MACCLESFIELD’S angry players will turn out this weekend after a day of bitter haggling over wages.
Troubled Macc had faced the nightmare of calling off their League Two game against Mansfield because the players were threatening not to play after failing to be paid.
Macclesfield players have agreed to play their League Two clash with Mansfield despite a row over unpaid wagesCredit: Rex Features
That would have left the crisis-hit club facing the potential of a points penalty for failing to fulfil a fixture.
The players rejected an initial offer of just over half of the money due, demanding more be put on the table.
This sum would have been paid directly from the EFL, who withheld giving funds to owner Amar Alkhadi.
Alkhadi was given two deadlines to make up the difference, a total of around £21,000, and after talks he said accepted the money would be coming.
The Macclesfield team had boycotted the FA Cup tie last weekend against Kingstonian, and refused to train yesterday during the dispute.
Their anger grew when they found out that the EFL cash might not be hitting their accounts, because the club had other obligations.
That included paying money to other clubs owed some by Macclesfield for players taken on loan by the club, which owner Alkhadi had not come up with.
Late on Friday night the squad agreed they will turn out in the match against Mansfield, although the saga looks set to run on into next week.
An EFL statement said: “Further to reports earlier today, the EFL has this evening received assurances from Macclesfield Town that their fixture with Mansfield Town on Saturday will go ahead as originally scheduled.”
The EFL have faced a difficult season with Bury being thrown out of the league because they had no money to pay the wages.
And Bolton were spared a similar fate only by a last minute takeover, although the club still face points penalties for failing to fulfil fixtures themselves.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk