GILLINGHAM’S players are agonising over whether to let their union, the Professional Footballers’ Association, pay their bonuses in exchange for agreeing to defer part of their basic salary until the end of the season.

The squad are expected to decide this weekend which course of action they favour following talks with PFA representatives.

Should they accept the PFA’s offer then club chairman Paul Scally will be obligated to repay the money to the union. In exchange, the players would have to agree a wage deferral which could mean a cut of between five and 10 per cent.

Those not in favour of deferral could serve the club with 14 days’ notice, citing breach of contract, and sign for another club.

One senior player summed up: “We’ve been backed into a corner and nobody likes it.”

Mr Scally met with PFA deputy chief executive Mick McGuire, PFA southern area representative Bobby Barnes and a PFA lawyer on Tuesday morning before the union representatives explained the options open to the players. This followed a short address by Mr Scally who then left the room.

Gillingham are in debt to the Bank of Scotland to the tune of £7.5 million. The bank have told the club they are unwilling to lend more. The overdraft costs more than £500,000 a year to service.

Last week Mr Scally announced he had abandoned plans for another share issue designed to raise £4 million.

At the PFA’s insistence, Mr Scally opened the club’s accounts for the last three months to the union’s accountants. From the outset, the PFA warned members not to accept a wage cut.

After the meeting, Mr McGuire would say only: “We’ve had talks with the Gillingham chairman and players and have advised the club with regard to the financial position.

“The players are reviewing their own positions in relation to the club going forward. There will be further talks.”

Another senior Gillingham player said: “We all find ourselves in a very awkward situation. At the end of the day, we have to do what is best for our families and ourselves.

“Players like Ian Cox and John Hills, who came to the club in the summer, will not benefit from the bonus payments because they weren’t here last season, yet they could be asked to defer their basic wage.

“But players like Chris Hope and Paul Smith, who played most of last season’s games, will be due a bumper pre-Christmas bonus - and good luck to them because they earned it.

“Should we agree to defer wages, what about the lads, especially the younger ones, who are not earning a great deal? Could they afford a five or 10 per cent cut on their wages?

“It’s all down to individuals and it’s far from easy for all of us.”