Plymouth Argyle say redundancies are 'necessary'

Home Park will be hosting League One football in 2020-21

Plymouth Argyle have said redundancies "will be necessary" as they deal with the financial impact of coronavirus.

The Pilgrims, promoted from League Two this season, have begun a "restructure programme" to try to protect their "long-term future".

News of job losses comes a month after owner Simon Hallett made one "last" cash "injection" to help in the crisis.

"Argyle is not immune to the very present existential threat that comes from no match-day revenues," they said.

The Devon side last played a fixture on 7 March, with the season eventually curtailed because of the global health crisis.

Plymouth, however, won automatic promotion to League One after finishing third on a points-per-game basis.

But they have been stripped of their main source of revenue, as 60% of their turnover is generated on matchdays.

The club said they faced "a significant and unprecedented financial shortfall before the end of the 2020-21 English Football League season".

"As such, the club has been forced to realign the structure of the organisation to ensure survival in the short-term, and growth towards the ambition of becoming a financially sustainable, upwardly-mobile football club beyond that," the club statement continued.

During the four months of inactivity, players and the majority of staff have been furloughed, with Argyle topping up salaries beyond what the government had paid out through its Job Retention Scheme up until the end of June.

"Since the beginning of this crisis, the club has aimed to be transparent and supportive in its dealings with staff members and supporters," they added.

"Although no final decisions have been taken on individual roles at this stage, the club anticipates that a number of jobs will be placed at risk during the consultation process."