VANDALS ONLY ADD TO CITY’S DILEMMA
OXFORD CITY’S finance director Paul Lyon is warning that it could take years for football to get over the coronavirus – as his club recovers from a mindless act of vandalism.
Lyon spoke out after Easter weekend intruders broke into the press box at Court Place Farm and left the locked down National League South club with a repair bill of up to a £1,000.
The Hoops director hit out at the vandals before giving a lukewarm response to Tuesday’s confirmation from the Premier League that it was bringing forward the annual solidarity payments to the English Football League and National League.
The National League – currently suspended ‘indefinitely’ like the Premier League and English Football League – released a statement welcoming the move to support the top two tiers of Non-League with an early pay-out of the competition’s £2 million pound share of £125 million.
In total, National League clubs are set to receive £58,333 each with £13,636 going to clubs in National League North and National League South like the Hoops.
Lyon told the Oxford Mail: “Someone smashed up our press box at the weekend. People are probably bored, but that’s no reason to come in and cause damage. We are totally frustrated about that.
“We get £13,000, which is roughly a fortnight’s wages for us. It helps things now, but they’re not giving us anything we wouldn’t have had normally.
“I think there will be a big adjustment in terms of wages and transfer fees [next term]. It might take a number of years to come back again.”