GILLINGHAM'S assistant manager Richard Hill and coach Wayne Jones have become victims of football's financial crisis caused by the collapse of the £315 million television deal with ITV Digital.

The pair, whose existing contracts end in June, have been told by chairman Paul Scally that he cannot renew them until the television wrangle is sorted out. In the meantime, they will work on a non-contract basis.

Hill, who recently bought a property in Rochester, has been at Priestfield for two years since his arrival from Stevenage. He was recommended to Gillingham by former club coach Steve Butler.

Jones, the club's former physiotherapist, was promoted to the coaching staff by player-manager Andy Hessenthaler. A former Wales international midfielder, he has been at Priestfield for seven years.

When Mr Scally and Hessenthaler return from a working holiday in Dubai on Thursday they will need to resolve contract issues surrounding midfielders Marcus Browning and Mark Saunders, plus striker Iffy Onuora.

Saunders has verbally agreed a new two-year deal while the other two are in discussions with their agents. Two unnamed clubs have expressed interest in Onuora.

But Barry Hearn, chairman of Leyton Orient and a member of the Football League's commercial committee, said the crisis has been a rude awakening for many players. In Division 1 already 45 players have been released with more redundancies to come. Sheffield Wednesday have already laid off 10 players.

Mr Hearn said: "I offered better contracts to four players at Christmas. One accepted and is now on a good deal. The other three had agents who tried to squeeze more out of us. When the season ended they came back and offered to sign the contracts but by then they were no longer on the table."

Footballers facing an uncertain future have now been threatened with clubs not paying them the extra month at the end of this season's contracts. Salary deals between players and clubs run to June 30 but it is Football League practice that an additional month's money for July is added for footballers coming to the end of a contract that is not going to be renewed.

Now Bristol Rovers chairman Geoff Dunford has written to all Nationwide League clubs urging them to cease paying the extra month's cash.