Same as always, I guess. The odd individual player at any club can sit on a contract without playing - but that's complicated when there aren't any games - but enough of them do it and they might put a club out of business and no-one gets paid any more.

Never know ... treat people right and they may repay the faith.

Long shot I know.

My guess is that a lot of out of contract players aged 30+ will officially retire, take their PFA lump sum and then try to get a gig somewhere as a part-time player.

If it can be done without needing to prove a chronic injury, it sounds like a very good idea.

Pitcher15 wrote:First time user. I am a friend of a friend of a current player .got chatting yesterday and he told me they and the manager were asked to take a pay cut to help the club out in these testing times.. First it was 65% then 50% but they all refused!! he said that if the club was struggling that much why are they still making our money up to full pay after being furloughed. Probably the only club in our league and mostly league 1 doing it?

Hmmm, I believe you are thinking in the now. Sounds to me like the club is looking forward to 2020/21 having no, or highly reduced gate receipts. In terms of financial fair play and in terms of club solvency if we don't have the income to pay current wages over the 20/21 season then changes need to happen. If players don't want to play their part through reductions, then anyone out of contract will likely be jettisoned, which I believe has happened. That's

Yes the club in the short term furlough situation can afford to pay a percentage of the wage, but when that Government support goes away, when players return to work and are playing, we are going to be in deep Trouble very quickly without match day revenue. This is probably why the club have allegedly (as posted by OP) asked for reductions. If next season we have 60% revenue then the wage bill has to be sliced by 60%.

Yes the club could sell viewing through online Providers, but that income will never gross as much over a season at our level as bums on seats. League Teams are probably contracted to 'i follow, and that hasn't produced huge amounts for the club. Watched Bundeliga with empty stadiums. No atmosphere makes a very sterile product.

Ticket prices will inevitably increase, certainly until we get rid of this covid-19 for good. Shame as the quality of football will undoubtedly go down, but we could be looking at 50-100% ticket price increases which may explain why comms from the club are limited. And why season tickets may not be an attractive option. As Stan said, for those of us lucky enough to have been on full pay throughout this lockdown we will have to pay for luxuries like football entertainment.

What would you pay to watch a band play a concert for 90mins, say a band that occasionally has a top ten hit (parallel for our occasional cup runs) but usually has singles and albums which flatter to deceive and only have a local niche fanbase? £40 for a gig ticket?

What would you pay to watch a County game on TV? Same as what you'd pay Sky to watch a pay per view boxing match, or a film at the cinema? £10-15?

That's the future, I'd suggest. The only people who might benefit from games without many fans are those players who get stick from the crowd, ironically I see Harry McKirdy was released by Carlisle despite being their top scorer and probable player of the year because he reacted to a few boo boys. It might be a good fit to get him back.

Pitcher15 wrote:First time user. I am a friend of a friend of a current player .got chatting yesterday and he told me they and the manager were asked to take a pay cut to help the club out in these testing times.. First it was 65% then 50% but they all refused!! he said that if the club was struggling that much why are they still making our money up to full pay after being furloughed. Probably the only club in our league and mostly league 1 doing it?

Hi

They refused because the PFA urged all their members not to take any pay cuts. Ask your friends at other clubs , or google it.