The football pyramid is ‘in danger of collapsing’
Pompey chief and MP warn of an ‘untenable’ future without bailout
POMPEY boss Mark Catlin has warned Britain’s football league is ‘ in danger of collapse’ if urgent cash isn’t pumped in by the government to support struggling clubs.
Mr Catlin, who is Portsmouth Football Club’s chief executive, feared the whole ‘football pyramid’ could be destroyed if dramatic action isn’t taken from Whitehall.
His plea to the government has been backed by Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan, who has warned it was becoming ‘increasingly untenable’ for clubs like Pompey.
Speaking to The News, Mr Catlin said: ‘The whole football pyramid is in danger of collapse. It’s absolutely vital that clubs are given assistance, just like many other sectors of the economy are.
‘Football as a whole generates billions of pounds for the UK exchequer annually and does so much good in local communities up and down the country.’
Many clubs have been left struggling to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic, with a ban on fan attendance still in place.
The English Football League (EFL), which includes Pompey in its ranks, has lost £50m of gate income in the 2019/20 season by playing matches behind closed doors, while teams in Leagues One and Two curtailed matches.
The EFL said it could lose a further £200m if crowds do not return during the 2020/21 campaign – a loss which would cripple smaller clubs.
This crisis prompted a group of prominent sports leaders to write a joint letter, urging minister to help with a coronavirus crisis rescue package.
The campaigners said many EFL and National League clubs were preparing to ‘ cease playing... and put their business into administration’.
‘We would ask that the government now make clear what financial support it’s prepared to give before it is too late,’ the group wrote.
‘In order for clubs to sustain themselves over the winter and keep playing, they would need to be compensated for the loss of match ticket sales.
‘There is still time to act, but not long left.’
Mr Morgan has joined the call and vowed to pile pressure on culture secretary Oliver Dowden to act.
He said: ‘For EFL clubs like Portsmouth FC, it is becoming an increasingly untenable position to be expected to continue operating without further government support.
‘EFL clubs are in a very different position to clubs in the Premier League, as lower league clubs depend much more on revenue streams dependent on fan attendance, which now looks very unlikely to happen for the foreseeable future.’
In June Mr Dowden said that football should ‘look after itself ’ through the pandemic.
But on Sunday he told the BBC he was ‘hopeful’ the Premier League would confirm it would help lowerleague clubs this week.
But a timeline for when such a rescue package will be agreed remains unclear.
Pompey’s chief executive Mark Catlin is not being melodramatic when he warns that the football pyramid in this country is ‘in danger of collapse’. In the end, it’s down to simple economics. Clubs such as Pompey rely heavily on gate receipts. If they continue to be unable to have crowds at matches, then their major means of income is cut off.
As the ban on fans in grounds continues, so the position of many clubs becomes increasingly untenable. They can only survive as viable businesses for so long.
While the Premier League big boys have wealthy backers and Sky cash to help them weather the storm, lower down the leagues it’s a very different story.
We report today how the English Football League (EFL), which includes Pompey, has lost £50m of gate income in the 2019/20 season. Clubs could miss out on a further £200m if crowds don’t return at some point during the 2020/21 campaign.
Things are already so bad that some EFL and National League clubs are having to consider no longer playing and putting their businesses into administration.
The problem is the perception that football is a well-off sport that can take care of itself. Indeed, culture secretary Oliver Dowden has said as much himself.
But farther down the pyramid the reality is very different. So we agree with Mr Catlin when he says that the government must urgently help struggling clubs with a coronavirus rescue package.
Other sectors such as heritage have been given financial assistance. Why should football be any different?
We urge Mr Dowden to act now and come up with a scheme that somehow compensates clubs for all the ticket income they are losing each week.
Because if something doesn’t happen very soon, then some may be lost forever.