Hull FC have issued the following update in recognition of the club’s unified approach to wage reductions, as well as a word of thanks for their loyal supporters.
The club have confirmed that the majority of their employees have been placed on furlough leave, whilst unified pay cuts across the club have also been voluntarily agreed to maintain the integrity of the club and business practices during this uncertain period.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has seen the country in continued lockdown and all sporting activity suspended, including Super League, and with no certainty of when that will resume it has left many clubs across all sports, including Hull FC, extremely vulnerable.
This includes a significant fall in ticket revenues, match day income, commercial sponsorship, education delivery and other ancillary income streams, which early forecasts suggest could be well in excess of £1 million over the coming months.
The club continue to work tirelessly behind the scenes alongside fellow Super League clubs, the Super League board and the Rugby Football League to deliver suitable plans for the financial stability and long-term security of the game, as well as a practical and safe return to competitive action when possible.
The aim is to complete the season in full and maximise value as much as possible for our members and corporate partners.
Hull FC has been unified in its response to the situation, with over 100 employees all agreeing to voluntary wage cuts and furlough leave to ensure everybody at the club can retain their jobs and to safeguard the immediate future of the club.
In a joint statement issued on behalf of the club’s Chairman Adam Pearson and Chief Executive James Clark, they spoke of their pride and gratitude at the response from everyone at the club, as well as supporters and sponsors.
The statement said:
“We are without doubt in an unprecedented time, across all walks of life, and first and foremost we should recognise the real and life changing effects of COVID-19, as well as the dedication of the key workers and health organisations on the front line, including our main partners Atropa Pharmacy, who are working tirelessly on our behalf to face this challenge head on.
“However, we are also proud of every single one of our staff – players and coaches included – for their reaction to this crisis and commitment to the club during the most uncertain period.
“Within just 24 hours, from initial consultation to the final agreement being signed, every single employee at the club without fail or discord showed their loyalty by agreeing to a temporary salary reduction between 20% and 35%, whilst ensuring all staff would continue to receive at least the minimum wage.
“Notably, this included our highest earners – the players – who to a man have stood up for their club without conjecture and for that they should be commended.
“It is no secret that our sport, like so many other sectors, faces an historic period of redefinition over the coming months and we are still unclear at this stage what that will present.
“We continue to work diligently on analysing the financial, social and sporting impact this crisis will have, indefinitely, whilst also fighting hard to retain civil financial support, plus welcome that of our partners, sponsors and supporters.
“We also remain committed in our backing of the Rugby Football League in their bid for much needed financial relief from the government for the entire sport, which will be needed if we are to maintain the social values, community engagement and exciting entertainment that our sport so proudly promotes. To that end, we also would like to recognise and thank our local MPs, Karl Turner and Emma Hardy, for their unwavering efforts on behalf of both rugby league clubs in Hull and our sport.
“We continue to call on our most faithful supporters and partners during this most challenging time. The support we have had so far has been sensational, from personal letters to those who continue to maintain invaluable membership payments or sponsorship agreements. It has been welcomed with heartfelt thanks and gratitude from all associated with the club.
“We know that, when the time is right, they will step up and back the club in its most crucial hour of need, should it be required. We do not take that for granted and will ensure our supporters remain at the forefront of any strategy we must put in place to navigate this crisis.
“It is not a time to turn your back on the club. We desperately want to continue the upward growth of recent years and maintain our investment in players, facilities and fan engagement, but we cannot do that without your full support or backing.
“At this point in time, we continue to await advice and guidance from the relevant authorities to provide us with some clarity on both the sporting and financial outlook, whilst preparing for a challenging six to eighteen months ahead. We will have a better idea of where we are at in the next couple of weeks when we can start to define a restart date, what the future looks like for our broadcast partners and what support, if any, we can secure from government.
“In the meantime, we are drawing up plans in case we do need to engage the support of our wider fanbase and commercial partners and your help in securing that support will be invaluable if, or indeed when, we get to that point. It is likely that we will need to call on your support, which hopefully is a chance to further unite everyone involved with our club.
“The recent display of unity and togetherness from all of our employees has been humbling and we hope our members, supporters and partners will share in that too. At times like these you often see people brought together by their values, a common goal or a love we share – that love is for Hull FC – a club that has been the very essence of this city and our sport for over 155 years and, with that level of support and unity, will continue to be for 150 more.
“On behalf of everyone at the club, may we wish you the very best of health and safety during these challenging times and thank you once again for your unwavering support.
“In any kind of weather.”
How Can You Help?
Whilst the club continues to analyse the ongoing effect of COVID-19 and awaits further guidance from the government before launching any supporter led fundraising opportunities, you can still play your part in a number of ways:
1) Maintain your monthly membership payments
Our members are the lifeblood of our club, without them we cannot survive. We currently have well over 4,000 members paying via our monthly payment service. If they stopped paying, it would cost the club over £70,000 per month!
2) Make the most of our online retail store
Whilst we’re unable to open our club shops at the minute, we are still maintaining an online retail and postage service. Better still, we’ve got special offers on our replica shirts, training ranges, NRL products and accessories, plus a brand-new spring range! On top of that, we’ll even include free postage whilst you’re stuck at home!
3) Support and win on our club lottery!
Our club lottery has undergone a restructure to make sure we can navigate through this period, but continues to deliver weekly and monthly prize draws, including the option to sign up online! So why not support the club financially, but also be in with the chance of winning some cash of your own! Click here to sign up.
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