Vale captain unsure of future after "big" paycut

[robf]

Port Vale skipper Carl Dickinson has admitted that he has a “big decision to make” after Vale’s latest contract offer included a “big pay cut.” Dickinson told the Sentinel: “I have been offered a deal and it is a big cut. So, I will be completely honest, I have some decisions to make. “I have […]

 

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THIS IS AN AUTOMATED FEED OF A STORY FROM THE OVF FRONTPAGE

[Bycarsbill]

A similar decision to be made no doubt by all players offered new contracts. The economic law of "supply and demand" prevails and it remains to be seen if any other club will make a bigger offer?

 

Good luck to Dicko if he can get a better salary offer--we all do the same--but hopefully if he does stay, there won't be any lingering resentment and he commits to the wholehearted approach he's always shown so far.

[smithie]

I've got a PhD in footballer-speak...allow me to translate;

 

"If anyone comes in for me with a half-decent offer I'll be off like a shot, otherwise I'll stick around for what is still probably a decent wedge for what I do for a living".

 

My worry is about the commitment to the cause from any player who takes a 30-40% wage cut. I'd have similar concerns with people in any job actually.

 

You could argue of course that millions of people get by on minimum wage, and many thousands of public-sector workers have had pay freezes or actual pay-cuts. It makes the wages paid to Premier League footballers all the more obscene, but that's another topic for another day!

[TheSage]

If we are to believe what we hear and read some players are being told they will have to take a pay cut of up to 50%. That's staggering as well as worrying.

 

No one in their right mind could afford to take that so that'll be another player we'll have to replace when we finally get round to appointing a manager.

[ELDERBEZZA]

Great news for any potential manager new manager out there to read!!! I'm afraid the finger points at one individual who will wreck our club.I won't name that person as we all know it is!!!!I think the time has come for a little break from all this bad news for me!!Enjoy your summer folks and get your season tickets.

[stupers]

I wouldn't expect the players to take the pay cut, if as it's said they have to take a 50% pay cut. However, it's becoming pretty clear that some of the deals the players were above what we can/could afford. I would like to keep a few of them, but not to the detriment of the clubs finances. We have to pay what we can afford.

[Andy06]

Who in there right mind would take a 50% paycut good Lord.... Perhaps the push to get into lg1 is now biting us in the arse in way of wages

 

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[smithie]

We have to pay what we can afford.

 

That's the bottom line in any business. Our season-ticket sales and walk-ups alone don't generate enough income, so we have to make money in other ways (merchandise, commercial dept, events etc).

 

I think this Page leaving episode will see many waiting to see who's appointed boss before committing to a season ticket.

[colin]

It all goes hand in hand. The more season tickets we sell, the less cuts and better budget well have. But all these bad vibes from pay cuts has a further knock on effect on season ticket sales. As for Dicko we'll certainly miss his passion if he does get a better offer elsewhere.

[Family Stand Terrier]

The whole approach at the club at the moment is the wrong way round. It's lazy, and puts the onus on the fans (customers). It's as though the clubs approach to selling ST's is to threaten fans. If you don't buy a season ticket, this is what I'm going to do with the budget. You can't sell a product like that. I'm just amazed that Smurf hasn't learnt from the mistakes of those that have gone before him. Like Rob has written in his comment piece about the club being at a low, it wouldn't take much to at least begin communicating to fans in a positive way. However, that flies in the face of this "I don't sugar coat" anything view that Smurf has started to adopt. I'm sorry, but that's just not f**king good enough I'm afraid. You, Smurf, represent our club. Your job is to sell the club in every way possible, thus increasing revenue from a number of different sources. If that means sugar coating things, then sugar coat the f**k out of them.

[stupers]

The whole approach at the club at the moment is the wrong way round. It's lazy, and puts the onus on the fans (customers). It's as though the clubs approach to selling ST's is to threaten fans. If you don't buy a season ticket, this is what I'm going to do with the budget. You can't sell a product like that. I'm just amazed that Smurf hasn't learnt from the mistakes of those that have gone before him. Like Rob has written in his comment piece about the club being at a low, it wouldn't take much to at least begin communicating to fans in a positive way. However, that flies in the face of this "I don't sugar coat" anything view that Smurf has started to adopt. I'm sorry, but that's just not f**king good enough I'm afraid. You, Smurf, represent our club. Your job is to sell the club in every way possible, thus increasing revenue from a number of different sources. If that means sugar coating things, then sugar coat the f**k out of them.

 

The club has to do a lot better at painting a positive picture of the situation. You can spin almost anything positively. They could have could have released a statement saying something along the lines of 'Whilst it is disappointing Page has left, this gives the club an opportunity to push forward with a new manager'. Instead it was 'he's left, we'll appoint a new boss'. Hardly uplifting.

 

I don't need to see or hear Smurf telling us he's putting in £x to run the budget. I'd rather we ran within our means, but to do that successfully you have to find ways of more people to part with more of their money. Something sadly, our club is not very good at hence why we are in the current situation. It's bad business practice throughout the board. I'm confident that if someone came in to the run the club, that had an understanding of the fanbase and how to get more of them through the doors, then we could sustain a lot bigger budget without any investment from Smurf. But we're doing it all wrong, and he doesn't want to change it. It's very negative, and it's painful to watch.

[TheSage]

Ironically, the only positive person was Page!

[Row L]

I have a little bit of sympathy with the players on this one - 50% is a big cut - and if they can get the same wages somewhere else, i would blame them for going.

 

However, we don't really know the full picture do we. It could be that this is just a balancing out i.e. we have been paying too much for too long, in which case this is a good move by Norman. Or it could be that we are up **** creak, most of the better player will leave and we will end up with dross who aren't good enough to earn what we have been paying!

 

Interesting times ahead!!!!!!

[Jacko51]

The 50% cut does seem excessive if true. And I can't understand the reasoning. Norman has said he has been putting in £800,000 a year and won't do it any more. If removing his subsidy leads to a 50% wage cut doesn't that mean that the budget will now be £800,000 or is my maths wrong?

[jeffers]

Did Mr Smurf go into football club ownership with his eyes shut, he is supposed to be a successful businessman who carried out due diligence. Did he not know that 90% of football clubs run at a loss, surviving by selling their most saleable assets. Problem is Mr Smurf, budget cuts, pay cuts, staff leaving, you haven't got any saleable assets. Last season we finished higher than anyone expected, not least the bookmakers (who dont normally get it wrong) and your rewards to your staff....50% pay cuts. I neither liked nor disliked Rob Page, but how could he get the best out of his players or attract players when there was only peanuts in the kitty. He may have jumped ship but who can blame him, it is afterall a means of employment for him....its a passion for us fans. As one of those passionate fans, I must admit I have never been so unsure of the future.