FOOTBALL

National League side’s financial worries if game can’t go ahead due to Coronavirus

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the world of sport is seeing almost every fixture and event up and down the country being cancelled.

The Premier League and Football League have cancelled fixtures until at least April, 3.

However, the National League is still going ahead despite the outbreak.

Five out of the eleven games were cancelled over the weekend due to some clubs with players in self-solation.

Despite the worry for both supporters and players, next week’s fixtures are still due to go ahead.

There is a doubt for clubs in the National League that insurance will not cover the losses from games not being played.

Many clubs lower down in the football pyramid rely heavily on match day revenue through fans buying tickets and food and drink at matches.

Dover chairman Jim Parmenter told The Sun: ” It’s a new disease, therefore it’s not prescribed in the insurance policies-therefore it is not covered.”

Financial restraints on lower league clubs was shown last summer as League One side Bury were expelled from the Football League after a failed take over.

Now many other clubs are worried that similar troubles could be ahead for their sides should the season be postponed or further games being cancelled.

Clubs are now stuck in between playing games for the finances with not playing the games in terms of players and supporters safety and health.

Chesterfield manager, John Pemberton was left unhappy that matches over the weekend were still taking place.

He told BBC Sport: “We don’t need to put ourselves in that position, yet we have. It’s stupid,”

Defender Haydn Hollis is currently in self-isolation with Pemberton confirming that a some of his players ‘were not feeling great’.

National League chief executive Michael Tettersall said in a statement:

“Our thoughts are with the players and staff of our clubs who are self-isolating or otherwise affected by coronavirus.

“The National League is keeping the continuation of the season under constant review and will provide a further update in due course.”

If the fixtures are postponed due to Covid-19, it will then be down to the National League to decide whether the competition is cancelled or should the league continue to resume when it is safe to do so.

With the Premier League and Football League being postponed until at least the 3rd April, it is expected that the National League will eventually follow suit.

In the National League, Barrow are four points clear at the top of the table, therefore clubs in them promotion and play-off places will be hoping that the season will be able to be played out or ended on ‘points-per-game’, where an average is worked out from the games already played.

Locally, Gloucester City’s match against Kings Lynn this evening has been postponed.

More information is due to be announced later throughout the week.

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