Brighton & Hove Albion's players and directors have come together to collect 263,939 pounds ($328,472) which will be donated to assist charities that have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Premier League club said on Tuesday. The club said Sussex charities for hospices, sick children, domestic abuse victims, bereavement care, food banks and more would benefit from the fund and the club has also asked staff and fans to donate if they are in a position to do so. The club's players donated a "significant portion" of their April wages while club chairman Tony Bloom and other directors also contributed. "There's a collective desire from everyone within the squad and the club to do something for local charities suffering as a result of the crisis," Brighton striker Glenn Murray said in a statement. "The people of Brighton & Hove and across Sussex have always been there for this football club going back a long way... We want to show the same support we've had from our community, week in, week out for so long." Earlier this month, Brighton boss Graham Potter and senior members of the club's management took a pay cut for three months to ease the financial burden on the club during the crisis. Professional soccer in England has been suspended indefinitely since mid-March. The British government's lockdown measures are in place at least until May 7, when the government is set to review the restrictions. Brighton were 15th in the standings before the league was suspended. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
