Phil SumblerIt was always going to be a challenge that was very hard to overcome and now it seems almost certain that we will be waiting at least six more months before we can return to football stadiums given the words of the Prime Minister today.
Whilst some games were played in front of minimal crowds last weekend and there was a wider plan to try and extend this from 1st October it now seems certain that it could be upwards of 12 months between crowds at the Liberty with the stark reality of a loss of income going to be felt up and down the country.
It’s hard to see how this can work – our thoughts on this subject back in July.
It was 7th March when the Swans fought out a 0-0 draw at home to West Brom, shortly before football locked down for more than three months. It may have returned in June but since then every game has been played in front of an empty stadium with TV matches backed by fake crowd noise which now looks set to be the norm going forward.
Speaking in the House of Commons Boris Johnson said on the phased return of crowds “We will not be able to do this from October 1 and I recognise the implications for our sports clubs, which are the life and soul of our communities
“The Chancellor and the Culture Secretary are working urgently on what we can do now to support them.”
Julian Knight, the chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee, said “if we don’t find a route map with smart solutions to allow sports and live events to gradually reopen, we risk decimation of our sporting and cultural infrastructure”.
English football league clubs have warned that a season behind closed doors could cost them up to £200m across the leagues which will have catastrophic impacts particularly in the lower leagues but it would be wrong to assume that the Championship is not widely hit as well.
BBC Sports editor Dan Roan said “For EFL and rugby clubs in particular, where matchday revenue is crucial, the answer will be potentially devastating. From non-league football and Olympic sports through to grassroots clubs and community leisure facilities, the sector fears an existential crisis which could cost thousands of jobs, and result in a slump in participation.
“Pressure will now build on the government to come up with a similar emergency fund to the £1.57bn bail-out the arts sector was handed in the summer. Calls for the Premier League to help prop up the football pyramid will also intensify.”
Whilst today’s news may not be a surprise the ramifications of the announcement will be felt for some time yet and football is once again facing the crisis that it seems to keep brushing under the carpet. How it reacts this time remains to be seen.
