The coronavirus pandemic has shut down football worldwide and now a first Premier League club has made the decision to put staff on furlough leave.
The professional game in England has been suspended until April 30 at the earliest, while a number of non-league divisions have had their seasons ended by the Football Association and declared null and void.
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Clubs across the globe have been cutting staff salaries to cope amid the worldwide shutdown, while some have even had to furlough employees to ensure they survive.
And now Newcastle have placed members of their non-playing staff on furlough leave, becoming the first Premier League club to do so.
It is understood employees were informed of the decision on Monday with those affected referred to the Government’s job retention scheme, under which furloughed staff are entitled to claim 80 per cent of their monthly wage up to £2,500.
Newcastle are yet to confirm the move, which is understood to affect all areas of the club’s operations other than the playing and coaching staff.
While the Magpies are the first top-flight club to take such action with football facing a lengthy shutdown, local rivals Sunderland, who currently play in League One, adopted a similar approach to the crisis last week.
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley has found himself in the headlines in recent days over his attempts to keep his Sports Direct stores open during the current lockdown.
He has been in the firing line on Tyneside for much of his 13-year tenure with fans desperate for his ongoing attempts to sell the club to finally reach fruition.
