English FA plans to cut scores of jobs due to virus

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LONDON, June 30, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – The Football Association is planning to cut scores of jobs in a programme aimed at tackling losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the English game’s governing body announced on Monday.

The FA has been forced to act to protect itself against a potential deficit of o300 million ($369 million) over the next four years as a result of the crisis.

The organisation is proposing to make 124 positions redundant, but 42 of those have been achieved by halting recruitment. That leaves 82 posts which will have to be removed.

“All areas of the FA will be affected,” said chairman Greg Clarke.

“We need to save o75 million a year and we’ve got a o300 million potential hole to fill over the next four years,” he added.

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said the loss of revenue would force the organisation to focus on its “key priorities”.

“We have set out in our proposals some difficult choices because we do not think we can afford to do all the things that we did before,” he said.

“We believe the impact of this crisis is to force us to focus more than ever on our key priorities.”

The FA has already lost revenue since the shutdown of the English professional game in March and will miss out on money from music concerts and NFL matches at Wembley Stadium.