SOUTHAMPTON Football Club is considering adopting the living wage for its employees.

Cllr Andrew Pope told Southampton City councillors at a full council meeting that he had been told the issue is under discussion at the highest levels of the club.

He said Southampton Football Club had written to him to say it was currently in the process of reviewing its pay structure to look at the living wage, a minimum of £7.85 per hour, calculated to be the lowest amount that will cover the cost of living.

Daily Echo:

Cllr Pope (pictured), who is chairman of the Labour Friends of Football's living wage campaign and had approached the club on the issue, said he had been told it was being discussed at board level.

In an email Saints' head of human resources Michelle McCrindle wrote: “We are currently in the process of reviewing our pay structure in terms of the living wage and it is being discussed at board level.

"We will be taking this review very seriously and hope to have a conclusion before our new financial year on July 1, 2015.

“We hope this clarifies our actions, to date, in terms of the living wage.”

He asked members to agree that this was "excellent news" and that the council should do all it could to encourage Saints to pay the living wage.

Conservative Cllr Brian Parnell asked Cllr Pope if he had got the impression that the living wage would apply to the players as well.

But council leader Cllr Simon Letts said although he did not imagine the players were covered by the living wage, the first team may not paid quite as much as members might imagine.

Saints are set to benefit from a massive new Premier League television deal worth more than £5billion over three years.

It is thought that captain Jose Fonte, star striker Graziano Pelle and Serbian international midfielder Dusan Tadic are among first team players already earning more than £1 million a year.