A steward at Wolverhampton Wanderers has described the decision not to be furloughed as a ‘live saver’ as the club decides to keep paying their employees during the lockdown.
Shaun Moorby, a 20 year-old university student from Wolverhampton, avoided being furloughed by the club, with chairman Jeff Chi saying: “Of course our staff will continued to be paid during this time of uncertainty.”
Moorby said: “It’s a life saver. I rely on the money that I earn from the club to fund my accommodation and lifestyle at University. I saw what happened at Liverpool and Spurs and my heart sank.”
Wolves’ stance not to furlough their staff has come after the controversial decision by Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur to initially put their workers on the government scheme, which has since been reversed by the two teams.
Moorby added: “I’ve got some friends at lower league clubs who work around the stadium and they are struggling to get work because the club can’t financially support them.
“I’d say I’m lucky to work at quite a big club as they have the funds to keep me but it’s unfortunate for the lower league teams. I’ve even seen that the Sunderland first team players have been furloughed.”
The majority of the Premier League clubs have continued to pay their staff but with the season having no definitive return date some workers may have to look somewhere else for employment.
Moorby said: “It’s fine at the moment but if the season doesn’t continue soon I’ll have to look elsewhere. I saw that the Serie A has been suspended until August 2nd which honestly worries me because the Premier League could do something similar.”
In an article by Joe Edwards from the Express and Star, he said: “No off the field staff has been furloughed and a review will only happen when the club finds itself in financial trouble.”
http://gty.im/1206847033It has also been reported by Edwards that Wolves have donated a ‘six-figure sum’ to the NHS trust in Wolverhampton.