Scunthorpe chairman says EFL players should NOT be paid until football resumes

In a letter released to the PA news agency, Swann also criticised the governing bodies for a lack of leadership and stated his worries about resuming action behind closed doors.

The English Football League and Professional Footballers’ Association reached an agreement which will see clubs asked to defer player wages by no more than 25 per cent, and not below £2,500 per month.

But Swann, whose club are in League Two, wants more drastic action and says players must NOT claim money for a job they are not doing.

He wrote: “It should not be the clubs who are asked to support the football industry and ultimately risking their futures during the shutdown of football, it needs to be the governing bodies and they should be leading from the front, sadly I believe we are lacking any decisive leadership at any level.

“We sign players on contracts to play in the Football League and that is the job they do, play football in front of fans for a set number of games.

“They earn money on appearances, promotion, and relegation under those rules and I feel if the league is suspended then the players wages should be suspended until the resumption of full training and a resumption date confirmed.

“Yes, players have bills to pay, but they should not claim monies for a job they are not doing, they must work with the clubs, not create a barrier.”