Whether it realises it or not, non-league football has raised an age-old legal argument: should sportspeople be treated as a separate case under employment law, given the unique space in which they operate?
Reports suggesting that National League players could be prepared to go on strike over upcoming contract changes put forward by the Football Association will now have wider sport asking the same question.
Under proposals which would come into effect on 1 July, injured players across the division will only receive full wages for 12 weeks before moving onto “club sick pay” of 99.35 per week for up to 28 weeks. Those competing below the fifth league of English football, meanwhile, will only be offered full pay for six weeks.
That is a marked change from the current climate, in which sidelined players are eligible for full pay throughout their contracts unless an independent medical expert determines an injury has ended a career.
There are few precedents set when it comes to labour reforms in football, with Jimmy Hill credited for leading a campaign to scrap maximum wage rules as far back as the 1960s.
So why the change? The argument for alterations stems from the financial pressure non-league teams face following a loss of income during the pandemic, increased competition and the professionalism of sides.
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