Moneyfields FC stop paying staff and players with immediatie effect amid coronavirus pandemic

It was decided at a board meeting on Tuesday this would be the club's stance following the Southern League's decision to suspend all matches until April 3.

Moneyfields have no contracted staff or players but need to take drastic steps on the back of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The Dover Road outfit rely on matchday and social club income for their revenue streams.

But with no football for the foreseeable future - and the population told to avoid clubs and pubs in the latest government guidance issued - chairman Pete Seiden was left with little choice but to come to the decision.

‘We’ve stopped paying everyone currently because we’ve got no income to pay them,' he said.

‘That’s both the staff and players.

‘We’re a little bit different than the higher up clubs with no players under contract.

‘If we’d been a league higher, that tends to be the norm to contract players.

‘But we’re not quite there yet. The players have been really good and not caused a stir or anything.

‘They all understand.

‘We’ve had 100 per cent of our income stream taken away.

‘It looks like that’s the way we’re going to go (close the social club).

‘People have been told not to go and that’s what we’re doing.

‘You’ve just got to be a little bit flexible and hope everyone pulls together, which we’ve got.

‘I’ve had a meeting with the first-team manager (Dave Carter) and he’s been brilliant.

‘All the players and staff have been brilliantly understanding. They know it’s not the club.

‘The club has lost all its income.

‘Touch wood, so far everyone is pulling together.'

Moneyfields have a huge summer ahead with work due to start on a £3.5m Dover Road ground redevelopment.

At this moment in time, Seiden is still optimistic things will go ahead as planned in July.

But with the ever-changing picture surrounding the coronavirus outbreak, it could have a different outlook in a matter of weeks.

‘I suppose if the world went into a global recession you could be affected,' added Seiden.

‘But I haven’t heard anything yet. It’s still early days and unknown.

‘We’re still working towards that it’s all going to kick-start in July.

‘We’ve got people on site on Monday doing stuff.

‘All of the work dates are set in stone.

‘There’s a process we have to go through; there’s still lots of paperwork to sign.

‘It’s just the unknown.'

Seiden doesn’t feel Moneyfields will play again this season, believing the Southern League will end the 2019/20 campaign next month.

He feels leaving each team where they are in the respective divisions would be the most feasible outcome.

‘I’m more intrigued about how they’re going to end the season,' Seiden remarked.

‘At the moment all that has been said is until the April 3 (league suspension).

‘Personally, I think they’re doing that just to soften the blow that they are going to cancel the season.

‘It’s more how they’re going to end it for the teams.

‘I don’t think you can do it on points-per-game or average points.

‘It wouldn’t be fair if a team at the bottom had played a lot of the top teams or vice-versa.

‘That gives that team an unfair advantage.

‘If you average the points out, or do points-per-game, it’s not fair because that relates to who you played.

‘If it was me, I would say how it stands today is how it ends and then turn my phone off for a month.

‘Everyone will moan, no matter what you do someone is going to have a problem.

‘My view would be this - if you are top now you win the league and if you are bottom you get relegated.

‘If you’re bottom, you’re bottom for a reason and if you’re top the same.

‘That is my view, I would probably scrub the play-offs.

‘I definitely don’t think you should void it.

‘Football is about winners and losers, promotions and relegations.'