Arsenal have announced, that they are having to make fifty five Staff redundant as a result of Covid 19. One such casualty was their mascot of over two decades Gunnersaurus. That was until Arsenal player Mezut Ozil stepped in and offered to pay the mascots wages, so that the popular figure can continue his role at the Emirates. How refreshing that a player who has faced criticism in the past, has stepped in and unselfishly offered to prevent at least one employee from being laid off.? Gunnersaurus: Mesut Ozil offers to pay wage of Arsenal mascot https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54440357
It's a shame the rest of the team couldn't club together for the 54 remaining redundancies. Says a lot about the state of football. Sign a player for 45 million pounds one day, make 54 members of staff redundant the next citing a global virus as the cause. Did they really need to spend 45 million on one player and lay off so many members of staff? Does the player offset the redundancies? Not the incoming player's fault but it stinks. At least they still have a mascot. And fair play to Ozil.
I don't really get this. I totally agree with AthersleyRed's post, and that if players weren't paid ludicrous wages anyway, you wouldn't need such redundancies. Specific to this news article though - what's the mascot going to earn? £20 on a match day? Nothing at all because the guy is fan and gets in to see matches for nothing?
He’s getting paid £300k a week and isn’t even really having to work for it. He could have agreed to take a pay off from his contract on the condition jobs were saved for 12 months. That would have been deserving of applause.
It’s the same guy for the last 24 years. An old chap loved by all. It’d be like us sacking off Toby Tyke forever - not the wisest move ever and probably does save much.
I'm in a Facebook group, the title of which I think is quite fitting: "Dystopian events repackaged as feel-good stories are really getting old"
They just spent £45M on a player on Monday from Atletico Madrid. Puts football into perspective really doesn't it: at Arsenal, due to the Covid crisis they need to make 55 staff redundant. Then they can pay £45M for ONE player, and that doesn't include his wages! Imagine what the 55 people are thinking now
No one at all can justify redundancies at a premier league club. The country now picks up these costs while players and TV money is obscene. This has to be stopped and should be illegal, the staff should be asked to perform different roles to earn their wages lots of things can be done to benefit the club and community.
Don’t know the full story here but heard the chap has a full time job at Arsenal and is also the mascot. He was loosing his full time job but Arsenal wanted him to keep going as the mascot. Understandably the lad weren’t appy with the gunners and was considering. Now Ozil’s stepped in, what’s he done? Paid the full time wage?
Words fail me. Ozil pays a mascots wages. Who in effect is a promoter of the club. Thousands of kids buy memorabilia related to the mascot. I’ve absolutely no doubt if payers gave up 10% Gross of their wages it’d pay all the staff made redundant. And in reality only cost em 5% net. ALL the players should have stepped in and contributed.
They’re not opening on match day, not offering hospitality, not conducting community events. I’d guess that the ones being made redundant are being made redundant because they’re engaged in these types of jobs which are currently er redundant. Can’t expect Arsenal to pay folk to sit around doing nothing,