Bleak winter ahead as British fans kept out of stadiums

BRITISH sport faces a bleak winter, and for some a fight for survival in the cold months ahead, after the postponement of plans to allow a limited number of fans back into stadiums from October.

What had been seen as a glimmer of light at the end of a tunnel now looks like another long stretch of darkness for clubs and sports already in crisis-management after being forced to do without their ticketing income stream.

The UK government had planned to allow 25-33 per cent capacities from October 1 but senior cabinet minister Michael Gove said on Tuesday that was set to be postponed to tackle a second wave of Covid-19.

A coalition of more than 100 sports bodies — including the tennis, cricket and rugby governing bodies as well as the Premier League — had called on Monday for emergency funding in the light of the expected development. They warned also of “a lost generation of activity”.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters told the BBC this month that a failure to allow fans back as soon as possible would cost clubs £700 million in 2020-21.

While the top tier enjoys lucrative television deals, the financial picture for those whose business models rely heavily on gate receipts remains stark, with some warning of collapse without a bailout.

English Football League chief executive David Baldwin said last week that EFL Clubs lost £50 million in gate receipts in 2019-20.

“It is estimated a further £200 million will be lost if crowds do not return during the 2020-21 campaign,” he said.

“The contribution to football’s finances made by matchgoing supporters . . . is critical to the viability of League football and all EFL Clubs.”

The Rugby Football Union had hoped for a 20,000 crowd at Twickenham for England’s game against the Barbarians on October 25 but have suspended ticket sales for what would have been a major revenue stream.

In July, the RFU projected a short-term revenue loss of £107 million due to the closure of Twickenham and proposed making 139 positions within the organisation redundant.

The entire backbone of the sport’s funding across the UK is the money made from hosting internationals, with the RFU making around £10 million from each Twickenham full house and its internationals at the venue providing around 85 per cent of its income.

Without those funds it has warned of a devastating knockon effect on the grass-roots game and now even a smaller figure from a 50 percent or 25 per cent capacity looks in jeapordy.