Grimsby Players Will Support The PFA Action

By: Bill Osborne
Date: 03/10/2001

WITH the PFA set to ballot their members over a decrease in their cut of TV revenue with a players strike more than likely if the problem is not resolved, Grimsby Town player David Smith said the Grimsby players will probably back their union.

"I hope that something can be sorted, and it would be silly for things to get that far, but the players would back their union," said Smith to the Grimsby Telegraph explaining that the players themselves will not receive any of the money.

"It's about looking after junior players who don't make it, older players who have fallen on hard times and good causes," he said.

"Over the last two years the PFA have spent £22-million on good causes and it's not going into the players' pockets. It's for education and helping out old players and things like that."

The Town players held a meeting yesterday to discuss the situation and it appears they agreed to support the cause. "If five per cent has been agreed over the years, then why should that change? The players aren't lining their own pockets," said Smith.

Many club chairmen, have threatened to stop pay to striking players. "That's something that will have to be discussed as to whether we'll be in breach of our contracts, if it comes to that. But, obviously, none of us here wants to be without a job.

"None of the players at this club are multi-millionaire footballers and we can't do without money. The fact that the Premier League players get paid so much doesn't come into it."

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