Over paid and pampered footballers? – No Money

As a fan I’m as prone as anyone else to getting on my high horse in the local boozer and moaning about the extortionate wages being paid to footballers, but I was reminded at Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night that the majority of professional players aren’t actually paid a great deal … and in Plymouth Argyle’s case, nowt!

The Argyle lads haven’t been paid what they are entitled to for two months now and the PFA have even stepped in to help them out.

Most of these players will never reach the dizzy heights of the Premier League and – with a career likely to be over by the time they reach their mid-thirties if they’re lucky – any money they pick up now is very important.

I wonder how many of us would show the same loyalty to our companies as the Argyle boys showed in a spirited display against Rovers.

Two goals down at half time, two key players sold already in the transfer window to pay club debts, six other decent players out on loan to cut costs, a Football League transfer embargo in place, hovering just above the relegation zone in League One – these fellas could have been forgiven for texting their agents (if they could afford one) from the dressing room or feigning injury in order to protect themselves while sorting out a move to a financially secure Conference club, but they didn’t.

In a display that had manager Peter Reid rightly singing their praises after the game, they came out fighting and showed a great deal of professional pride to score three goals and win it.

True, Rovers imploded to a certain extent, but credit where it is due, the Argyle lads were a real credit to their club and their profession.

Anyone who has ever visited Home Park knows that Plymouth is a real sleeping giant of a club and the fact that they made the short list for proposed venues in England’s failed 2018 World Cup bid is no accident. The passion of the football fans on the south coast is up there with the best of them and their team is doing them proud in difficult circumstances.

Of course it’s not just Argyle who are teetering on the brink at the moment, but their players deserve every plaudit going for doing their bit to ensure the situation doesn’t get any worse.

Reid should also be applauded as he has walked into a fiscal nightmare, but is standing shoulder to shoulder with his players to turn things around when he could probably afford to walk away.

It should also be noted that the backroom and office staff at Plymouth aren’t getting their full whack either and so also spare a thought for them if they can’t find your pre-paid ticket or don’t put onions on your burger down at Home Park.