SILENCE OF THE RAMS

Derby chairman Morris says he would consider sacrificing the chance to reach the Premier League rather than play in ’soulless’ stadiums without fans like the Bundesliga

DERBY owner Mel Morris is prepared to vote for a premature end to the Championship season even if it means his team missing out on the play-offs.

Morris is adamant football should only restart when fans are allowed back into stadiums and claimed putting on “soulless” matches behind closed doors could be a big mistake.

The Rams, skippered by Wayne Rooney, are 12th in the Championship – just five points off the play-offs.

The Bundesliga returned to action last weekend (right) with no supporters allowed.

But Morris (above) warned: “I would sooner play football with fans in the stadium than without because that has a financial implication.

“And we have seen already in Germany, it is soulless even watching a televised game with no supporters in the stadium.

“We have got to think carefully about this. I am pragmatic, but for me football really returns when fans can actually go into the stadium for real. That’s what I feel.

“If we start playing now there is no guarantee that even if we kick off in June we will see the season out.

“I guarantee if we were hit with a big blight of players being infected by this dreaded disease then it will bring things to a rapid halt.”

Morris says he would not grumble with the top two, Leeds and West Brom, being promoted automatically if the season cannot be finished.

But he admits figuring out the rest of the division is complex and the EFL cannot afford protracted legal challenges.

Morris added: “If you stop the season now you will be hardpressed to say the top two probably shouldn’t be promoted automatically.

“If I was asked to vote for that, I would. The situation regarding the play-offs – that is more tricky in terms of those one or two points away from the play-off zone at the moment.

“That might be a bit unfair, but you have to draw the line somewhere. Then there is talk about whether we have promotion and relegation around all the leagues.

“The thought of there being legal battles around what might happen with that, we have to make sure that can’t happen.

“We have got to decide one way or another, there are going to be winners and some losers.

“But we have to stabilise first, save clubs second then let’s see what we do with the league.”

Morris describes the impact of the virus on football as “devastating”. He is confident the Rams will survive, but is less sure about lower down the football pyramid.

Morris, who wants to see more money filter down from the Premier League, told Rams TV: “This is a devastating time for our club and also lots of others.

“The top-flight clubs will definitely survive this, but it will be challenging.

“In the Premier League many clubs’ gate receipts are 10-15 per cent of their revenue so as long as they continue to get their media revenue they are in a reasonably good state even playing without supporters.

“In the Championship those numbers are far more brutal.

“Many clubs are operating where the gate receipts represent anything from 40-80 per cent of revenues.

“That is devastating. And if you go into League One and Two, the numbers get even more severe.”