THE Professional Footballers Association today revealed that they had stepped in to help crisis club Chester City.
Simon Barker, the PFA senior executive and former Blackburn Rovers and Queens Park Rangers midfielder, admitted that the PFA had been in contact with Chester’s club officials and players to resolve the issue of unpaid wages after rumours about the possibility of players threatening strike action.
Barker said: “The PFA wouldn’t recommend that the players go on strike, but we can certainly understand their predicament.
“It’s just before Christmas and some of the Chester players have got children and have presents to buy.
“It’s not hard to see why the players are frustrated.
“Any employee in any other industry would be upset if their wages were not paid on time and footballers are no different.
“We appreciate Chester have cashflow problems right now, but this is certainly not the first time we’ve been contacted over wages not being paid.”
Barker admitted that the PFA sympathised with the plight of the Blues on the back of their relegation from the Football League last season, and added: “I understand that Chester have told their players to take time off this week and that they haven’t been paid for November.
“It’s a worrying time for the players and for the club just before Christmas. The situation has become very difficult.
“I’ve spoken to a number of Chester players about the current situation and I’ve insisted that they keep the PFA in contact.
“Chester City have obviously struggled since they were relegated from the Football League to the Conference and I’m aware that they started the season with a 25 points deduction and that things have not been going well for them on less than a level playing field.
“The morale among the players at Chester must be difficult, but they have been good to the club in agreeing to play, but I understand that the club has cash flow problems because they are only relying on gate money.
“The PFA understand the frustration that the Chester players are experiencing because it is always going to be difficult in trying to work and focusing on their job when they are not getting paid.
“Chester have a squad of honest working footballers who are going through an emotional and difficult time.
“Chester is a good old club and everybody at the PFA hopes the club can through their troubled times.
“We’ve dealt with about 70 Football League clubs in similar situations to Chester over the years and we’ve not lost one yet.
“I’m not saying that one won’t go eventually, but we’ll be giving as much assistance as we can.”
Chester’s players are reported to have received an assurance from a club director that the wages will be paid on or before this Friday.
But, if they have still not been paid by then, the City squad have threatened to refuse to play in Saturday’s league game at Rushden and Diamonds.
Chester, who are currently 24 points adrift of safety in the Blue Square Premier Division, survived the threat of expulsion by the Conference earlier this month when former Blues club chairman, Stephen Vaughan, loaned £36,000 to his son, Stephen, the current club owner, to pay Chester’s outstanding football creditors which included Wrexham and Vauxhall Motors.
But, Chester are continually struggling to attract Blues fans to their home games, with many boycotting fixtures in protest of the Vaughan family’s ownership of the club.
Only 518 fans turned up at The Deva for last Friday night’s 1-0 FA Trophy defeat by Fleetwood Town, and Jim Harvey’s Blues are hoping to avoid a second successive relegation campaign.