Page 5 - Deal Round Up My/June/July 2020

The Three Horseshoes

A great, friendly, traditional pub in Great Mongeham where you
will find a warm welcome from
Landlords Rachel and Johnny.
01304 379216
POOL TABLE - DART BOARDS
and all football matches
shown on HD screens

BOOK YOUR CHRISTMAS PARTY NOW
BOOKINGS - Now Being Taken For; GARDEN PARTIES - WEDDINGS
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS FOR ALL AGES - CHRISTENINGS -
ANNIVERSARIES - (A Small Deposit Secures)
The Above Includes; Free Use Of Garden Facilities.
(Bring Your Own Food Or We Can Supply)
Children Have Free Use Of;
BOUNCY CASTLE - SLIDES - SWINGS - TRAMPOLINE
BOOK EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT - PLEASE PHONE TO BOOK
Then there is the Premiership. I can hear those among you that are
not that keen on football exclaiming ‘overpaid prima donas’, with
some justification, if I’m honest. Particularly if you can remember
Christiano Ronaldos comment before he left Manchester United for
Real Madrid in 2009 claiming that there was “too much modern
slavery in the sport”. Difficult to justify that remark when it
is thought he earned in the region of £26million in 2019 and is
estimated to be worth £361million. But it hasn’t always been like
that...........
Just after the First World War professional footballers received a maximum weekly wage of
£10. In 1920 the Football League Management Committee proposed a reduction to £9 per
week and although there was a call for strike action involving the Players Union the Football
League was able to impose the £9 maximum and the following year it was reduced again to £8
for a 37 week playing season and £6 for a 15 week close season. The close season payment
was eventually increased to £7, but not until 1945!
Two years later a Tribunal decided that the maximum should be raised to £12 and £10 in the
close season and a minimum wage for players over 20 was set at £7. Further increases were
made in 1951 (£14), 1953 (£15), 1957 (£17) and 1958 (£20). The union argued that in 1939
the footballers £8 was approximately double the average industrial wage, by 1960 the gap had
narrowed to £5 with these figures standing at £20 and £15 respectively.
The players made further wage demands and following the threat
of strike action on January 14th 1961 the Football League abolished
the maximum wage. As a result Johnny Haynes, the England captain
(pictured right), became the first £100 per week player. However, some
clubs such as Liverpool attempted to enforce unofficial wage ceilings.
For example Manchester United paid a maximum wage of £50 per week.
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