Players at Bristol City agree to defer part of their wages for three months to protect the financial future of the club

Players at Bristol City have agreed to defer a percentage of their wages for three months to protect the financial future of the club.

It's understood all playing staff - from the first team to the academy - will take a thirty per cent reduction in pay until the end of July.

The club has also announced it will be furloughing some non-playing staff under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Speaking on behalf of the whole squad, club captain Bailey Wright, who played a leading role in the discussions along with City’s longest-serving player Korey Smith, said: “As a playing group we feel it is important that we contribute to the cause. Everybody at the club is making sacrifices and it’s only right that we play our part. This is a special group of players and staff and we will get through this together.”

While the lockdown continues The Robins Foundation charity is preparing food to those most in need.

The Foundation’s staff and volunteers are currently delivering approximately 1,000 meals and food parcels (made up of essential items) a week to vulnerable young people in our local community.

Surplus food is also being distributed by the foundation, in partnership with the charity FareShare.

City players, staff, supporters are also supporting the Bristol community by adding food and essential supplies to their shopping, with volunteer drivers collecting from outside their homes and delivering to food banks in Bristol.

In addition, the Winterstoke car park at Ashton Gate Stadium is being used for the Ambulance Service’s Covid-19 testing unit for University of Bristol Hospitals and Weston General NHS Trust staff.