With English Premier League football on an undefined hiatus following the coronavirus outbreak, when Premier League and indeed all English football league clubs were forced off the field of play to cope with COVID-19 and defer the end of the season to either the summer or the history books.

In the days and weeks that have followed that decision, football fans have gone through many phases. The initial feeling was commonly that we missed football but appreciated that it was a necessary sacrifice to make, of course. But as the delay to the end of the season has turned into a question as to whether the season will be written off, many fans are too distraught at the thought of no live football for so long that they have become despondent.

If fans miss football, then what about the staff who work at the Premier League clubs up and down the country? Well, as it turns out, some have been looked after and others haven’t. Manchester United announced very quickly that they would be footing the bill for their staff, a move which will cost them upwards of £1 million.

BBC Reporter Dan Roan broke the news yesterday, however, that Tottenham Hotspur have done no such thing, and that their staff are being furloughed at a cost of the government and will receive 80% of their wages.