Wages hope for Boro boss
NUNEATON Borough boss Jimmy Ginnelly is hoping that the voided season, enforced break from football and new financial world the country will be reborn into will finally be the tipping point when it comes to nonleague wages.
Ginnelly and the Boro saw their season ended after non-league football, from steps four and lower, had their campaigns voided earlier in the month. With so much uncertainty about when football and other sports will be allowed to resume coupled with businesses across the country suffering due to the lockdown, Ginnelly is forecasting an unknown future for the sport he loves, but admits he does hope one change will come because of it.
The Boro manager/chairman said: “I think this could finally be it. This could be the time when we see the end of the silly wages and players start to get back to the kind of money clubs can afford.
“I have been talking to other chairman and managers at this level and I am not the only one who is thinking that way.
“The season has ended and we do not know what the future holds or when we will be back or what it will look like when we are.
“But that does not mean some are not looking to the future, but I am hopeful that when they do they do so with a bit more realism than we have seen for many years.
“I think things will change and need to change and this could be something that helps non-league in the long run.”
Ginnelly added that the Boro had already begun parts of their preparations when it came to the 2020-21 season, but admitted it was only the beginning of a long road. He said: “Look there is a long way to go and a lot of work will need to be done but obviously the first thing is to get through the horrible situation we are all in.
“We all know what is going on out
there at the moment and it does feel daft to talk about football or business or anything like that when you turn on the news and see what people are dealing with. There is no getting away from that.
“But of course we have had a look to the future and at the Boro we will be operating on a lesser budget than we have done this season that is for sure. There is no getting round that. We lost a massive part of the season just gone and all the money that goes along with that.
“We also know that businesses are going to find it tough when we start up again and they will not be able to dig so deep like they have been.
“That’s all common sense and like I said I have been speaking to managers and chairmen across our level and
they are all in the same boat as we are. None of them know what the future will hold and I do not think they want to start thinking about paying this much or that much – or can even do that.
“That is why I think we could reach tipping point for wages.
“For years players have been getting silly money at this level, some more than League Two players I can say, and I just can’t see it any more.
“They can’t say ‘you pay me or someone else will’ because in the situation we are all in no-one will.
“I think if the managers and chairmen stay strong and don’t get silly they can ensure the wages are not huge for this level and that will keep clubs afloat. I really do think this could be what does that.”
This could be the time when we see the end of the silly wages and players start to get back to the kind of money clubs can afford. Jimmy Ginnelly