Take 2: An open letter to professional footballers from the people who support you, to do something amazing

On Twitter, the other day, Scotland Manager, Steve Clarke, was the subject of a ‘BREAKING NEWS’ tweet…the news was he had taken a 10% pay cut. Wow! That’s breaking news?

The average Premier League player earns, it has been widely reported, £60,000 per week, it’s £20,000 for the average Championship player. Based on 20 and 24 teams in each league respectively and 25 / 20 players earning these wages, that equates to £316,800,000 over two months…yes, TWO MONTHS!!!!

That includes you.

People are dying, people are struggling to eat, people are losing jobs but, ironically, the people that may well be providing support and care for friends and family of these players are sacrificing themselves for all of us, including you.

So, instead of posting videos about how you’re keeping fit, or hiding from the elephant in the room, this is your chance to do something SPECTACULAR, TAKE 2 and donate two months wages. Don’t defer it, donate it. Because if you don’t, we guarantee that football will start to die. Inflated egos, sob stories about not getting the move you wanted, feigning injury, setting bad examples…it was already testing the football supporting population well before Coronavirus.

Do something now before the discussions that your leagues are having to come up with a ‘one size fits all’ solution are too late and the pressure’s off. Yes, a lot of you (clubs and individuals) already do a lot to support charities and other good causes that we never hear about now and in the past. Well done to you and well done Eddie Howe and your coaching staff for taking a voluntary cut. But this is huge, this needs all of you to go the extra mile, ALL OF YOU. This will beat anything you’ve done before, that last-minute winner, that crunching tackle, that unbelievable save….they mean nothing in the fight against Coronavirus.

You are very privileged to do what you do and you are being paid handsomely to keep fit at home. Every press up you do, every weight you lift, every squat, every lunge, every jump….you’re getting paid to do it and you’re safe…just think about it…do something you know is right, don’t wait for your league or your agent or a family member to suggest it to you because, you know what, they probably won’t. Everyone around you is probably frightened to suggest you do something…and if you know a player and have suggested something, good on you. I keep hearing we all shouldn’t be telling you to do something and that you know you should be doing something….can you get on with it then, please? Time is of the essence.

Do something now, before it’s too late. TAKE 2 NOW.

Donate two month’s wages at https://nationalemergenciestrust.org.uk/coronavirus/ or donate to a cause that needs your help (and that includes non-playing staff who you can support) and post something on social media with a sign saying #TAKETWO.

Thank you. On behalf of football fans globally.