Football club tells job applicants: 'Don't bother applying if you have to pick up the kids'

A football club has faced a fierce backlash after posting a job advert telling applicants they should not apply if they have childcare responsibilities.

Non-League AFC Fylde posted an ad for the general manager role, which has since been removed, warning candidates the position was not right for anyone looking for a “work life balance”.

The job description reads: "You will need to be proactive in your approach to everything. We work hard at Fylde so again don't apply if you are looking for ‘a work life balance’ or have to pick the kids up from school twice a week at 3.30.

"This is a ‘hands on role’ and requires hands on leadership from the front so ‘delegators’ and ‘office dwellers’ please don't apply."

After the posting was put online, furious social media users branded it “discriminatory” and “disgusting”, while others said the club should “change its attitude”.

One person tweeted: “Fairly sure employment law prevents employers from discriminating against people for having kids. Sound like a rum bunch to me.”

Another wrote: “Job conditions must comply with the law. Given folk with children, and women in particular, are more likely to to do school runs, you’ve got potential discrimination claims there.”

One AFC Fylde supporter added: "If true, that is embarrassing for my club to be putting that in an advert.”

Another user tweeted: ”Totally disgusting job advert from AFC Fylde. What an awful place to work.”

However, not everyone was critical, with some people suggesting the advert was merely highlighting the job specifications.

One person wrote: “I’m not sure how equality and diversity come into if the job requires long hours?…

“If the employer determines that the employee should be at work between certain hours then it’s difficult to argue otherwise.

“If you don’t like the terms of employment then don’t apply for the job.”

Another added: “Sounds fair enough to me they are clearing stating the conditions of the job.”

AFC Fylde, based in Lancashire, compete in the National League North, the sixth tier of English football.

The club have not responded to requests for comment.

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