Tranmere players accept wage referral as club gets Desso pitch

The agreement was confirmed by club chairman Mark Palios when speaking to BBC Radio Merseyside Sport.

The exact amount deferred is not reported but it is understood to be around 25%.

Earlier this month, Rovers had asked its players to go on furlough leave, a request that was taken away for discussion with the players' union, the Professional Footballer's Association (PFA).

But it now appears that both parties have come to an agreement that protects the interests of all concerned.

Tranmere Rovers players will defer part of the wages over the next three months. Photo: Tony Coombes

Meanwhile, as reported in the Globe two weeks ago, Mr Palios has now confirmed publicly that the club has taken advantage of the lockdown period to dig up the battered pitch at Prenton Park and replace it with a new one.

The work on the playing surface does not simply stop at growing a fresh field of grass however.

Former FA Chief Executive Mr Palios has announced that Tranmere have replaced the failing drainage below ground level and invested in a state-of-the art Desso Grassmaster football pitch.

The hybrid technology, which consists of natural grass and artificial fibres is the same used in top grounds such as Wembley Stadium, Anfield and Old Trafford.

Funding for the project, which takes Tranmere from having the worst pitch in League One to one of the very best, was provided by Indonesian minority stakeholders The Santini Group.

The new pitch a Prenton Park begins to take shape. Photo: Richard Garnett

In a separate interview with BBC Radio 4, Mr Palios claimed that the number of English football clubs that could become insolvent because of coronavirus was likely to be in double figures.

The Rovers owner is in a working group set up to tackle the financial problems of Covid-19.