Salary Cap Is Only Way To Stop More Clubs Going Bust

Stark warning as lower league financial crisis deepens

- John Richardson

Wigan's slide into administration is just the tip of the iceberg as football below the Premier League is struggling to stay afloat.

From the Championship down, clubs are battling to survive, with more casualties expected amid the biggest crisis the game has ever known.

Bury have already gone, Bolton only just hung on, while numerous others, including Macclesfield, continually struggle to pay the wages.

It is making the mantra of EFL chairman Rick Parry (right) to maintain a 72-club league looking increasingly fragile.

And in the huge non-league pyramid, there are even more worrying developments.

Just to take part in the National League end-of-season play-offs, Boreham Wood chairman Danny Hunter is having to remortgage his house to help meet the costs of bringing players and staff off furlough to compete.

York City – in the National League North play-offs – have budgeted for up to a £125,000 loss, which includes players and staff having to be tested for Covid-19 twice a week.

Chester FC’s players are offering their services for free, even though there are no contract guarantees, just to enable the fan-run club to take part in the same play-offs.