Peterborough United to launch ‘Operation Vengeance’ as they prepare to place players and staff on furlough

Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony will launch ‘Operation Vengeance’ if the crunch League One vote goes against his club as expected next Tuesday (June 9)
Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony (left) with director of football Barry Fry.Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony (left) with director of football Barry Fry.
Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony (left) with director of football Barry Fry.

MacAnthony remains angry with the EFL, and with rival football clubs who don’t want to play football, but he’s determined to channel his frustration into ensuring a Posh return to the Championship is only delayed by 12 months.

League One clubs are expected to vote to curtail the season early next week and use a points per game average to finalise league positions. As a result Posh would drop a place to seventh and miss out on the play-offs.

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MacAnthony would then furlough the vast majority of his staff including the players, but he insists his club will survive the crisis and re-emerge as a potent League One force for the 2020-21 campaign which he expects to start at the end of September.

MacAntony, speaking on his ‘Hard Truth’ podcast, said: “We’re ready to be told we are all downing tools. Me and my co-owners have prepped for that.

“Sadly, if as expected things don’t go our way, we will now have to put most of the staff on furlough including the players. We have no choice if we are denied the chance to pay football. I don’t want people to lose jobs though.

“The owners spoke to the staff today. Not one of them moaned about our plans. They understand the fight we have shown as owners. I told them we are likely to suffer a great injustice, but when we come back in two months we must all be full of passion and desire to right this wrong. I know it’s a cliche but we are all in this together whether you are selling tickets, cutting the grass or you are a 25-goal striker.

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“I’m calling next season the Vengeance Tour. We will have the largest chip ever seen on a shoulder. We will get a promotion push going. We know the players we want to sign and we know the players we will allow to go.

“The players are devastated aright now as they just wanted to play football. I’ve told the manager to take a long holiday and come back refreshed and raring to go. I hope we are back on July 31 ready for a two-month pre-season and the new season to start on September 30.

“It’s going to be a tough time for us all, but it won’t kill us. The club’s ambitions won’t change. The circumstances of the owners are not as good as they were, but we will get over that. We have a promotion to achieve and a new stadium to build.

“We need a strong EFL after this is over though. We need them to tell the clubs when we will start the new season and when we will know the fixtures. We can’t have any more of this voting nonsense. We can’t have clubs not wanting to play because they can’t have fans in the stadium. The EFL need to lead.”

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Chief Executive Officer Bob Symns and director of football Barry Fry will continue working as part of a skeleton staff. Posh will top up the wages of their furloughed staff to ensue no-one loses out financially.