AFC Fylde chief backs an overhaul to the loan system

In his latest video for the club website, Haythornthwaite discusses a number of ideas to help make the game more sustainable.

On loan players, the Fylde chief agreed with his Peterborough United counterpart Darragh MacAnthony, who suggests clubs loaning out players should bear the financial burden and not the other way around.

“The Peterborough chairman made a very valid point about loan players,” Haythornthwaite said.

“He was making the point that when a club loans a player out to a club such as ourselves, they want us to pay – in some cases – all of the player’s wages.

“He suggested this was totally unfair because the Premier League are loaning players out, yet they’re the ones with lots of money.

“The players are heading out to get experience of real football to better themselves because they might not be quite ready to get into the first-team just yet.

“The Premier League clubs are basically saying ‘would you mind playing him for us and looking after him until he’s ready for our first team?’ That’s effectively what they’re saying.

“The Peterborough chairman is right to say it’s ludicrous – they should almost be paying us to do it.

“Looking at a case at our level, we got into a mess this season and made a lot of bad decisions at a football level, so we ended up in a bit of a scramble.

“First of all, we had to try and find a goalkeeper which we eventually did. But that particular player came to us – and I think his wages were something around £1,100 a week where he was at.

“When he came to us we ended up still paying £800 to take that player on.

“In this particular case it wasn’t a loan to better that player, this was an experienced player, not a young one. But it doesn’t matter really, it’s the principle.

“To me, in that situation, we shouldn’t be paying more than 50 per cent of his wages.

“Going back a few years, Jonny Smith came to us from Bristol City and did really, really well. The next season he went to Tranmere and did okay, this season he’s at Oldham and he’s the star player.

“I’ve heard he might be getting a contract at Blackpool next season – he’s a good, good young player.

“He was one that we helped develop for Bristol City. He developed so much that he went to a higher league and competed there.

“When you have players like that, I think the cost should be borne by the loaning club, not by the club he’s going to.

“This is an issue that should stimulate some debate and I think it needs sorting out.”