Brighton's Graham Potter among senior staff to take voluntary pay cut

<span>Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters</span>
Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters

Brighton & Hove Albion’s deputy chairman and chief executive Paul Barber, technical director Dan Ashworth and head coach Graham Potter have each taken a significant voluntary pay cut for the next three months.

Barber has confirmed the trio have taken a reduction in their salary for April, May and June to support the chairman Tony Bloom’s “significant efforts to protect all jobs at our club and charity”.

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In a note to be sent to all staff, Barber explained: “To help Tony to ensure none of our core staff suffer a wage reduction during this uncertain period for our business, Graham Potter, Dan Ashworth and I have voluntarily taken a pay reduction for the months of April, May and June.

“We consider ourselves to be very fortunate to be working for the best of clubs at the most difficult of times, so it is entirely appropriate that we play a very small part in reducing the financial burden on Tony.”

The trio originally made the offer three weeks ago, which was appreciated but at the time rejected by the chairman, but following further talks between the quartet in the past 24 hours the offer has been accepted.

“Tony being Tony said: ‘Thank you very much but we’re working through things,’” Potter said. “But as things moved forward I think we’ve come to the right decision to do what we’ve done.”

On Wednesday senior staff at Bournemouth including the manager, Eddie Howe, took voluntary pay cuts. On Thursday Norwich said their players, head coach Daniel Farke and executive committee would donate a percentage of their salaries, amounting to more than £200,000, to help people in Norfolk negatively impacted by coronavirus.