PFA strike 'could happen in November'

Gordon Taylor, the Professional Footballers' Association chief executive, claims his members could be involved in strike action as early as November in the row over television funds.

Taylor was responding to a claim from a claim made on BBC Radio Five Live by a Premier League spokesman, Phil French, that the players' union "did not need the money". The row over the PFA's cut of television money has, it seems, escalated, although Taylor is due to meet the Premier League's chief executive Richard Scudamore in Manchester today.

Taylor's union has issued notice of a ballot on industrial action as both sides' positions become further entrenched. The PFA is insisting it gets what it believes was a custom-and-practice five per cent of TV revenue. But the League claims there is no legally binding agreement to maintain that.

An angry Taylor hit back after hearing French say: "They don't need the money, there's more than enough on offer for the players' benefits. There is nothing in any contract we have that ties us to the five per cent figure. There's no contractual basis for it."

Taylor responded by saying: "We will go through proper employment legislation. And it will be in November, I would estimate, when things could happen. The public have been understanding, they are seeing this is not about the wages of the better off players.

"They have seen this is not about greedy footballers but about us trying to help the less fortunate," he added, "and really about greedy Premiership clubs who are reneging on long standing agreements. We don't want to strike, but we feel we have been left with no alternative."