Macclesfield say they are hopeful a settlement can be reached before the weekend to prevent their FA Cup first-round tie against Kingstonian being cancelled because of a players’ strike.
Training could not take place on Wednesday after players and some staff members resorted to industrial action over unpaid wages from last month. The first-team squad have threatened to refuse to play against Kingstonian until they receive their wages from October.
Macclesfield have been taken to court by players over unpaid wages in the recent past and the situation at the club almost led to a boycott of the final league match of last season.
A club spokesman indicated every effort was being made to bring the strike to an end before Sunday, because the FA Cup represents a potential source of much-needed income. Victory against opponents from the seventh tier of the English game could prove the start of a lucrative cup run, whereas pulling out of the fixture might have financial repercussions next season as well as this because Football Association rules state that clubs can be barred in the future if they withdraw from the competition for an unsatisfactory reason.
The Football League and the Professional Footballers’ Association are involved in trying to find a solution. The players have endured previous payment delays under the owner, Amar AlKadhi, and say their patience is limited. They feel an FA Cup boycott is the best way of highlighting their grievance without making an impact on their League Two position.
