Newcastle's Plight In Numbers - What Exactly Would Relegation Mean?

11. 25% - Reported Wage Cut For Some Of Newcastle's Highest Earners Should They Be Relegated (Compared To Hull City And Sunderland's 50% Cut)

When Newcastle dropped out of the Premier League in 2008-09, their highest earners did not have relegation clauses in their contracts and Alan Smith earned £63,000 a week in the Championship, while Fabricio Coloccini took home a hefty £70,000 every seven days. This time around, the Daily Mail claim that some of the Magpies' stars have 25% wage clauses in their contracts - although The Telegraph state Moussa Sissoko does not, because his agent refused one when the Frenchman signed in January 2013, and therefore if he remained following relegation he would continue to earn £50,000-a-week-plus. Contrast Newcastle's 25% cut to that of Hull City or Sunderland, however, and their players will take a full 50% reduction in wages should they be demoted - placing those clubs in a far-healthier position to tackle the Championship from a financial point of view than the Magpies would be able to.