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'We will not be furloughing them': Burnley chairman Mike Garlick promises full pay for all staff

  /  autty

Burnley chairman Mike Garlick has vowed to keep all the club's staff on full pay for the foreseeable future.

The Lancashire club are one of the smallest outfits in the Premier League. In the last financial year Burnley made a profit of just £4.3m.

But after a week that has seen big clubs like Liverpool and Tottenham criticised for placing non-playing staff on the government's emergency furlough scheme, Garlick vowed to hold out as long as possible.

'It's a conversation we have had over the last week,' Garlick told BBC Radio 5 Live.

'We have taken the decision - certainly short to medium term - that ourselves and the club will fund non playing staff. We will not be furloughing them.'

Garlick said over the weekend that Burnley could lose £50m if the coronavirus outbreak continues to cripple the country.

But last night he said: 'That is the worst case scenario - if we don't finish the season and there is no new season in sight. But I don't think it will come to that.

'I think we will start playing again and we need to. People want to see football.'

In common with other Premier League clubs, Burnley's short-term future depends on the resuming of the season and the safe guarding of TV money that would come with it. If this does not happen by July, Burnley will look again at whether they have to furlough some staff.

In the meantime, Garlick will not be asking the club's players to take a pay cut.

'We will not unilaterally impose things on the players,' he said.

'If they decide to help us in any way we would be grateful. But we won't think any less of them if they don't. Talks are ongoing.'

Garlick is ready for Burnley to finish the current season behind closed doors and added: 'That's the reality. We are probably looking at that. We need to get the job done.'

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