Furious Southgate blocks Boro's donation to nurses' appeal after players 'blackmailed'

The nurses' hardship campaign urged top-flight stars to donate a day's pay to the cause but then highlighted on its website players who had given money, after figures showed the fund had reached just a fifth of its planned £1million target.

Southgate said that effectively "named and shamed" players who had not donated. After initially pledging a donation on behalf of the Teesside club, the Boro boss has now pulled the plug.

He has stopped the donation to the Mayday for Nurses Hardship Fund and launched a bitter attack on the organisers of the fund, which was set up to provide help for nurses in financial trouble.

He hit out at organiser Dr Noreena Hertz for publicising benefactors who contributed to the fund.

Dr Hertz launched the fund at the end of last season with the aim of raising £1million by asking all Premier League players to donate a day's wages.

Southgate said players did a lot for charity all year round, without publicity, and did not deserve criticism.

The former England international took over as manager at the Riverside Stadium last June when former boss Steve McClaren was appointed England manager.

Southgate said that while the hardship fund was a worthwhile cause it was "outrageous" the way the campaign was being conducted through the public eye.

Trouble flared after organisers said only £200,000 had been collected from the £1million pledged since the campaign was launched at the end of last season.

A national newspaper then listed every Premier League club and detailed which players had given money, using information from the Mayday For Nurses Hardship Fund website.

The list showed that while no individual Boro players had donated, the club was making a contribution to the fund.

Southgate said: "I am disgusted with the manner in which this campaign has gone about its fundraising. Mayday for Nurses is a worthy cause, but there are many others.

"The players at this club support any number of local and national charities and good causes, either via financial support, giving up their own time or both.

"This is often done privately, meaning they neither receive nor ask for any public gratitude or praise.

"We invited Dr Hertz into the club to hear her appeal but we were already concerned by the way in which those who had not agreed to donate a day's salary had been named and shamed in the national media.

"I think it's outrageous that the campaign's fundraising style has bordered on blackmail, with the message being basically 'give us your money or we'll publicly shame you'.

"It's a strange way for a charity to act and one that has ensured that, although I had originally intended to make a donation, I have now withdrawn that promise."

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Union, which is administering the fund, said it could not comment on the publicity around the fund, or the fact that names of benefactors had been released on the website.

A spokesman said the RCN was not responsible for either the publicity or website content.

Of the campaign in general, he added: "Although the actual level of donations received has yet to meet expectations based on initial pledges, the Mayday campaign has successfully raised a substantial sum of money, which will allow the RCN to help hundreds of nurses in financial hardship."

Dr Hertz, a political economist and campaigner, was not available to comment on the row.

Nobody at the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) was available to comment.