The decision by Liverpool FC to furlough around 200 non-playing staff, using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was rightly reversed by the club yesterday night.
Liverpool U-Turn On Controversial Furlough Plans
The ever-growing wave of criticism from Liverpool fans, ex-players, fan groups such as Spirit of Shankly and as well as the wider media turned the screw on the club, forcing a U-turn and an apology through an open letter penned by chief executive officer Peter Moore.
In that letter, Peter Moore admitted, “We believe we came to the wrong conclusion last week to announce that we intended to apply to the Coronavirus Retention Scheme and furlough staff due to the suspension of the Premier League football calendar, and are truly sorry for that.”
Liverpool, as European Champions and Club World Cup winners, are without a doubt expected to set impeccable standards and the fans would expect nothing else. While the apology was welcome, and even more so correct, however, the deep embarrassment caused by the club will be felt by many Liverpool fans for some time.
Any credit given to the club, if any, for changing their minds should be tinged with the thought that if the criticism wasn’t so damning and so public, they would have gone through with this and never looked back. Apologising, simply because you got caught, makes the apology somewhat hollow.
With clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United taking full advantage of the furlough scheme, created to help staff and organisations struggling through the current health crisis, you can’t help but feel that Liverpool FC took one glance at those clubs and thought they’d try their luck too. Yes, we are speculating, but it does not take too much of a leap in logic to reach that conclusion.
Both Manchester clubs have announced they will not use the furlough scheme, and more Premier League clubs are expected to do the same. However, a small number of clubs have already chosen the other route.
Other Clubs Need To Step Up And Do The Right Thing
AFC Bournemouth, Norwich City, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have all chosen to use the government’s Job Retention Scheme. For many, when a Premier League football club which currently benefits from the largest TV money deals ever seen in English football, holds out their cap to the taxpayer, it infuriates them. The morals of those clubs should rightly come into question, and they fully deserve the same level of scrutiny and criticism that Liverpool FC have endured. The focus should now sharply fall on those clubs.
It is the opinion of many that the Premier League is the best in the world. The coveted reputation of the Premier League will be tarnished by even the appearance of some of the top clubs relying on government handouts. The right decision has been made by Liverpool. Now, it is time other clubs followed their lead.
