Non-league players from the South West and beyond have slammed changes to players' contracts that will make it easier for clubs to lay off those with injuries or illnesses.
The changes, led by the Football Association, come into effect on July 1 and affect players in the three divisions of the National League and will guarantee players with injuries or illness full pay for just 12 weeks in the National League top tier or six weeks in the North and South divisions before being reduced to the statutory sick pay rate of £99.35 per week – unless the club decides to continue paying in full.
Under the current rules, injured players are paid in full for the duration of their contract unless they suffer a "permanent incapacity" established by an independent medical examination, under which they are given notice. However, the new regulations will enable clubs to terminate contracts at just three months' notice and the benchmark for doing so has been reduced from a "permanent incapacity" to a "long-term" injury that will prevent them from playing for four months or more, and this can be decided by a club medic rather than an independent one.
