The current coronavirus situation is wreaking havoc on sporting events.

Premier League football has been suspended until April 30 - and it's likely that date will be pushed back further.

Euro 2020 will now take place next year, and many of us are struggling to fill the hole that a lack of football has left.

But if there's a silver lining, it's the fact that most of the football's stars and clubs are doing what they can to help out during a time of crisis.

The likes of Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea have offered facilities to the NHS to use, while many players have agreed to take pay cuts to help their teams - and non-playing staff - survive.

But it seems Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley didn't get that memo. 

Instead, he's become the first Premier League chief to pull the plug on staff wages, by ordering many onto furlough (temporary leave).

According to the Mirror, while general club staff have been ordered to stop working, the players and coaches will be paid in full over the next few months. 

For context, they earn £100 million between them, while the salaries of non-playing staff will hardly make a dent in Newcastle's budget.

Workers in the academy - including scouts, media and admin workers - as well as staff for the club's charity, have all been told to claim their wages from the government. 

It's a rather shocking move from Ashley. While most Premier League clubs are doing what they can to help all their staff, Newcastle's owner is doing the opposite. 

Questions surely have to be asked as to why those who make up a fraction of the wage bill are the first to suffer. It really is a sad situation.