English footballers vote to strike

Beckham: Support for colleagues

LONDON, England (CNN) -- English Premiership footballers have voted massively in favour of taking strike action in a row over television money.

The players, among Europe's top earners, want their union, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), to have a greater share of the millions of pounds from TV rights.

The PFA says the extra cash would be used to give more support to players in the lower leagues and support the game at grass roots level.

The result of the ballot among the PFA's 3,500 members, announced on Friday, gave 99% backing to strike action.

Of 2,496 voting papers sent out by the PFA, there 2,312 valid votes and 2,290 players supported the action. Only 20 players voted 'no.' Two votes were invalid.

PFA chief Gordon Taylor said: "We are very pleased with the unprecedented support from our members. I'm absolutely delighted with the result which indicates the strength and solidarity of the players through all the divisions."

Players were asked whether they supported refusing to turn out for games in front of TV cameras. The "yes" vote could turn the English season into chaos.

If the PFA press ahead with industrial action they will have to do so within a month of the ballot, having given the clubs a week's notice of their intention.

It is not yet clear whether strike action would effect all Premier League matches -- as all are at least filmed for later broadcast -- all matches due to be shown live or selected live matches.

The protest has united top stars whose weekly pay packets run into tens of thousands of pounds with colleagues in the lower leagues who are scraping to earn a living out of the game.

Multi-million TV pot

The PFA wants five percent of the $780 million pot all 20 English Premiership clubs get from TV rights, amounting to $38 million a year. It says it is currently being offered less than one percent.

Taylor said: "Strike action is always a last resort. Nevertheless it's an indication of the strength and solidarity of our members that we feel we've been left with no alternative.

"The dispute is not about players wages. It's about those who don't make the grade, the 75 players who go on to a pitch each season and don't play again and the 50,000 former players who sustained injuries during their careers.

"We've never seen strike action. In the past we've been dealing with those who respect the history of the game -- and that has not been happening of late."

For the modern professional, the PFA performs a vital role, supporting their welfare and helping them find a career after football.

Lee Harrison, a goalkeeper for small north London club Barnet for the last six years, said: "Our careers are relatively short. Most lads find it hard to do something else when they've not had other training, so they need advice."

Former England coach Glenn Hoddle, now manager of Premiership club Tottenham Hotspur, says the highest earning players should double their contributions to help those in the lower leagues. "They've got to look at themselves as players as well as what they are earning."

England captain David Beckham said he would support his colleagues. "I am prepared to do whatever everyone is doing. I will back what the players are doing. I did vote, but it was a private vote."