Latest news with #ProfessionalFootballers'Association
Daily Mirror
17-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Former Man Utd star slams football's £1m dementia silence - 'They're a disgrace'
Former Manchester United defender David May believes it's 'disgusting' that football is failing to adequately help ex-players suffering from dementia and their families in spite of the game's riches The Professional Footballers' Association has been branded a 'disgrace' for its perceived failure to adequately tackle the dementia crisis among ex-players. Former players are three-and-a-half times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than the general population, as a result of heading the ball over a sustained period during their careers. The PFA and the Premier League launched the Football Brain Health Fund (FBHF), with £1million initially made available to ex-players and their families who have been impacted by dementia. But former Manchester United defender David May said that figure is nowhere near enough to cover the costs for the families of those ex-players who are suffering from dementia. May also claimed PFA chief Maheta Molango - the highest paid union boss in the country on £650,000-a-year - has failed to give sufficient answers as to where the money has been spent. 'I've written to him four times now, asking where the funds go,' said May. 'They have a fund of £1m for dementia and I've asked the question on four occasions. 'The last time I asked the question his answer was, 'why don't you come in and have a chat?'. I don't want to have a chat, I want to know where the money's gone. 'But they're constantly letting people down. They're a disgrace. My former boss at Blackburn, Tony Parkes, is now in a home. He doesn't have a clue what's going on and he's going to pass away in there. 'I'm not saying if you put him in an environment with better facilities, he's going to get better. But if he was in a facility with other ex-players, maybe he would have a better quality of life, with familiar faces around him. 'But the PFA just keeps knocking us back, but that makes us even more determined to believe that our day will come. The PFA needs to address it properly and think, 'we need to do something for these ex-players'. 'Families are asked 'do the players have assets they can sell?' or 'can they remortgage?' and 'can they sell their house?' - they shouldn't have to. 'The game is awash with money. Half a billion pounds in agents' fees went out of the game last year. It shouldn't have to fall on the Government to pay for the welfare for footballers, when there's that much money in the game. It's disgusting.' May is part of the Football Families for Justice (FFJ) group, aimed at improving the lives of former players suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, which has been backed by Sir David Beckham. England World Cup winners Sir Bobby and Jack Charlton died after suffering from dementia, as did fellow 1966 heroes Martin Peters, Ray Wilson and Nobby Stiles. More recently, former United defender Gordon McQueen passed away from dementia, while ex Bradford and Hull striker Dean Windass, 55, has been diagnosed with the degenerative condition. The PFA said they have made offers to meet with May to discuss his views and their work on the issue, with that door still open to him. The union also said £1m was an initial figure to launch the FBHF, but the total amount of funding committed on an ongoing basis and allocated to families has exceeded £3m. Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
The Irish Sun
15-07-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Chelsea Premier League winner and Wrexham non-league hero star in PFA XI of unemployed players
A CHELSEA Premier League winner will play in the Professional Footballers' Association's squad of unemployed players. The PFA lay on a pre-season training camp with a series of friendlies for stars without a club. 3 Chelsea Prem winner Jamal Blackman will be involved in the friendly Credit: Getty 3 Wrexham hero Anthony Forde will be involved as well Credit: Getty This week alone, 40 players are involved to network and market themselves as they search for a new employer. And later today, 22 of them will be in action during a friendly against Port Vale. The League One outfit will be up against a selection of players, including former Premier League stars and non-league heroes. Former READ MORE IN FOOTBALL Blackman won the Premier League with the Blues in the 2014/15 season, yet never played for the club over nine years. Elsewhere, He left the Red Dragons by mutual agreement this summer after not playing a single game. More players from across the football league and beyond are also involved, including Jordy Hiwula, Sam Barnes and former Man Utd youngster James Nolan. Most read in Football BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK The game kicks off at 1pm and will be available to watch on the PFA's YouTube channel. Other names on the list but not involved in today's game include Angus Gunn and Paul Dummett. SPORTS DESK_EP29_V3 On July 29 of this month, there will be another friendly against Watford Under-21s. Three more will then follow between August 2 and August 9. 3
New York Times
02-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Players' union boss says Sheffield Wednesday players could terminate contracts over missed payments
Professional Footballers' Association CEO Maheta Molango has confirmed that the players' union believes many of Sheffield Wednesday's senior players could terminate their contracts following the Championship club's 'serious and/or persistent' failure to pay wages on time. The four-time English champions were meant to pay June's wages on Monday but club owner Dejphon Chansiri decided to pay only the club's under-21 players, as they have the highest value in the transfer market, and a portion of the salaries owed to non-playing staff. Advertisement The Thai businessman has also paid manager Danny Rohl in full, which means Wednesday would get some financial compensation if a rival club came in for the German. Almost everyone else, though, appears to be free to leave. Under FIFA's global rules, players can terminate their contracts if they are paid late for two consecutive months, although they must give 15 days' notice in writing, during which time the clubs can rectify the situation by paying the players what they are owed. Molango, however, clarified that Wednesday's players are probably able to terminate their contracts now under the terms of the standard players' contract used in English football. 'The standard contract foresees certain situations where you would be able to terminate your contract. This is when there is a serious and/or persistent breach. This is what we will be looking at,' he said. 'Unfortunately, Sheffield Wednesday have a pattern of late payments – I think it's the third time in four months. 'We've been in touch with the players. Our role is not to tell them what they need to do, (it is) to give them the tools and say, 'this is what you could do if those criteria are met'. 'Then it is for them to assess what they want to do. I wouldn't take it for granted that just because certain criteria are met, automatically someone just terminates their contract. There are other considerations. 'It's not an easy situation, as you can imagine, because ultimately, you know, people need to be paid.' Ironically, Molango was speaking to reporters at the PFA's pre-season camp for out-of-contract players at a spa hotel near Leicester. 'For me, it's a bit shocking because normally this is stuff you see in other countries I have played in, but not in England,' added the Swiss-born Italian, who enjoyed stints with clubs in England, Germany and Spain. Advertisement 'So, we really want to be strong on that. This is something that we will not tolerate and we will be very much on top of it. It's not a good situation but we hope that somehow there could be a positive resolution to it.' The EFL has already given Wednesday a three-window transfer ban for late payments to players, staff and HMRC, and has charged Chansiri for the late salary payments in March and May. The club has appealed against these sanctions. In the meantime, the South Yorkshire side are up for sale but currently have nowhere to train, as a new pitch at their training ground is not ready to use, and no pre-season fixtures have been arranged. (Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty Images)
The Advertiser
20-06-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Mary Fowler shortlisted for PFA Player of the Year gong
Australian star Mary Fowler is on the six-person shortlist for the Professional Footballers' Association Women's Player of the Year award. Voted for by fellow professional players, Fowler was included, along with teammate Yui Hasegawa, following her most productive Women's Super League season to date for Manchester City. They are joined by Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey from European champions Arsenal, Erin Cuthbert from WSL champions Chelsea, and Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce. Also in the running for the PFA Young Player of the Year gong, 22-year-old Fowler picked up six goals and seven assists in the campaign, and her two goal involvements in four successive WSL matches set a competition record in February. Despite having her season cut short by injury in April, the Matildas star was the only City player to reach double figures in goals and assists in all competitions. Japan international midfielder Hasegawa - who won City's Player of the Season award - completed the most dribbles in the WSL across the campaign and was involved in more shot-ending sequences than any other player in her position. She also won possession more times than any other player in the top flight across the season. Russo scored eight times in Arsenal's European success and was joint top scorer in the WSL with 12 goals. Her teammate Caldentey managed nine goals and five assists in the WSL and added eight more in the Champions League. The winner will be announced at the PFA Awards ceremony in Manchester on August 19. Australian star Mary Fowler is on the six-person shortlist for the Professional Footballers' Association Women's Player of the Year award. Voted for by fellow professional players, Fowler was included, along with teammate Yui Hasegawa, following her most productive Women's Super League season to date for Manchester City. They are joined by Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey from European champions Arsenal, Erin Cuthbert from WSL champions Chelsea, and Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce. Also in the running for the PFA Young Player of the Year gong, 22-year-old Fowler picked up six goals and seven assists in the campaign, and her two goal involvements in four successive WSL matches set a competition record in February. Despite having her season cut short by injury in April, the Matildas star was the only City player to reach double figures in goals and assists in all competitions. Japan international midfielder Hasegawa - who won City's Player of the Season award - completed the most dribbles in the WSL across the campaign and was involved in more shot-ending sequences than any other player in her position. She also won possession more times than any other player in the top flight across the season. Russo scored eight times in Arsenal's European success and was joint top scorer in the WSL with 12 goals. Her teammate Caldentey managed nine goals and five assists in the WSL and added eight more in the Champions League. The winner will be announced at the PFA Awards ceremony in Manchester on August 19. Australian star Mary Fowler is on the six-person shortlist for the Professional Footballers' Association Women's Player of the Year award. Voted for by fellow professional players, Fowler was included, along with teammate Yui Hasegawa, following her most productive Women's Super League season to date for Manchester City. They are joined by Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey from European champions Arsenal, Erin Cuthbert from WSL champions Chelsea, and Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce. Also in the running for the PFA Young Player of the Year gong, 22-year-old Fowler picked up six goals and seven assists in the campaign, and her two goal involvements in four successive WSL matches set a competition record in February. Despite having her season cut short by injury in April, the Matildas star was the only City player to reach double figures in goals and assists in all competitions. Japan international midfielder Hasegawa - who won City's Player of the Season award - completed the most dribbles in the WSL across the campaign and was involved in more shot-ending sequences than any other player in her position. She also won possession more times than any other player in the top flight across the season. Russo scored eight times in Arsenal's European success and was joint top scorer in the WSL with 12 goals. Her teammate Caldentey managed nine goals and five assists in the WSL and added eight more in the Champions League. The winner will be announced at the PFA Awards ceremony in Manchester on August 19.
Perth Now
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Mary Fowler shortlisted for PFA Player of the Year gong
Australian star Mary Fowler is on the six-person shortlist for the Professional Footballers' Association Women's Player of the Year award. Voted for by fellow professional players, Fowler was included, along with teammate Yui Hasegawa, following her most productive Women's Super League season to date for Manchester City. They are joined by Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey from European champions Arsenal, Erin Cuthbert from WSL champions Chelsea, and Manchester United goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce. Also in the running for the PFA Young Player of the Year gong, 22-year-old Fowler picked up six goals and seven assists in the campaign, and her two goal involvements in four successive WSL matches set a competition record in February. Despite having her season cut short by injury in April, the Matildas star was the only City player to reach double figures in goals and assists in all competitions. Japan international midfielder Hasegawa - who won City's Player of the Season award - completed the most dribbles in the WSL across the campaign and was involved in more shot-ending sequences than any other player in her position. She also won possession more times than any other player in the top flight across the season. Russo scored eight times in Arsenal's European success and was joint top scorer in the WSL with 12 goals. Her teammate Caldentey managed nine goals and five assists in the WSL and added eight more in the Champions League. The winner will be announced at the PFA Awards ceremony in Manchester on August 19.
