Manchester United will pay out more than £1m to casual staff affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
The club have pledged protect the earnings of around 3,000 matchday and non-matchday staff as a result of the ongoing suspension of the season.
The Premier League confirmed on Thursday that the campaign would not resume before April 30 – just a week after postponing action until April 4 as the world tries to slow the spread of Covid-19.
They remain committed to fulfilling the remaining fixtures, but there is the potential that the season will have to be played behind closed doors. United were quick to announce “goodwill payments” for staff who would be impacted if games are either cancelled or played in an empty stadium.
In a statement they said: “This goodwill gesture reflects the club’s desire to reduce the financial uncertainty facing its casual workforce, and is in recognition of the crucial role they play in delivering services to supporters.
“All Premier League games are currently suspended until at least April 30. Discussions are ongoing with the Premier League about what will happen to games after that date, including the four remaining games scheduled to be played at Old Trafford this season.
“The goodwill payment will be made to all matchday and non-matchday casual workers who have worked for the club in the past three months.” Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward added:
“We rely on our outstanding staff to deliver an exceptional service and experience to fans at Old Trafford. We understand that these are unprecedented circumstances and want to give them security whatever may happen regarding our remaining fixtures this season. We look forward to welcoming back all our supporters - and our colleagues - to Old Trafford as soon as possible.”
The move follows the club’s decision to reimburse fans who bought tickets for last week’s Europa League tie with LASK, which was ordered to be played behind closed doors. United paid a fixed sum of £350 to almost 700 supporters who had to cancel or alter their plans – amounting to a total figure of around £245,000 to help cover the cost of flights and hotels.
