IT’S DO OR DIE

Scottish Government seeking emergency UK talks over financial aid for sport ++ Celtic boss Lennon warns compromise must be found or clubs will face extinction

NEIL LENNON last night called on government ministers to work with the football authorities to stave off the threat of ‘extinction’ now facing sport across the UK.

As Sportsmail reported yesterday, the SFA and SPFL have appealed for a public bail-out from the Scottish Government to avoid the ‘catastrophic’ consequences of the new coronavirus restrictions, which halted the return of fans to grounds.

And last night Minister for Sport Joe FitzPatrick wrote to UK counterpart Nigel Huddlestone seeking emergency talks over a financial recovery package for sport after the Holyrood administration acknowledged an ‘enormously challenging time for football’.

Scottish clubs face a financial black hole of £50million if supporters are locked out for another six months, with the Scottish Government having yet to provide any firm indication of when fans might return.

Speaking ahead of tonight’s Europa League third qualifying round tie with Riga, Celtic

manager Lennon called for creative thinking from all sides, saying: ‘We need to find some smart solutions for this. Whether that is football as a sport or all sports.

‘This isn’t good for the infrastructure of sport in the UK and the longer it goes on the more difficult it is going to become.

‘I was looking at some head of associations on Tuesday saying there has to be some sort of compromise because, otherwise, clubs are going to be on the brink of extinction and it’s not just Scotland.

‘There is £700m in revenue that could be lost to the (English) Premier League and that filters into the Championship, League One and League Two.

‘I know the Prime Minister is wary of the effect it could have on sport and there has to be some sort of dialogue between the FA, the SPFL and the government to find some compromise as we go forward because, if they are talking six months down the line, that’s no good for anybody, really. ‘Whether it be for football or any sport.’ In a statement last night, a Scottish Government spokesperson said the issue was being taken seriously, stating: ‘We recognise this has been an enormously challenging time for football and we appreciate the support of supporters, clubs and football authorities over the past months to help us tackle the virus.

‘The sport has a significant economic impact, but importantly also brings enjoyment to the many people who watch and play, and we don’t want supporters to be delayed in returning to stadiums for any longer than is absolutely necessary.

‘However, as the First Minister said this week, the virus has not gone away and we all need to keep working to protect the NHS and public services, and help keep people safe.

‘If cases continue to rise, be in no doubt, there will be further deaths due to Covid-19.

‘Minister for Sport Joe FitzPatrick has written to his UK counterpart Nigel Huddlestone today seeking an urgent meeting to discuss financial recovery support for sport, and the Scottish Government will continue to work closely with the governing bodies of football to ensure its long-term sustainability.’

The SFA-SPFL Joint Response Group welcomed the move, although they also cautioned: ‘The prospect of that vital income being lost for the majority of the season — far less in its entirety — could be catastrophic for many of our clubs.

‘We are committed to working with government to avert that crisis.’

Celtic worked closely with the

SRU on plans put to the Scottish Government for the safe return of fans to Parkhead and Murrayfield in large numbers.

With all pilot test events now shelved for the foreseeable future, however, Lennon (pictured) admits there is no prospect of season-ticket holders being allowed back any time soon.

‘We haven’t got a crystal ball, we can’t predict when supporters are going to come back into stadiums,’ he continued.

‘But I think they should endeavour to push on with it even though restrictions are being tightened.

‘I know that sounds a bit contradictory but where is safer to watch a game of football — in an open-air venue or in a bar or restaurant indoors? I think the open-air venues are far safer and certainly you’ve got less chance of catching anything.

‘We want supporters in the stadium because the game is not the same.

‘We’ve seen some sporting associations yesterday saying that for the whole infrastructure of some of the sports in the UK then it’s paramount that we get supporters back in to watch sporting events.

‘That’s the crux of it really. I don’t know if this is a damaging blow for what we’re trying to do but we’ll still endeavour to get people back into the stadium sooner rather than later.’

As yet, Lennon has managed to avoid selling any big-name players despite speculation around the futures of Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer.

Asked if he fears a big-money sale with no gate income coming in, he added: ‘I try not to think that way. But, at the end of the day, the board will do what is best for the club as an ongoing concern.

‘It’s been difficult to predict and navigate what this transfer window is going to be like. There has been some money spent, but not in the bundles you’d expect.

‘Clubs have been wary and the news on Tuesday may have made them more cautious, so we are not exclusive to that. That’ll be something Peter (Lawwell) and the board will be looking very hard at.’

Aberdeen counterpart Derek McInnes was of a similar mind to

Lennon as he spoke before his side’s clash with Sporting Lisbon tonight.

‘I think we’re dicing with danger, a wee bit, if we don’t get supporters back into stadiums as quickly as possible,’ said the Dons boss. ‘Financially, yes, it’s an issue. Obviously we all know how important it is to Scottish football that fans come through the door.

‘We all know that, as a percentage of revenue, it’s huge to Scottish clubs.

‘And I do think that trying to find a way to do that is going to be crucial for a lot of the clubs. Every club, to be honest.

‘But I do think that, if this continues in this vein and we can’t get supporters back in, we really are putting ourselves under real pressure.’