I don't feel comfortable with safety concerns – Shrewsbury Town chief Brian Caldwell
Chief executive Brian Caldwell has reiterated safety concerns about Shrewsbury Town staff and hopes ‘common sense will prevail’ in the League One season being curtailed next week.
The Town CEO does not feel comfortable putting the lives of football and non-footballing members of staff, some of whom may have underlying health issues, at risk by resuming the action.
Caldwell cited assistant manager Graham Barrow, who is 65, as an example of those who could be at risk. He also confirmed a staff member had, at some stage, tested positive for COVID-19, but there are no current symptoms at the club.
The Scot argued costs, including coming off the furlough scheme, travelling, staging matches and testing would be extreme and revealed Town have not spoken with out of contract players about signing a document that registers them to play in July but provides no safeguarding against injury.
Ahead of Tuesday’s EGM, Caldwell told The Price of Football podcast: “I don’t feel comfortable, We have a duty of care as an employer to look after our staff.
“We have to be aware there might be backroom staff with underlying health issues, older people working, our assistant manager Graham Barrow is 65, bringing them back when there’s an element of risk doesn’t sit comfortably with me.”
The Town chief added: “For clubs at League One and League Two level I can totally understand why most of us as I see it are saying why should I spend half-a-million pound at a time when we’ve got no income coming in?”
Caldwell said of out-of-contract players: “It’s going to be very difficult to persuade players and I totally have sympathy with them. We’ve not spoken with our players about it. I’m not comfortable with it andI’m hopeful that common sense will prevail and the season will be curtailed.”
