Express & Star

Walsall chairman Leigh Pomlett urges PFA to 'step up' amid coronavirus outbreak

Walsall chairman Leigh Pomlett has called for the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) to ‘step up’ in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Published
Last updated

Fixtures are currently postponed until April 30 due to the outbreak, with the EFL suggesting that date could be extended further.

The governing bodies announced a £50m advance for clubs outside of the Premier League to aid with the financial burden many are faced with and while Pomlett has praised them for their work, he has urged to PFA to act sooner.

“I think the EFL responded quickly, the government have responded as well – I’d like to see more from the PFA if I’m honest,” he said speaking to Sky Sports News.

“I haven’t heard anything, that may be that I’m just not party to it, but I haven’t seen the PFA step up in the way the EFL have stepped up.

“The government have stepped up, the banks have stepped up, suppliers have stepped up – actually as chairman I have stepped up to this particular crisis, financially.

“I have been disappointed so far with the PFA response.”

Meanwhile, Pomlett has continued to ease concerns from fans by insisting that the club will survive this turbulent time.

“We have a whole new set of planning regimes to cope with this, but cope with this we will,” he added.

“This is a case of survival of the fittest, clubs that have not been well run or have allowed wage bills to run amuck over the last couple years, will struggle to come through it.

“We will have to work extremely hard but come through it we will.

"We don't overpay players and the budget this year is very similar to last year.

"We run the club so that we can absorb shocks so I'm pretty confident we can get through this.

"We're coping and working through the mathematics of various government loans and EFL support to see what that really means.

"We're coping but I wouldn't want that interpreted as life's easy, life is very difficult."

Meanwhile, Pomlett also revealed that the players have been given an extended period of rest now, while they carry out fitness regimes at home.

"The players have been keeping fit individually for a couple of weeks and now they're going away for a couple of weeks to rest, while keeping fit," he said.

"We're trying to plan for what the season's going to be and it could be that this season and next season become one, and they need to start preparing for that eventuality.

"Training players with no particular goal in mind is not very fruitful, so let them go home for a couple of weeks and report back.

"They'll become far more intensively trained then."