West Ham owners want players to take 25% pay cut

Published: 09 Feb 2010 - 11:16:26

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West Ham owners want players to take 25% pay cut

Sullivan fears West Ham are heading for "Armageddon" unless their drastic measures are taken to reduce debts of £110 million. "Everyone will be asked to take a cut this summer," said Sullivan. "It'll be Armageddon if we go down. It'll be worse than what's gone on at Newcastle. I can't believe the contracts I've inherited. Every position is overpaid, whether in administration or on the playing side." Sullivan is planning to make drastic reductions from the club's backroom staff, but his biggest fight will be trimming the club's wage bill. "We have made cutbacks already but may have to make another 20 or 30 people redundant in the summer. "We have already had people ins senior positions offer to take a 25 per cent reduction to keep their jobs, but many people at the training ground should take a voluntary pay cut." Sullivan and Gold are already investigating how to get Kieron Dyer off the payroll. The former Newcastle midfielder has made just 15 appearances since joining West Ham in 2007, and is reportedly drawing weekly wages of £70,000. "At West Ham we have a lot of players on too much money and a lot of very injured players. It is a disaster," added Sullivan.