CLUBS NEED A HELPING HAND

WITH Coronavirus threatening lives and livelihoods, footballers aren’t getting much sympathy at the moment.

When people think of football – and I include the government in this – they tend to focus on the millions and billions of pounds splashing around the Premier League.

What they don’t realise is that probably 80 percent of professional players in this country are living week to week and month to month.

I know, because I’ve been there. When I managed Blackpool in the mid-nineties, the lads used to run to the bank on a Friday afternoon to see if their wages had gone in. Sometimes they had, sometimes they hadn’t.

It was the same at Preston North End. The wages would always be cobbled together one way or another, but finances were very tight.

A shock like this would have sent us under, and that’s exactly the scenario faced by every club from League One down.

A lucky few might have some cash in reserve, or perhaps an owner who can foot the bill. If not, your revenue streams will deplete very quickly. And if you’re a semi-professional football club, like many in the National League, it’s even harder.

Lads at those levels have a short career. They might earn £500 or £600 per week, and they’ve got to pay mortgages and provide for their families whilst trying to save for retirement. It’s very difficult.

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That’s why there needs to be some form of bailout, and I think everybody needs to help. We’ve heard this week about the government measures to help wider society.