The Labour Friends of Football group will this week contact every professional club in Britain and demand they pay their workers the living wage.

The living wage is the minimum needed for an individual to cover the basic cost of living.

It was increased yesterday from £7.65 to £7.85.

FC United of Manchester were the first British club to make the living wage pledge and Labour parliamentary candidate Andrew Pope is currently in talks with AFC Wimbledon to become the first English league side to do the same.

Last week, Hearts said they would became the first professional club in Britain to become an official living wage employer and Mr Pope is now urging the rest of Britain to follow suit.

Mr Pope, who chairs the Friends of Football group, said: “It is a scandal that not a single professional club in the UK is paying the living wage.

“But with the announcement by Hearts last week, attitudes are changing.

“We think there is a groundswell of support for this.”

FC United and AFC Wimbledon are both clubs set up by fans and communities and Mr Pope isn’t surprised by their stance on adopting the living wage.

He said: “It is no coincidence that these are the types of clubs taking a lead on this.

“Both have sprung from the community. They understand about their responsibilities.

“Now we need the bigger clubs to follow their lead.”

Upon bringing in the living wage, Hearts owner Ann Budge said: “Having reviewed the salary structure across all areas of the club, we propose to implement the nationally approved living wage, across all staff, including part-time and contract workers.”

North West TUC regional secretary Lynn Collins also called on Liverpool and Everton specifically to make the pledge, especially as Everton announced record profits of £28 million on Friday.

She said: “Low-paid work is a blight on workplaces, our communities and our economies. More importantly, it has a negative impact on the workers receiving such wages and their families. 

“It’s incredibly disappointing that two football clubs, with revenues well in excess of £100m, double in the case of LFC, with wage bills amounting to tens of millions of pounds, do not pay their hard-working, low-paid staff a little more. 

“Whether directly employed or via a contractor, both Everton and Liverpool can reward their staff, set an example and be the first Premier League clubs to become living wage accredited employers.”