesn't make it different. Theres a difference between Ayr and Liverpool acting this way for furlough.

I fully agree that EPL clubs should not be using the system, the bulk have the means to cope with the current situation.

I accept the players at Ayr will maybe be on £700p/w or so tops, so by no means rolling in it. However the example you give of the IT guy, most of these guys will simply be let go at the end of their contract. Can’t see many “normal” business’ extending contracts to let folk pick up furlough payments. I don’t see why footballers should see themselves as any different.

This money all needs to be paid back at some point and should not be abused.
 
I fully agree that EPL clubs should not be using the system, the bulk have the means to cope with the current situation.

I accept the players at Ayr will maybe be on £700p/w or so tops, so by no means rolling in it. However the example you give of the IT guy, most of these guys will simply be let go at the end of their contract. Can’t see many “normal” business’ extending contracts to let folk pick up furlough payments. I don’t see why footballers should see themselves as any different.

This money all needs to be paid back at some point and should not be abused.

Paid back by the players?

Ayr (or any other club or business doing the same) aren't making money


Normal businesses are doing this very thing. Anyone who was in employment before that certain date is eligible to be put on furlough so they have money during this crisis.

I see literally nothing wrong with that. Your simply punishing people for no reason otherwise.

Ayr aren't profiting from it.

It's not like tax being evaded which is cheating the system.

The very reason for furlough is to protect people who were earning a wage during a period where the business is closed.

The player Ayr would have released at contract end now cant go and sign for Falkirk and earn a wage.

Thays exactly what furlough money is there to do.

No one is cheating any system. They're protecting individuals and their families.

There are government agencies / councils who employ contractors doing the very same thing.

This isn't Rab C and Mary Doll scamming a giro.
 
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Paid back by the players?

Ayr (or any other club or business doing the same) aren't making.

Normal businesses are doing this very thing. Anyone who was in employment before that certain date is eligible to be put on furlough so they have money during this crisis.

I see literally nothing wrong with that. Your simply punishing people for no reason otherwise.

Ayr aren't profiting from it.

It's not like tax being evaded which is cheating the system.

The very reason for furlough is to protect people who were earning a wage during a period where the business is closed.

The player Ayr would have released at contract end now cant go and sign for Falkirk and earn a wage.

Thays exactly what furlough money is there to do.

No one is cheating any system. They're protecting individuals and their families.

There are government agencies / councils who employ contractors doing the very same thing.

This isn't Rab C and Mary Doll scamming a giro.


We’ve obviously got different viewpoints and I can understand yours, although I don’t necessarily agree with it.

I meant the furlough payments and borrowing will need to be paid back by taxpayers (via higher taxation or austerity potentially), not by the players as individuals. I was on furlough myself (full time permanent contract) for the month of April so I’m aware of how the system works and that the employer makes no gain from the system

I have no issue with permanent club staff or those still within contract receiving furlough payments. Indeed I’m more than happy for people in this bracket to receive furlough payments.

The risk of working contract to contract, is that the next one isn’t there.
 
We’ve obviously got different viewpoints and I can understand yours, although I don’t necessarily agree with it.

I meant the furlough payments and borrowing will need to be paid back by taxpayers (via higher taxation or austerity potentially), not by the players as individuals. I was on furlough myself (full time permanent contract) for the month of April so I’m aware of how the system works and that the employer makes no gain from the system

I have no issue with permanent club staff or those still within contract receiving furlough payments. Indeed I’m more than happy for people in this bracket to receive furlough payments.

The risk of working contract to contract, is that the next one isn’t there.

Yeah all fair enough. Contact work's like a variable rate mortgage too. It might go up and it's a risk you take etc.

I think, during these times though, normal rules don't apply in terms of people having to suck up no new contract. The situation has been taken out of their hands.
 
This is the beginning of the end of Scottish football.

If they mothball potentially the 3 lower leagues I can't see how these clubs could start back up in a year with no players or non playing staff?

You really can't run any kind of league system with between 12-16 teams and even some of the teams in the premiership would probably be facing insolvency next season as well.

We really need to start looking at potentially getting out of Scottish football before it's too late.

They'll be begging for SPFL colt teams. Another positive.
 
We’ve obviously got different viewpoints and I can understand yours, although I don’t necessarily agree with it.

I meant the furlough payments and borrowing will need to be paid back by taxpayers (via higher taxation or austerity potentially), not by the players as individuals. I was on furlough myself (full time permanent contract) for the month of April so I’m aware of how the system works and that the employer makes no gain from the system

I have no issue with permanent club staff or those still within contract receiving furlough payments. Indeed I’m more than happy for people in this bracket to receive furlough payments.

The risk of working contract to contract, is that the next one isn’t there.
Any player or employee on the furlough system will pay the same if not more over their career and taxes and PAYE. No different to going on dole if you find yourself out of a job and have paid into the tax system for years.
 
We could capitalise on it and get some of our youths a game which isnt a bad thing and hopefully a few of them push on and either make it for us or make us some money.
 
Any player or employee on the furlough system will pay the same if not more over their career and taxes and PAYE. No different to going on dole if you find yourself out of a job and have paid into the tax system for years.

Agreed they will pay more in than they’ll likely take out. However I think they can claim Universal Credit if they are unemployed or they can look for an alternative income for the time being? That should be their safety net. If there is a genuine intention to keep them on for next season I can almost understand furloughing players, however it sounds like Ayr will release them as soon as the scheme ends.

The lower the cost of the furlough scheme, the longer it can be continued. At its current rate of around £14bn a month it appears that come the end of July it isn’t sustainable and private companies need to start contributing more.

I think the furlough scheme has been a brilliant and necessary, however I just feel it should be used responsibly.
 
I find myself giving clubs like Ross County the same level of sympathy they gave us in 2012 .

Where was their empathy when our employees lost jobs , our club lost millions , a championship winning team left Ibrox for next to nothing and the SPL/SFA hit us with a fine when we didn’t have 2 pennies to rub together ?

now Ross county could face their share of a £10 million penalty because they didn’t think Rangers resolution was worth voting for .

f.uck them
I remember it well when loyal staff at Rangers were sacked, the regime who took over at Rangers got rid of Laura Tarbet secretary to Rangers managers for 43 years, Willie Waddell, Jock Wallace, Walter Smith, and McCoist.
I had the pleasure of contacting Laura quite a few times on behalf of our club in Melbourne, that was a sad day I remember reading about and felt really down.
It was criminal what happened to our people, and only we cared.
 
Clubs are not renewing contracts. Absolutely no surprise that nobody is offering new terms when nobody knows when football will be back. There will be a flurry of signings once clubs know when we'll be back playing football and whether or not fans will be attending matches.
 
That doesn't benefit Ayr. That's simply looking after average punters earning a few hundred quid a week.

A lot of businesses are doing it to keep food on people's tables.

there is such a thing as unemployment, job centre. these footballers are like anyone else.

claiming the government for up to £2500 a month when the reality is they should be claiming UC

At the end of the day, it will come out our taxes

Personally dont agree you should be given a short term contract when the employer no longer wants your services so you can claim the government and get more than what UC pays.
 
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At the end of this Covid thingy and its subsequent waves, more and more people will die and more and more places will go bust. The British league will get formed and we will be left with the papes and ourselves as the rump of what was once a great football league. There may be mergers, Hearts and Hibs, the two Dundee teams .Aberdeen and a team of sheep ,winner takes the loser home for the weekend.
I fear that this is only the beginning of the tribulation and it will get worse before it gets better.
 
At the end of this Covid thingy and its subsequent waves, more and more people will die and more and more places will go bust. The British league will get formed and we will be left with the papes and ourselves as the rump of what was once a great football league. There may be mergers, Hearts and Hibs, the two Dundee teams .Aberdeen and a team of sheep ,winner takes the loser home for the weekend.
I fear that this is only the beginning of the tribulation and it will get worse before it gets better.

Didn't realise Victor Meldrew had a log in
 
there is such a thing as unemployment, job centre. these footballers are like anyone else.

claiming the government for up to £2500 a month when the reality is they should be claiming UC

At the end of the day, it will come out our taxes

Personally dont agree you should be given a short term contract when the employer no longer wants your services so you can claim the government and get more than what UC pays.

They'll pay more tax on it than they would with UC so "we" get more too if that's how you see it.

As far as I understand it, they're not being put on extended short term contracts. They're just being furloughed as their employment fell within the dates of its terms.

It's not fair for them to simply say claim UC. In a normal circumstance they'd have found reemployment in a normal market. Things are different just now.
 
Sorry guys I don't see any sneering or humour in ordinary players losing their livelihoods. This is not top Premiership wages these guys are on and will be now looking at a difficult situation to care for their families.
Great post. I find the idea of any football fan enjoying this rather odd; a lot of footballers have came up through the ranks, some have had to make a lot of sacrifices; some have had to live with injury and the risk of greater injury etc. That a football career could be over in no time is very sad.
 
Didn't realise Victor Meldrew had a log in
Sorry to burst your wee bubble of positivity but can you see any alternatives to my theory? And Victor was a right cheery B compared to me.
Doomed I tell yez. Doomed from the first breath we take to the last. Truth, no?

BTW, the guy up the road from me is a JW pastor and the last time I spoke to his wife I asked her if this was "the end of days" to which she replied ,"Oh no, there's much worse to come". Fair set me up for the day, that did.
 
Aren’t these numbers not quite normal for the smaller clubs? Loads of them just sign 1 year deals with only their best assets tied up on longer deals, then at least half the squad is replaced on a yearly basis.

The ones that don't get a renewal will usually get fixed up elsewhere though. Not gonna happen now.
 
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