The Sunday News
HOW Mine’s preparations for the new season appears not to be a bed of roses amid reports that the players were still to be paid their February salaries last week.
Sources at the Metallon Gold sponsored club confirmed that the players were only paid their dues for last month at the start of last week.
However, How Mine chairman Paul MacAndrew dismissed the behind schedule payment of salaries declaring that they were bankrolled by a company that was doing well, financially. He said the only monies that were being paid in batches were signing on fees.
“We have paid, we are a sponsored club and we are sponsored by an organisation that is doing alright, signing on monies are the only ones we pay in batches because of the amounts involved,’’ said MacAndrew, who allowed emotions to get the better of him, accusing this reporter of having a pre-conceived agenda before phoning him.
However, according to some players last weekend, they had not yet been paid by then but were still attending coach Kelvin Kaindu’s training sessions despite the club not fulfilling its obligations.
Sources further stated that the club management held a meeting with the players to explain to them that they were going to be prioritised from now on because of the fact that since they live in the city they have more expenses compared to the workers who stay at the mine.
“Management spoke to the players today (on Tuesday) to highlight the problems we are having in terms of cash flow. A promise has been made that players will be treated differently from the workers since they are staying out in the city where there are expenses while the mine workers have less in terms of expenses,’’ said the source.
How Mine have also reportedly cancelled their subscriptions at a gym located in the city centre to cut on expenses, and they will utilise the mine gym.
