Terrors players agree to wage cuts

DUNDEE United’s players have reportedly agreed wage cuts in a bid to ease the financial pressure on the club.

Tele Sport reported in October how United had asked their squad to accept a 20% salary reduction until the end of the season.

And the Daily Record claims Tannadice stars – who were being advised by PFA Scotland – have followed manager Micky Mellon and his coaching staff by reaching an agreement with the Premiership side’s hierarchy.

In discussions held last year, Tangerines chiefs laid bare the bleak financial reality facing the Premiership side.

It also emerged last season’s Championship title winners – hit hard by the Covid-19 crisis and the ban on fans from stadiums – could be forced to consider selling star players in a bid to balance the books.

Confirming his wage cut last month, Mellon said: “From a personal point of view, it was what I was willing to do and felt I could.

“Everybody has their own personal position and people have different lifestyles.

“There are no crowds coming in and quite rightly every club is struggling at the minute.

“Sacrifices have to be made to keep the club moving on and it was something I wanted to do.”

In an exclusive interview with The Courier and Evening Telegraph in October, Dundee United owner Mark Ogren insisted the club would survive the Covid-19 crisis.

But the US businessman warned things could get “messy” as the Tangerines embarked on a cost-cutting programme.

He said: “We have to plan now for the worst-case scenario of no fans this season. We’d like to think there will be fans in the ground before then but we can’t plan for it.

“We’d also like to think there will be some government assistance coming but we can’t plan for that either.

“We’re assessing everything from top to bottom.”