Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BLEAK HOUSE
Ex-reds boss fears a meltdown is on the horizon for Irish League
FORMER Cliftonville boss Gerard Lyttle fears Irish League clubs risk suffering the same fate as Sligo Rovers who have laid off staff due to the coronavirus crisis.
The League of Ireland outfit has made the difficult decision to make temporary redundancies in an attempt to protect the long term security of the club.
And Lyttle, who managed Sligo two years ago, suspects it is the start of things to come as football in Northern Ireland faces an equally uncertain future.
“It goes without saying public health is of paramount importance and that is the most important thing for everyone for the foreseeable future,” he said.
“But the fact we don’t know how long the coronavirus crisis will last here does make me fearful for the future in purely football terms.
“I’m sure it was a very difficult decision for the Sligo board to make because you’re dealing with the livelihoods of players, management and coaching staff.
“For that decision to be made, it shows how quickly things have escalated in terms of the coronavirus crisis – but I understand why it has been made. Without any gate receipts and matchday revenue, it becomes very difficult very quickly for local clubs, so I’m not surprised by this development.”
Lyttle suspects some Irish League clubs will go down a similar route of freezing wages and making tough financial decisions to protect their long term viability.
“I do think other clubs will follow suit, north and south,” he said. “Do I see something similar happening in the Irish League? Yes, because it is a very testing time.
“Local clubs are heavily reliant on gate receipts and sponsorship, so without a matchday schedule it will be really difficult.
“It’s not just a case of paying players, you also have other outgoings, bills and day-to-day expenses to factor in, so it will be challenging.”
Without gate receipts and matchday income it becomes very diffcult for our local clubs...