Chelsea agree to pay staff living wage

Chelsea have become the first football club in the Premier League to agree to pay all of their employees the living wage.

The commitment means that all Chelsea employees are to receive at least £9.15 an hour if working in London and £7.85 an hour outside the capital.

The Stamford Bridge outfit also said it would ensure that the living wage is paid for staff working for external contractors, at its Cobham training ground and other club operations by July 2017.

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck told BBC Sport: "We believe the move to the living wage underlines our commitment to ensuring that all our employees receive a fair rate of pay for their hard work and dedication. Quite simply, it is the right thing to do."

League Two club Luton Town have also recently signed up to the initiative, which aims to pay staff more than the national minimum wage of £6.50 an hour.