Letter sent by head of parliamentary sports committee @julianknight15 to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters expressing “strong dismay” clubs are furloughing non-playing staff while still paying players which is “morally wrong.”

Separate letter to Chancellor @RishiSunak from sports committee chair @julianknight15 calling for a windfall tax to be imposed on Premier League clubs that cut pay of non-playing staff using government furlough scheme while “extremely high wages” are still paid to players

Having used the government furlough scheme for effective bailouts, Bournemouth, Newcastle and Tottenham being targeted in this appeal by @julianknight15 who chairs the @CommonsDCMS committee which calls in sports executives for questioning by MPs https://twitter.com/RobHarris/status/1245696177732894722

Professional Footballers' Association respond to backlash against players not taking pay cuts: "In instances where clubs have the resources to pay all staff, the benefit of players paying non-playing staff salaries will only serve the business of the club’s shareholders."

Statement in detail from the Professional Footballers’ Association: We are aware of the public sentiment that the players should pay non-playing staff’s salaries. However, our current position is that as businesses if clubs can afford to pay their players and staff, they should”

This Premier League players' pay row is developing into an extremely damaging issue during the country's gravest crisis in peacetime, with the pandemic death toll rising and economic hardship deepening across Britain