Blackpool cut summer pay

In a throwback to the bad old days, Blackpool have brought in a new contract and put some of their senior players on £90 a week during the summer.

In a throwback to the bad old days, Blackpool have brought in a new contract and put some of their senior players on £90 a week during the summer.

The Second Division side have come up with the indecent proposal for their players, giving them a tiny wage during the close season. And around six of their staff have so far agreed to take the new, split salary that will put them on a decent pay during the campaign but a pittance in May, June and July.

The idea has already become the talk of the Nationwide League and other chairmen are looking at it as a way of economising when there is no gate money. As one player said yesterday: "It means you have to budget and be careful during the season or else it will be hard to pay the mortgage when only £90 is coming in every week."

Blackpool have also come up with an even more revolutionary cost-cutting measure – paying appearance money and bonuses per minute to the players. The average amount for appearance money is £200 and the same for a win bonus, but if a substitute only comes on for one minute he will be paid just over £2.