To gauge how poorly Gordon Taylor has performed for his members during the current crisis, consider this: the words ‘maximum wage’ and ‘salary cap’ are increasingly part of the discussion around football’s future.
Almost 60 years since Jimmy Hill, in Taylor’s position as head of the Professional Footballers’ Association, successfully campaigned to abolish the rule that prevented any player from earning more than £20 a week — allowing Johnny Haynes to become this country’s first £100-a-week footballer — the conversation has again turned to whether there should be an upper limit on what a player is paid.
Amid a global pandemic, Taylor is responsible for footballers becoming the easiest target.