Simon Sadler tops up wages to keep Blackpool FC staff on full pay

Most of the Seasiders’ club and hotel staff are on furlough and so receive 80 per cent of their wage from the Government via its Job Retention Scheme.

But since the scheme was launched in March, Sadler has paid the outstanding 20 per cent of all those wages, even though the club has been hit by a massive loss of income due to the coronavirus pandemic. And he has pledged to continue doing so for the next two months.

Employers are under no obligation as yet to top up furlough payments and Seasiders chief executive Ben Mansford says that Sadler’s generosity shows his commitment not only to the club but to the wider Blackpool community.

Mansford told The Gazette: “Simon will continue to top up wages of all furloughed staff to 100 per cent for the next furlough period, which shows his incredible support not just for the club but for the local community.

“This places a very great burden upon him but he has decided that at present it’s right to continue topping up the wages of all staff to the full amount.

“It’s a wonderful gesture because our staff accept how tough these times are. If we’d asked them to take the 80 per cent of pay on offer from the Government I think they would have agreed, but Simon is continuing to support the club and local community to ensure all staff remain fully paid.”

This does not apply to players, while some senior staff who have continued to work for the club throughout the crisis have agreed wage deferrals. These include Mansford and head coach Neil Critchley.

For the three months from August to October, the Government will reduce its furlough payments and will expect employers to make a contribution. It is too early to say how this will affect Blackpool staff, though Mansford reiterated the importance of Sadler’s devotion to his club and home town.

The Pool chief added: “We have lost all our income from matchdays and if football restarts behind closed doors we will still be without many revenue streams. All this puts great pressure on the owner, so we are immensely fortunate to have Simon. He is very aware of the club’s importance to the local community.

“We will only survive if we are all in this together as a community. If we all stick together we will come out the other side.”