Coleraine chief: government’s scheme can help keep sides afloat
COLERAINE chairman Colin Mckendry has insisted that the 2019-20 Irish League season must be played to a finish as a matter of sporting integrity.
Debate continues to rage across the United Kingdom about how campaigns will be concluded, with Northern Ireland football in the same state of uncertainty as England and Scotland due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Officially football in this country has been shut down by the Irish FA until April 30 but there is an acceptance in the game here that the inactivity will last much longer than that.
There are various options for the Irish FA and the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL) to consider, one of which is to void the season. Bannsiders chairman Mckendry says that cannot be allowed to happen.
When the current season was halted due to Covid-19, Coleraine were on course for a treble. They were four points behind leaders Linfield in the league with seven games left and in the semi-finals of the Irish Cup having already won the League Cup.
Opening up about what is a difficult scenario, Mckendry states he would have the same desire to finish the season if his club had nothing to play for.
“I think it would be totally unfair to void the season and I would say the same if Coleraine were sitting in mid-table with nothing to play for or in the bottom half,” he said.
“You have to give this situation as long as possible to see if this season can be played to a finale.
“Yes, there is the financial aspect in where you finish in any season and European qualification that can go along with that, but there is also the honesty and sporting integrity of the game to be considered here.
“We have to do all in our power to get the season going again once we receive clear medical advice that it is safe to do so, as that is of paramount importance, and guidance from the football governing bodies.”
Mckendry is spot on in exploring all options. Speaking about a potential timeline, he said: “Euro 2020 has been postponed for a year so Uefa have cleared the calendar to allow football leagues throughout Europe to try and finalise their leagues and to facilitate European places.
“If we don’t get it done until the end of July/august we could put everything back and we have power within the Association and NIFL to reduce next season to ensure this one can be completed.
“We have started this season and I really believe we need to finish this season. We have never been in this situation before and have to react to how it evolves in the weeks and months ahead and if that means you have to radically change certain aspects of next season I believe you have to do that.
“You would have to address how many games would be played and how we play domestic cup competitions. These issues need discussed and I believe we would receive good guidance like we have already from the Irish FA and NIFL. Both have done good work since this crisis began.
“We cannot just think about the Irish Premiership here. We also have to think about Championship and PIL (Premier Intermediate League) clubs looking at promotion which would have a massive impact on those clubs. We have to ensure we do right by those leagues as well.
“Having spoken to a number of chairmen and individuals within the league, the sense is that we need to finish this season and do all in our power to achieve that.”
To date, any IFA football postponements in Northern Ireland have been on the same lines as decisions taken at the top of English football. Mckendry said: “With the Premier League and the money involved there, they will probably lead the way in this and a country like our own may have to follow suit.”
Mckendry continued: “That 80% could be a lifeline here for a lot of clubs. My own opinion is it would be surprising if any club here didn’t avail of it because that is what it is there for.
“The government wants everyone to try and get back to normality once this crisis has passed and football is a big part of that so we don’t want any clubs ending up in financial difficulties.
“We want 12 Irish Premiership clubs in business at the end of this. We don’t want clubs who can’t pay wages and ending up in big trouble. We are all in this together and we have to help each other and we want to come out of the other end of it. I feel the government scheme can help in doing that.”
Mckendry confirmed that he had spoken with Oran Kearney about the situation, explaining to his manager that the club planned to go “down the route of the furloughed system”. The Coleraine chairman added that Kearney and the players appreciated the efforts of the Showgrounds outfit.
“We have to ensure that the players, the staff and all who work for the club come back in a good mental state and aren’t worrying about finances when right now the most important thing is health, both physically and mentally,” stated Mckendry.
Crusaders announced the steps they would be taking on their Facebook page yesterday morning.
A statement read: “Crusaders FC are pleased to inform our members, bond holders, volunteers and supporters that all 60 employees of Crusaders FC have been furloughed in line with government recommendations.
“The action will safeguard the incomes of valued employees in these uncertain times. We look forward to getting back to work as soon as is practically possible in the knowledge that the employees’ financial wellbeing is intact during this unforeseen business interruption. We pass on our best wishes to all.”
At the weekend it was revealed that Irish League clubs had received solidarity funding from the IFA and finance from NIFL in the form of end-of-year payments for prize money.