Daniel Levy - Chairman

[Finney Is Back]

Plus directors salaries too
But I think it’s more about the players as that was repeated as a theme in his message
The players are getting paid but not “contributing” currently
The take a 20% cut and that pays for the salaries of the 550
It’s that simple in reality as we pay out about £30m a month in wages and I’d hazard a guess that less than £2m of that is on the non playing staff

Are the directors just taking a 20% cut of being furloughed? If the latter then I’ll have some respect for them as it’s capped at equivalent of £50k a year gross pay.

 

[Grays_1890]

Are the directors just taking a 20% cut of being furloughed? If the latter then I’ll have some respect for them as it’s capped at equivalent of £50k a year gross pay.

why?? Levy’s 20% will be more value to club as would him staying to run the club, something he can’t do on Furlough

 

[Bedfordspurs]

Are the directors just taking a 20% cut of being furloughed? If the latter then I’ll have some respect for them as it’s capped at equivalent of £50k a year gross pay.

They don’t be getting any government subsidies that’s for sure as their money is too high
Also I’ve read loads talking about levy’s pay again.., the money declared in the numbers was last years pay not this years which will be different again
Although as I’ve said before he does now a big chunk of the club and can lay himself whatever he wants in effect

 

[DubaiSpur]

Do you honestly think it’s all about “saving a few quid”? Seriously?

Yes. We are talking a maximum of maybe 10-15m quid for a full year for 550 people, which is the cost of one fudging Vincent Janssen, or roughly two to three times the collective director bonuses paid out this fudging year - put it another way, it's a little over double Levy's annual salary at the maximum, including his bonus.

It is about saving a few quid for this football club. Nothing else, whatsoever.

The government scheme wasn’t set up just for small businesses. It was set up to help prevent firms of any size having to make employees redundant and thus avoid unemployment numbers - and associated costs - rocketing, and the economy sinking even more than it already will.

THFC are as much entitled to use the scheme as any other company and I would much rather they did than make any employee redundant.

I work with the Government of Canada, on measures similar to those of the UK Government.

We don't know how many applicants will avail of our programs, and partial payouts might be necessary if the cost skyrockets beyond a level the country can afford.

I know a similar situation will emerge in the UK - the scale of lost economic activity versus the furlough scheme may mean hard choices have to be made about which businesses are funded.

By applying to this scheme, THFC are contributing to a similar situation in the UK. When we do not have to - we do not have to make employees redundant, and we are wealthy enough to pay our employees during this time.

I expect such behaviour from most corporations. I do not expect it from football clubs, which were ostensibly different organizations with a bit more of a conscience. Guess I was terribly wrong, in the case of my own club.

Sure Levy is using his statement to bring pressure onto the PFA but there is also, to me, a very, very clear undertone that this is a critical issue for the club. Levy is not one for hyperbole and I have no doubt that he would not be doing this if it wasn’t necessary.

'Levy is not one for hyperbole' - he is if it serves his purposes, and this serves his purpose of pushing the PFA to cut salaries for their players. Not that I think they shouldn't be cut, but it's transparently clear why this is happening - I just happen to think using the club's ordinary employees as hostages is pathetic.

And yes, he did get paid a large bonus. It is normal practice for CEO’s (which is what Levy is, effectively) to be bonused and if I remember correctly, that £3M also comprised bonuses deferred from previous years, not just a one-off mega payment for a delayed stadium.

Yes, apparently paying large bonuses to CEOs is normal. Paying staff is normal, too. Yet one thing continues on like nothing in the world is amiss, and another has to be shut-down because it costs too much.

 

[DubaiSpur]

Honest question, not point scoring or any rubbish.
Would ST holders be willing "donate" the remainder of their ST credit or whatever to a fund for the staff?
Obviously I'm not involved, not being a ST holder, but it's something maybe the trust could suggest.
I spend maybe £100/150 a year in the online shop, I would gladly donate some of that to the staff.

If there's a fund set up by the Trust, that would be great too.

In fact, it's the sort of thing the Trust would be great at - do you think there would there be interest in such a thing?

 

[DubaiSpur]

Isnt a club in the world that doesn’t live like us and would be Naive to say otherwise.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/s...vow-pay-1-000-matchday-staff-rest-season.html

Club funded by an oppressive Sheikh, but not exactly an unknown.

BTW do you live in Dubai or you did? Happy to take the wages funded by or in a morally bankrupt nation?? Can’t have it all ways

I did. I left after high school. And I'm not defending that place, either.
I'm not a pro-bono human rights lawyer, but I know right from wrong. This is wrong.

 

[Grays_1890]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/s...vow-pay-1-000-matchday-staff-rest-season.html

Club funded by an oppressive Sheikh, but not exactly an unknown.

.

Financially doped club based on oppression in his own country. Proven my point, isn’t a club that is an exception to what your saying, regardless if in this instance they are paying the low staff or not.

They are part of the wider picture of what you say you hate, if you pull exception out or not.

 

[Bedfordspurs]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/s...vow-pay-1-000-matchday-staff-rest-season.html

Club funded by an oppressive Sheikh, but not exactly an unknown.



I did. I left after high school. And I'm not defending that place, either.
I'm not a pro-bono human rights lawyer, but I know right from wrong. This is wrong.

So it’s being reported that the club are paying 80% of the wages and the staff can then use Fulough to top that up

Thats comes from a lad on twitter who works for the club (his words i have no evidence) who was also told the decision was made as it protects benefits and keeps their job as and when football returns at some point in the future

 

[Bedfordspurs]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/s...vow-pay-1-000-matchday-staff-rest-season.html

Club funded by an oppressive Sheikh, but not exactly an unknown.



I did. I left after high school. And I'm not defending that place, either.
I'm not a pro-bono human rights lawyer, but I know right from wrong. This is wrong.

That’s their casual staff not their full time staff
It’s the same with a few clubs who have agreed to pay match day staff before today as their earning nothing on the casual side

 

[DubaiSpur]

I am sorry but since i have been on this forum you have slagged Levy for nearly everything he does, you are always bitching that Levy is tight and will not spend the amount of money you want him to,and it seems that you can not wait to put the boot in on him.

We ceased being JUST a football club years ago ( just like most teams have) its all about money now and since Sky reared its ugly head we have thousands of couch potatoes who feel/think that they could do a better job.

We are a buisness and if we were not run well ( as we have been since Levy arrived) we would not be where we are now, then fans like yourself would have EVEN more reasons to bitch.

You said "The club has become an utterly amoral, utterly ruthless business, which is not how football should be " well i do not completly disagree with that, however if it upsets you that much why do you still bother because if i thought as full as you on that i would walk away.

I dunno. Things upset me about my family, but I'd never walk away from them, either. Same thing.

You wouldn't, either, so drop the act.

You're right, we've ceased being just a football club. What we are now is a half-way house, where we pretend to be one when it suits us, and revert to being a business when it doesn't.

I' m not perfect. I don't pretend I can walk away from something I've loved for as long as I have. But what I can do is point out when something is wrong - and this is wrong. We don't need to stoop as low as this, or be like this, milking the taxpayer while laughing our way to the bank in a time of urgent crisis.

You don't have to agree with me about Levy. But this is wrong, mate. No doubt other clubs will follow now, but we can be better than Mike fudging Ashley, who was the first one to do this.

 

[Grays_1890]

I dunno. Things upset me about my family, but I'd never walk away from them, either. Same thing.

You wouldn't, either, so drop the act.

You're right, we've ceased being just a football club. What we are now is a half-way house, where we pretend to be one when it suits us, and revert to being a business when it doesn't.

I' m not perfect. I don't pretend I can walk away from something I've loved for as long as I have. But what I can do is point out when something is wrong - and this is wrong. We don't need to stoop as low as this, or be like this, milking the taxpayer while laughing our way to the bank in a time of urgent crisis.

You don't have to agree with me about Levy. But this is wrong, mate. No doubt other clubs will follow now, but we can be better than Mike fudging Ashley, who was the first one to do this.

If I was that upset about Levy or the club or the state of football I would walk because the club isn’t family, not even close.

Fact is the club isn’t far removed from the normal world, my MD is a multi millionaire and put 30% of company out the Furlough, could have comparably bailed them out but didn’t. Levy is the same, isn’t unrecognisable to the rest of world, just because it’s a “football club” doesn’t change a thing. Its a romantic notion to believe the clubs not.

 

[elyid]

Personally don’t see the problem.

The government offered this money to secure jobs. This ensures all 550 employees will have jobs to come back to and 80% income in the meantime while staying at home.

How many billionaires do you see giving money to governments voluntarily? Zero. Yet no ire towards them.

 

[Grays_1890]

Personally don’t see the problem.

The government offered this money to secure jobs. This ensures all 550 employees will have jobs to come back to and 80% income in the meantime while say at home.

How many billionaire do you see giving money to governments voluntarily? Zero. Yet no ire towards them.

Spurs pay tax though as do the player we employ in large chunks so us taking back out the system again is all within the sphere of normality.

30mish paid in tax by club then by its employees aka the players so we do ok for the government.

Don’t see the harm in availing of the scheme we pay to avail of.

 

[DubaiSpur]

If I was that upset about Levy or the club or the state of football I would walk because the club isn’t family, not even close.

Fact is the club isn’t far removed from the normal world, my MD is a multi millionaire and put 30% of company out the Furlough, could have comparably bailed them out but didn’t. Levy is the same, isn’t unrecognisable to the rest of world, just because it’s a “football club” doesn’t change a thing. Its a romantic notion to believe the clubs not.

I don't think you would walk away, but fair enough. The club isn't family, but it's close enough that it's easy to use when explaining why you don't just walk away from something you have such a connection with, however rotten and soulless the edifice and wider sport has become.

It's part of why football has inelastic demand - fans will take almost anything, and even when a club dies, they'll try to revive it. It's just the way it goes.

It's part of that romance of football that makes it different from the 'normal' world, and from your MD, and his opinion re: furloughing folks.

Or it damn well should be, because people don't understand what football looking like the 'normal' world would look like.

Here's a hint - Spurs a few or no supporters at all, because Liverpool has the best product, and it's illogical to expect people to consume a currently far-inferior product for the highest ticket-prices in the league. Strip the romance out of it, and you are nowhere.

That's still alive in football - just barely.

 

[Grays_1890]

I don't think you would walk away, but fair enough. The club isn't family, but it's close enough that it's easy to use when explaining why you don't just walk away from something you have such a connection with, however rotten and soulless the edifice and wider sport has become.

It's part of why football has inelastic demand - fans will take almost anything, and even when a club dies, they'll try to revive it. It's just the way it goes.

It's part of that romance of football that makes it different from the 'normal' world, and from your MD, and his opinion re: furloughing folks.

Or it damn well should be, because people don't understand what football looking like the 'normal' world would look like.

Here's a hint - Spurs a few or no supporters at all, because Liverpool has the best product, and it's illogical to expect people to consume a currently far-inferior product for the highest ticket-prices in the league. Strip the romance out of it, and you are nowhere.

That's still alive in football - just barely.

I promise you I would walk away, far more issue in the game above this makes me want to, I.e player racism overlooked because of their commercial value to the game or the corruption of Qatar proven then overlooked for them to still have a World Cup that’s serious damage. Gangsters like Abramovich or the old Owner of Leicester who was a hugely shady member of the Thai establishment worries me more.

Spurs run like big business is low on my list of hurt in the game. Does it look like 60s Spurs, course not but does Liverpool when the harboured Suarez and their T-shirt’s of support?

That’s not point scoring just setting a picture.

We contribute hugely to the U.K. tax system as a company, we are using that as support.

Just what it is.

 

[DubaiSpur]

So it’s being reported that the club are paying 80% of the wages and the staff can then use Fulough to top that up

Thats comes from a lad on twitter who works for the club (his words i have no evidence) who was also told the decision was made as it protects benefits and keeps their job as and when football returns at some point in the future

So we're expecting the taxpayer to take on 20% of our payroll costs for ordinary folks? Which would cost us very little.

Furlough is applied for by the employer, not the employee. Staff can't apply for anything - If what your Twitter contact is saying is true, Spurs are essentially saying that we're going to be paying people 80% of their wages and then applying for furlough to top up to a 100%.

Meaning, we're asking the taxpayer to subsidize us over a paltry figure that we could pay anyway.

Unlikely. Not impossible, but very unlikely. Given that the furlough scheme itself covers up to 80% of wages or 2.5k a month, it's likelier that we'll be aiming for the latter, especially given the congruence in percentages.

 

[elyid]

Spurs pay tax though as do the player we employ in large chunks so us taking back out the system again is all within the sphere of normality.

30mish paid in tax by club then by its employees aka the players so we do ok for the government.

Don’t see the harm in availing of the scheme we pay to avail of.

That’s a good point.

On the surface it seems harsh due to how much money is in the game.

However as you say the government happily take our many millions and are now giving a small % back at a time of need. Seems fine as that’s the point of them offering it.

-

Random: A mate of mine joked the other day he’s surprised Levy hasn’t turned the stadium into a premium price private hospital. Hopefully that doesn’t happen!

 

[Grays_1890]

Meaning, we're asking the taxpayer to subsidize
.

We are a tax payer

Prem pays 3.5m in Corporate Tax, that’s not bad going really.

 

[glasgowspur]

If there's a fund set up by the Trust, that would be great too.

In fact, it's the sort of thing the Trust would be great at - do you think there would there be interest in such a thing?

I think there would be, big problem is that there is going to be a lot of people not knowing when their next pay packet is coming, or what's in it.
Could be difficult for some to justify it, charity begins at home etc.

Not sure I would have faith in the trust to run it. Not criminal worries, more competence ones.

 

[thfcsteff]

He took a £3 million bonus for delivering the stadium 9 months late. I wonder how much bonus he’d have paid himself for delivering it on time and to budget?

THIS!!!!!!

Unbelievable.

We both know what message that sends. Now, what if he had offered to donate his bonus (not even his salary, his bonus!) to offset staff wages? That would'be been a fudging gesture. And what if before making any statements, he'd consulted the playing staff and told them what he was doing and what he expected? THAT would've been great.

It has come to something when Leeds Utd are leading the way...