Blue Toon chief hails club’s unsung heroes

Peterhead chairman Rodger Morrison does not want football’s volunteers to be forgotten during the season’s shutdown.

Morrison paid tribute to his volunteer staff that help the club run day-to-day during the season and on match days, before the coronavirus pandemic brought the country to a grinding halt.

Their Balmoor operation has already been reduced to six staff, while Morrison also closed his Cock and Bull restaurant at Balmedie and offered the five beds there for use by NHS staff.

Discussions last week with club staff saw the management team and majority of the squad agree to forgo their wages with no football to speak of.

It is a move being mirrored across the country as clubs look to cut costs and survive for the months ahead without income.

Morrison, however, is keen to ensure the people that give up their time freely, to help the club function, are not forgotten.

He said: “There should be a slant on all the people behind the scenes that provide games for players. I don’t think that should be forgotten.

“They all volunteered to go without pay, to a man, until we had a solution going forward. I was chuffed with that.

“I’ve still got all my unpaid guys about me, who are willing to do anything to help.”

The moves made last week will help the Blue Toon in the short term, although Morrison does not anticipate them being the last difficult decisions he has to make.

A government scheme to provide grants that cover 80% of wages is something that appeals to the club, provided the players agree to it.

Morrison added: “Without that and no income, very few clubs could carry forward paying wages.”