THE chairman of cash-strapped First Division club Michelotti yesterday staved off possible FA intervention by doling out handfuls of banknotes to players and pledging to pay the remainder of their wages within the next 10 days.
Alfred Yuen Kwok-fan came face to face with his disgruntled players at club headquarters in Wan Chai after it was revealed they were owed almost four months' wages.
Three overseas stars - Alan Walsh, Tony Sealy and John Bottomley - were given cash payments believed to amount to about eight per cent of what they are owed, while the local players received a higher percentage due to their lower salaries.
In addition Yuen said he would send a fax to the FA this morning personally guaranteeing payment of the remainder of all the players' wages within the next seven to 10 days.
The chairman made the offer after Walsh and Bottomley had threatened to go to FA headquarters again this afternoon for an emergency hearing.
Yuen commented: ''The situation is being sorted out. There might have been a misunderstanding with the players and I think I have cleared it up. We will handle the situation,'' he said.
