April 9 – Amid mounting pressure to accept wage cuts like some of their overseas counterparts, Premier League footballers have launched a fund-raising initiative to raise money for the country’s National Health Service (NHS) charities to help tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.
Called #PlayersTogether it has been set up to “help those fighting for us on the NHS frontline”.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who recently said elite players should take a pay cut in the national interest, welcomed what he described as the “big-hearted decision”.
Earlier this week, talks broke down over a proposed 30% wage reduction but it is hoped the new voluntary fund will raise in excess of £4 million. The plan is for each squad’s donation to arrive anonymously into a central fund, which will be distributed locally and nationally.
Tottenham and England captain Harry Kane and Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson were among the players to tweet a statement with the hashtag #PlayersTogether.
“We can confirm that after extensive conversations between a huge number of players from all Premier League clubs, we have created our own collective player initiative, #PlayersTogether,” it said.
It added that it would partner with NHS Charities Together (NHSCT), which represents over 140 NHS charities, to “assist them in generating and distributing funds quickly and efficiently to where they are needed most.”
“It is about we, as players, collaborating together to create a voluntary initiative, separate to any other league and club conversation. To try and help, along with so many others in the country, to make a real difference.”
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