Glenn Roeder says that he has not, as has been suggested, come out
in favour of the players' threatened strike action.
"It is a worry," he says, "I have just seen on teletext that 'Glenn Roeder is backing the PFA' and that doesn't quite tell the whole story.
"I was asked about the possibility of the strike, and what I did say was that as a player I had been in the union myself, and that it is an excellent union.
"It is very well run by Gordon Taylor and Brendan Batson and all the other people in the team.
"But it would be a shame if we got to the situation of strike action.
"I am hoping there is common ground for both parties and the sooner it is resolved the better.
"As always you are often misreported, and it seems as if they have said I have come out with 100% backing for the PFA, which technically is wrong.
"I am not saying that, I am saying that they are an excellent union and always have been; they have supported many players that have been retired for a while.
"I just hope common sense prevails with both parties and there is some common ground where everyone is happy at the end of the day."
There are claims that a strike would be illegal as the players' complaints are not with their employers, and, while Glenn wouldn't specifically comment on that, he does say:
"The dispute isn't with West Ham; I hope it all goes away because it doesn't help the game when the supporters are reading about the possibility of strike action."
Steve Lomas, West Ham's PFA representative, says he would consider a system whereby the better paid players would pay a higher subscription rate.
At the moment every player, whether in the Premiership or the lower divisions, pays a flat annual rate of £75.
"I'm probably not the best person to make the judgment on that and I wouldn't want to," says Glenn.
"All I'd say is that if they were asked to pay a little bit more I'm certain that they could afford to."
"It is a worry," he says, "I have just seen on teletext that 'Glenn Roeder is backing the PFA' and that doesn't quite tell the whole story.
"I was asked about the possibility of the strike, and what I did say was that as a player I had been in the union myself, and that it is an excellent union.
"It is very well run by Gordon Taylor and Brendan Batson and all the other people in the team.
"But it would be a shame if we got to the situation of strike action.
"I am hoping there is common ground for both parties and the sooner it is resolved the better.
"As always you are often misreported, and it seems as if they have said I have come out with 100% backing for the PFA, which technically is wrong.
"I am not saying that, I am saying that they are an excellent union and always have been; they have supported many players that have been retired for a while.
"I just hope common sense prevails with both parties and there is some common ground where everyone is happy at the end of the day."
There are claims that a strike would be illegal as the players' complaints are not with their employers, and, while Glenn wouldn't specifically comment on that, he does say:
"The dispute isn't with West Ham; I hope it all goes away because it doesn't help the game when the supporters are reading about the possibility of strike action."
Steve Lomas, West Ham's PFA representative, says he would consider a system whereby the better paid players would pay a higher subscription rate.
At the moment every player, whether in the Premiership or the lower divisions, pays a flat annual rate of £75.
"I'm probably not the best person to make the judgment on that and I wouldn't want to," says Glenn.
"All I'd say is that if they were asked to pay a little bit more I'm certain that they could afford to."