RICH: C’MON EU BLADES
Huddersfield in the transfer window.
“It’s certainly turned out that way – they’ve done fantastically well. The players have adapted very well, they look very much at home in the Premier League.” The Blades were seventh when the season was halted, just five points behind Chelsea in fourth – and with a game in hand – and are also through to the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Stearman added: “The season has been stopped for United at a tough time because their momentum was picking up and they looked like they could potentially get into Europe.”
CHELTENHAM TOWN players and staff are proving to be the cream of ‘the crop’ as they raise money for the NHS.
It’s hair today gone tomorrow for many of the League Two club’s employees, after having to place their promotion bid on hold in the lockdown. When games do eventually resume it’s going to be a different look at The Jonny-Rocks Stadium after a collective close shave.
Boss Michael Duff (left) explained: “It all started with captain Ben Tozer shaving his head in exchange for a cash donation to the local NHS. He would then nominate someone else to do it for another donation.
“I think so far four or five players, the assistant manager and three or four members of staff have been involved and they are up to £5,000 or £6,000.”
And what about the manager? “I’ve not been nominated – at least not yet,” Duff smiled. “I don’t think anyone has had the balls to nominate me!
“But it wouldn’t bother me one iota because, let’s face it, the way things are going I’m not going to see anyone for a month.
“I know one of our physios nominated a Gloucester rugby union player, so the fan base is stretching, which is great news for the NHS too.
“The level we’re at players can’t make £100,000 contributions. So something like shaving your head for a donation is a brilliant idea and it seems to be growing and growing.
“Retro shirts involving former players have also been auctioned off. It’s not life-changing money but as a club we’re contributing as much as we can.
“Football has taken a bit of a kicking over the last week or so. There have been too many sweeping statements. It’s so easy to take a pop at footballers.
“Not everyone is earning £100,000 a week. We’ve got players on £300, £400 a week. To take a 20 per cent cut on that is a lot of money. There’s no surplus cash.
“And even players on £50,000 a year, which is an average wage for players at our level, there’s no surplus cash because it’s a livelihood which can be taken away at any time.
“I’ve just had a conversation with one of my goalkeepers whose broken leg has not healed as well as we would have thought. He’s worried because instead of being out for four to six months he’s now looking at nine months. That’s the harsh reality of life at this level.”
Duff left the security of working under Sean Dyche at Burnley to take over a club he knew well from making 300 appearances as a player in an eight-year spell there.
He added: “I didn’t want to get to 50 and be one of those blokes who say, ‘I could have done that’. If I get sacked and never get another job at least I had a go.”
His challenge right now is to keep his home-alone players fit and focused.
Duff said: “We’ve got young players who don’t live in lavish big houses, who don’t have their own gym, their own cinema, who live in one-bedroom flats, on their own without any family.
“So it’s a case of trying to keep them stimulated. Last week we sent all the lads two games to watch, then we would have a group chat. They involved two teams who play the same formation as we do, Inter Milan and Wolves.
“I don’t expect them to be playing like Inter Milan when we return... though to be fair our defensive record isn’t bad, just like Antonio Conte’s side – in fact it’s the best in the division!”