Football South Australia has stood down 80 per cent of its staff due to the coronavirus pandemic, FFA follows suit with 70 per cent cuts
Football South Australia chief executive Michael Carter confirms staff have been stood down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Football South Australia chief executive Michael Carter revealed the organisation had been forced to stand down 80 per cent of its workforce due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On the back of Football Federation Australia this morning announcing that it had stood down 70 per cent of its workforce Carter confirmed the inevitable.
“We have not wanted to advertise this matter as it has been a very difficult time for our very loyal team,’’ Carter said.
“Unfortunately we are in a similar boat to the FFA and many other sports.
“Stand downs have taken place from Thursday, March, 19.
“80 per cent of our workforce has been stood down and we have reduced hours for many of the remaining staff. “Some have been fortunate to have leave balances to assist them during this difficult period.”
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FFA chief executive James Johnson also confirmed that staff was stood down.
“This has been an extremely difficult decision to make, but necessary to stabilise the organisation so that it can continue to service the game, albeit in a vastly different landscape,’’ Johnson said.
“Industries all over the world have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and football in Australia is no different.
“We are in a situation where grassroots football and the Hyundai A-League are currently suspended, we’ve had the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the deferral of the international football calendar, so virtually all football activity has now ceased for the foreseeable future because of COVID-19.
“These developments impact many forms of revenue for FFA, including national registration fees, broadcast fees, sponsorship, ticket sales and government funding, so we have needed to adjust our operations to ensure that we can remain operational, forcing us to take the unfortunate decision to stand down approximately 70 per cent of our workforce.
“We have an incredible team here at FFA, and I am immensely proud of the work everyone does for football in this country.
“We have explored ways to retain as many staff as possible, including reducing essential roles to part-time, and asking staff to take annual leave and long service leave.
“Unfortunately, a number of staff members will have a period of leave without pay.”
“We will continue to operate with a small team, with a focus on continual engagement with fans through digital platforms, supporting our member federations, clubs and the almost two million football participants in this country.
“I also believe that football has a very important role to play as a good and responsible citizen during these difficult times so we are looking at how we can contribute to our collective efforts to slow down the spread of COVID-19.
“We view this as a temporary stoppage of football.
“We will be continually reviewing the situation and the impact of COVID-19 on grassroots football and the remainder of the Hyundai A-League season.
“We need a strong national governing body in place and a team ready and able to get back to work as soon as possible, as football will play an essential role in the recovery of our nation post COVID-19.”
Originally published as Football South Australia has stood down 80 per cent of its staff due to the coronavirus pandemic, FFA follows suit with 70 per cent cuts