‘Teetering on the edge’: Government urged to rescue struggling clubs
The Shadow Sports Minister fears clubs will go out of business as the ban on spectators is extended
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Government must put together a rescue package to prevent clubs going out of business amid the continued ban on spectators, the Shadow Sports Minister has said.
A plan to bring fans back into sports venues on a socially-distanced basis from 1 October has been scrapped because of fears over a second wave of coronavirus infections, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying the measures announced on Tuesday could have to stay in place for six months.
A host of sports associations and clubs issued dire warnings about the financial impact of the decision, and Alison McGovern has urged the Government to act.
"Labour warned the Government over the summer that many sports clubs were teetering on the edge due to loss of ticket sales," she said.
"While we support the measures to control the virus and save lives, the Government need to plan to make sure no one loses a much-loved sports club just because of Covid-19."
The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Oliver Dowden, met with representatives from a wide range on Tuesday afternoon to hold further talks on the financial impact of the restrictions.
It is understood DCMS is keen to move quickly to identify areas where there is critical need, but remains of the view that the Premier League should provide support to the EFL.
The EFL says its 72 clubs stand to lose £200 million without fans for the entirety of the 2020-21 season, with club chairmen saying on Tuesday they expected clubs to go under without immediate action.
Talks are continuing between the bodies over a possible bailout, but the Premier League has pointed out that the lack of fans is starting to have a "devastating" impact on the finances of its own clubs.
PA
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments