Newcastle United bank more than £2m from Government furlough scheme

Newcastle United will no longer have access to Government furlough money from tomorrow.
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There was a public backlash last year when it emerged that a number of Premier League clubs, including Newcastle, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, had furloughed staff through the Coronavirus Job Rentention Scheme. The scheme paid 80% of their wages up to a maximum of £2,500 a month.

Speaking at the time, former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan said: “I believe there is a moral issue around an industry like football that has been awash with money.

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"I think there is a situation here where football has to look at itself and say ‘do I really, just because the government is offering its teat, have to nuzzle on that?’.

St James's Park.St James's Park.
St James's Park.

“’Do I really have to take that money, that £2,500 per employee or 80% of it, to support myself?’. I don’t think they should do it.

“I think it’s an awful look for football, and I think it’s awful Premier League footballers are being paid £250,000 to £500,000-a-week, and the government’s having to support Premier League clubs.”

Liverpool and Tottenham reversed their decisions, but owner Mike Ashley and the club’s hierarchy were seemingly undeterred.

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Official figures showed that United claimed between £100,001 and £250,000 up to June this year, when the club took an amount between £25,001 and £50,000. Newcastle’s most recent accounts, for the year ending July 31, 2020, revealed that the club had banked almost £1.2million in the first few months of the scheme, which was aimed at safeguarding jobs through the coronavirus pandemic.

The scheme ends today, having reportedly cost the Government around £70billion.

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