Restructure and redundancies

[pauliewalnuts]

joke

pay worthless players years wages of over £60k per week, sack £7.20 p/h employee

yep that's the villa way.

No, that's the football way.

Which doesn't make it any less reprehensible, but to suggest we're somehow unique in the above sorry state of affairs is wide of the mark.

[Richard E]

The problem with sacking players is that their contracts are for fixed terms rather than terminable on notice so unless you are dismissing them for gross misconduct you would have to pay up the remainder of their contract. If you're going to have to pay them you may as well play them or retain them for their resale value (if any!)

[PeterWithe]

It's horrendous for those involved and see am unfair but it's got to happen.

Agree with this, the blame can be spread far and wide but we are where we are and the cost cutting needs to happen if we are to come out the other side.

[pauliewalnuts]

Oh come on! Seriously? Do we always have to side with the powers that be at the club?

i don't see how anyone could possibly read any more than a few pages of this site and deduce that "we always have to side with the powers that be at the club".

Who is the "we" you are referring to?

If it is "the posters" then that's ridiculous.

If it is "the moderators" (and I suspect that's what you mean), then I think you'd struggle to suggest I "always side with the powers that be" based on my posting history. Similarly other moderators, too.

[Risso]

I can see that we have to cut costs, but one bad move in the transfer market, as has happened more often than not, and all the cost cutting will be undone.  I wonder what the pay offs to Sherwood and Garde will be.

[Chris Harte]

Very sad that ordinary people will lose their jobs because of bone-idle footballers and incompetent (ex-)board members who are rewarded massively.

Shithouses to a man.

[cheltenhamlion]

This will likely be coming off the back of the review as we are hopelessly disorganised behind the scenes. For example, we retain a match day staff that caters for 40k a week through the doors, rather than say 25k and bring in additions as needed.

I feel very sorry for anyone who finds themselves jobless but some cuts are likely needed.

[CT]

Maybe an act of solidarity from the fans towards the staff made redundant at the next home match would be worthwhile? Some more humiliation for the jokers that have got us into this mess.

I was thinking this too - would be a great idea.

[Hookeysmith]

The problem with sacking players is that their contracts are for fixed terms rather than terminable on notice so unless you are dismissing them for gross misconduct you would have to pay up the remainder of their contract. If you're going to have to pay them you may as well play them or retain them for their resale value (if any!)

This is a great explanation. I would also add that the players are actually like buying a piece of plant or machinery rather than a person in business parlance (imagine Gabby as a Fridge ). The  cost is accounted for in amortisation and it depreciates over the length of the contract. In fact most clubs buy players to not only receive the benefit that piece of "kit" provides in the short term but also to hopefully increase in value when you sell.

The only time a contract is terminated is through gross misconduct which in todays terms means a breaking of a criminal law (Adam Johnson / drugs use etc)

Another thing is that the majority of employees in a normal business with have a generic, standard contract and condition of employment. Each player will have a contract customised (usually by agents and lawyers) to their own needs, there would be very little the club puts in as conditions, although I would assume and hope that relegation has been central to any players we have taken on over the last 5 years.
I heard today that Shelvy at Newcastle has a contract for 4 years on £80K per week with NO clause - OMG

[mattjpa]

To be fair, alot of the holte end match day catering staff will be able to go straight into new employment as extras on the walking dead.

[Dave]

The only time a contract is terminated is through gross misconduct which in todays terms means a breaking of a criminal law (Adam Johnson / drugs use etc)

Another thing is that the majority of employees in a normal business with have a generic, standard contract and condition of employment. Each player will have a contract customised (usually by agents and lawyers) to their own needs, there would be very little the club puts in as conditions, although I would assume and hope that relegation has been central to any players we have taken on over the last 5 years.

Probably not even in breaking the law in some cases - if you think about the number of drink-driving cases that crop up from time to time. When Dennis Wise (appreciate we're going quite far back now) was sentenced to prison time, all that happened was he was temporarily stripped of the Chelsea captaincy.

The requirements in a player's contract term tend to be mainly around being available when the club wants them to be - training, matches, commercial appearances etc. There's very little about expectations in terms of performance or ability.

Relegation-related wage reductions are in there (at least according to Chelt's conversation with Tom Fox about it).

Reading between the lines, I'd guess that the newer long-term contracts for the likes of Bacuna/Westwood/Gabby/Baker etc were probably to add clauses to theirs. i.e there weren't any relegation reductions in their previous ones, so they were given the security of a longer contract but the club was given the security of knowing their wages were more sustainable in the event of a drop in income.

But that's just wild speculation on my part.

[Hookeysmith]

And if the club did do that then fair play to them having the foresight to do so - even if it seems unpalatable that dross like that had contract extensions

[auntiesledd]

Very sad that ordinary people will lose their jobs because of bone-idle footballers and incompetent (ex-)board members who are rewarded massively.

Shithouses to a man.

Indeed. Oh, and don't forget the billionaire uber-shithouser who continues to do the parcel-shelf-nodding-mutt-routine - as he continues with the toy he wanted: but wants rid (with a hefty price hike) after he completely smashed it to pieces. It's a shame the club aren't getting a hefty pay-off for dropping out the league, otherwise these poor folk about to be given the elbow might be able to keep their minimum wage jobs...

[godzvilla]

If your Restaurant is serving lousy food, would you sack the Cashier / Bookkeeper / Dishwasher etc ?........or the culpable Chef(s) ?......Godzvilla!

[SheffieldVillain]

If your Restaurant is serving lousy food, would you sack the Cashier / Bookkeeper / Dishwasher etc ?........or the culpable Chef(s) ?......Godzvilla!

Obviously the chef. But there again, they wouldn't be on the very specific contracts footballers are so it would be legally possible.

If your restaurant experienced a drop in people coming into it, would you employ so many waiters/waitresses?