Potter, Ashworth and Barber take voluntary coronavirus pay cut

While other Premier League clubs furlough staff despite having many millions of pounds in the bank, three of Brighton & Hove Albion’s highest earning employees have taken a voluntary pay cut to protect jobs at the club during the coronavirus crisis.

Head coach Graham Potter, technical director Dan Ashworth and chief executive Paul Barber have all offered to significantly reduce their pay packets in April, May and June so that less well-off employees were not faced with losing their jobs.

The trio first approached Tony Bloom two weeks ago as the country entered lockdown, offering to take a cut in wages so that other staff could remain on the payroll on full pay.

Mr Bloom rejected the idea at the time. However, with a return to normality unlikely anytime soon, Potter, Ashworth and Barber have since convinced the chairman that part of their wages would be better off paid to other employees.

We know from Brighton’s 2018-19 accounts that Barber took home a cool £1,496,000 over the course of last season. Ashworth and Potter would presumably be on similar wages.

While individuals who rake in so much cash should be able to afford to make a contribution to those less fortunate, it says much about the generosity and culture at Brighton that three of the most important employees have voluntarily decided to forgo pay to help those less fortunate during the coronavirus crisis.

It’s in stark contrast to what we’ve seen across the rest of the Premier League. Plucky Little Bournemouth have told families who let the Cherries’ youth team players live with them that they will no longer receive financial support for their help in looking after the club’s teenagers.

That’s the same Bournemouth who continue to pay third choice goalkeeper Asmir Begovic £70,000 a week and who spent £20 million on Dominic Solanke a year ago.

Bournemouth, Norwich City, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have all taken the decision to furlough staff, something that Brighton won’t have to do yet thanks to Potter, Barber and Ashworth’s voluntary coronavirus pay cut.

Spurs’ use of furloughing is particularly sickening. Their owner Joe Lewis is worth £4.358 billion. Daniel Levy took home £4 million in wages last year with a cool £3 million bonus on top.

And yet here they are getting the government to pay 80% of their 550 non-playing staff’s wages. They’re continuing to pay their players and millions of pounds at the same time as taking money from the state claiming financial hardship – money which the NHS and the other services attempting to get us all through the coronavirus pandemic desperately need.

None of the Premier League’s millionaire players are yet to publicly announce that they’re taking wage cuts to help less wealthy employees at their clubs.

The situation is complicated by the PFA telling its members not to accept a reduction in their wages. While you can perhaps understand a League One or Two player being reluctant to give up pay, there seems no excuse for those in the top flight not to do so. After all, the average Premier League footballer paid £75,000 a week last season.

Brighton have said that although no Albion players have taken a coronavirus pay cut, individuals have made significant contributions to charities.

We really shouldn’t be surprised by Potter, Ashworth and Barber’s generosity. Brighton’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has been exemplary from day one.

The club committed to paying all matchday staff for the final five home games of the season, despite the fact they may never take place.

They then donated hospitality food from the cancelled Arsenal fixture to charities for the homeless in Brighton. Season ticket payments have been put on hold for three months to help struggling fans who may have been placed in furlough or lost their jobs.

Then there was the scheme to give away 1,000 free tickets to NHS Staff. That idea was met by a lukewarm response from many other Premier League clubs, seemingly due to the fact that the Albion announced it without league backing. Because the rest of the league couldn’t take the credit or bask in the good publicity of the idea, they weren’t interested.

Unlike other Premier League clubs, the Albion aren’t making token gestures during the coronavirus crisis to boost the club’s image at the same time as balking at any course of action which might cause them to miss out on a single penny.

Brighton are making big gestures and individuals like Potter, Ashworth and Barber are giving up money because it’s the right thing to do. It makes you proud to be a Brighton fan.