Macclesfield Town’s owner has apologised after players had to wait five days for their wages.

Players issued a public statement hitting out at club bosses and tracked down chairman Mark Blower to The Tytherington Club for showdown talks after their January pay failed to arrive in their bank accounts last Wednesday.

In an unprecedented move, members of the team, who are currently in second place in the National League, issued a statement on Thursday saying they had not been contacted by the owner or chairman to explain the situation.

Later the same day, a number of first team players gatecrashed a meeting between Mr Blower and a senior player at The Tytherington Club, where they say Mr Blower refused to speak to them as a group.

Their wages were eventually paid on Monday, and owner Amar Alkadhi offered an unreserved apology to the players, fans and chairman, blaming the delay on a technical issue with the bank.

On Macclesfield Town’s official website, he wrote: “I would like to offer an unreserved apology to the players, fans, and the chairman for the three business day delay in paying the wages due on 31st January - I have let them down. It boiled down to a technical issue with my bank, which delayed a bank transfer.

“A cash deficit was forecast in January and so it was budgeted for new funds to be transferred to the club to cover the shortfall, which I had agreed to.

“Put simply, I didn’t do my job properly for the club in January.”

In their original statement, the players said they were disappointed with club bosses but were committed to the club’s promotion fight.

They said: “While this is alarming, what disappoints us most is that we were not notified by the owner or the chairman of the situation and have not been contacted since.

“All despite numerous attempts for clarity from the players and management.”

A second statement was later released revealing how a number of player had visited The Tytherington Club on Friday to demand talks with Mr Blower.

It said: “We decided to go and see him as a group at our own expense. He did not have the courtesy to come to our place of work and address us.

“When we arrived at The Tytherington Club, he refused to address us as a group. The manager of the club intervened and had to ask him to speak to us as he had to think of the other members who were present.

“In the meeting we had to remind him of what we see as his responsibility as chairman of this football club.

“No mention was made of so-called technical difficulties from overseas funds. He simply said that he had not received the money from the owner. He also refused to acknowledge that he should have made us aware on ‘pay day’ that the funds were not there.

“We would like to reiterate that all we asked for is transparency and honesty.

“The players, staff and supporters deserve this at the very least.”

Macclesfield Town players have since apologised to the Tytherington Club for turning up ‘unannounced’.

How the wage row unfolded

Wednesday, January 31 - Wages are not paid into players bank accounts as scheduled.

Thursday, February 1 - Players released a statement to the Macclesfield Town fanzine Star Lane End saying they had not heard from bosses and calling for ‘clarity from the management’.

Friday February 2 -
Members of the first team gatecrash a meeting at The Tytherington Club to demand talks with club chairman Mark Blower.

The club later released a statement saying the delay was due to the club receiving a late payment from overseas and players would be paid on Monday, February 5.

Players later thank fans for their support regarding the issue.

A statement reads: “First of all we would like to acknowledge and thank all of the supporters that have been in touch in such a short space of time to offer their backing.”

Saturday, February 3 - In a statement Mr Blower says he is ‘gutted’ by the situation.

Sunday, February 4 -
Players release a statement revealing details of their meeting with Mr Blower at The Tytherington club, saying he would not address the players directly and manager John Askey had to step in.

The statement reads: “We, the players and staff were not invited to a meeting by the chairman.

“We found out his whereabouts through a member of the squad who was invited to see him on his own.

“We decided to go and see him as a group at our own expense.

“He did not have the courtesy to come to our place of work and address us.”

Monday, February 5 -
Players are paid, five days later than scheduled. Club owner, Amar Alkadhi, issues an apology and takes full responsibility for the late payment, saying he did not do his job properly in January and let the chairman down.