Strike action in association football

The following is a history of strike action in association football.

History

England

During 1960 the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), led by Jimmy Hill, organised a campaign seeking the abolition of the maximum wage, which then stood at £20 per week, and of the retain and transfer system.[1] Following talks involving the PFA, the Football Association, the Football League and the Ministry of Labour, the Football League committee offered a gradual increase in the maximum to £30, taking place over five years. At a PFA meeting in London, 250 players voted unanimously for strike action. Two further meetings elsewhere in the country brought the total to 712 players, of whom 18 voted against strike action.[2] On 9 January 1961 the League made a revised proposal, but PFA members rejected it by a three to one margin.[3] On 18 January, three days before the planned strike, the parties agreed to an immediate abolition of the maximum wage and the strike was called off.[2]

In September 2011, players from Plymouth Argyle considered going on strike, due to a dispute over wages.[4]

Italy

Serie A experienced its first ever player strike in March 1996.[5] The start to the 2011–12 season was delayed due to strike action by players, following a failure of the players' and clubs' respective unions to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement.[5][6] On 5 September 2011, the strike was called off after a compromise was reached.[7]

Norway

In Norway, short-term player strike action led to the cancellation of fixtures in the Tippeligaen and Adeccoligaen in both June 2002 and May 2011. The 2002 dispute concerned insurance terms and general working conditions. The 2011 action was prompted by regulations on holidays and whether players were required to use football boots and sports equipment produced by respective club sponsors. In both periods the disputes were settled after one round of league fixtures.[8][9][10]

Portugal
Main article: Saltillo Affair

Scotland
Main article: Scottish football referee strike

Spain

In November 2009, Spanish players threatened a strike due to tax increases.[11]

In March 2011, Spanish league matches were postponed due to a dispute over television revenue,[12] but a week later the strike was blocked by the Spanish courts.[13]

In August 2011, further strike action was announced, after players asked for a guaranteed wage, in case their clubs went bankrupt,[14] and the strike action disrupted the first week of the Spanish season.[15] Players including Ikechukwu Uche came out to the media to discuss why they were going on strike.[16]

On 25 August, it was announced that talks between the Liga de Futbol Profesional (LFP) and Association of Spanish Footballers had reached a resolution, and that league football would resume the next weekend.[17]

In March 2012, professional footballers from Rayo Vallecano went on strike in support of the 2011–2012 Spanish protests.[18]

A 2013–14 Copa del Rey match between Racing Santander and Real Sociedad was suspended after the Santander players refused to play, having worked without pay for several months.[19]

United States

Members of the MLS Players Union voted for a strike to delay the start of the 2010 Major League Soccer season, as scheduled for March 2010. The main issues for the players related to guaranteed contracts and freedom of transfer. The season commenced as planned when the dispute was settled five days before the first game.[20][21][22]

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References
  1. Inglis, Simon (1988). League Football and the Men Who Made It. Willow Books. p. 219. ISBN 0-00-218242-4.
  2. Inglis, p. 222
  3. Inglis, p. 224
  4. "Top Plymouth Argyle players consider match 'strike'". BBC Sport. 1 September 2011.
  5. "Italian players' strike delays start of Serie A season". BBC Sport. 26 August 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
  6. Richard Mason (29 August 2011). "Players' strike delays the start of Serie A". When Saturday Comes.
  7. "Serie A strike called off as compromise agreement reached". BBC Sport. 5 September 2011.
  8. "Players call off strike in Norway". Uefa.com. 25 June 2002. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  9. "Norway's players on strike after talks stall". Reuters. 20 May 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  10. "Cleat Strike Ends in Tippeligan". The Nordic Page. 23 May 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  11. "Spanish League faces strike fears". BBC Sport. 5 November 2009.
  12. "Spanish league matches postponed because of TV dispute". BBC Sport. 23 March 2011.
  13. "Madrid court bars Spanish football league strike". BBC Sport. 30 March 2011.
  14. "Spanish players' strike still likely after latest talks". BBC Sport. 17 August 2011.
  15. "La Liga strike to go ahead as talks collapse in Spain". BBC Sport. 19 August 2011.
  16. "Nigeria and Zaragoza star Uche backs Spain strike". BBC Sport. 19 August 2011.
  17. "Top two leagues in Spain to start as strike ends". BBC Sport. 25 August 2011.
  18. "Rayo Vallecano players strike over Spanish austerity cuts". When Saturday Comes. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  19. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jan/30/racing-santander-strike-unpaid-wages
  20. "MLS strike concerns". ESPN. 24 February 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  21. "MLS players unified behind possibility of strike". ESPN Soccernet. 12 March 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
  22. "MLS strike averted". FIFA.com. 20 March 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2011.
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