‘It’s not right that I can fly, but not watch a football match’

PORT Vale owner Carol Shanahan, pictured, was justified in writing to the government to highlight the plight of Football League clubs while fans aren’t allowed in. From what I’ve been reading from different clubs, it’s not a question of whether some will be in trouble, but whether they can go on for months, or just weeks.

So we can’t be complacent about the situation clubs find themselves in and the consequences for the whole structure of our game. Football League clubs need financial help, but I’ve heard arguments about whether that should come from the government or from the Premier League.

I’d like to think it will be both, but I don’t agree with the arguments that, because the Premier League earns millions it should take all the responsibility. To me, that’s a lazy argument.

It’s the same line of thinking as when the health minister said back in April that Premier League footballers should take a pay cut and play their part in helping out.

They were an easy target, but actually players did help – Jordan Henderson, Troy Deeney and others organised donations to help the NHS.

The government has to play a part in helping, both financially and hopefully in seeing if there are ways supporters can be allowed into grounds.

What we have seen during lockdown is football clubs demonstrating how important they are to their communities.

That’s certainly been the case at Port Vale and Stoke City.

They haven’t just been places where two teams turn up for a game every week, the football club has been the place where everything is provided from food to community schemes.

Those are all things that would have had to be met by the government or the local community if the clubs weren’t doing it.

As for letting fans in, it doesn’t seem right that I can go on an aeroplane or in a pub but can’t sit in a football stand with social distancing to watch a game. Clubs have worked very hard to get their grounds ready to allow supporters back and I hope they get some support so that can happen.

By comparison to all that, the debate about the new handball rules isn’t so important, but has still caused quite a fuss. English football is now interpreting handball the same as the rest of the world, but that’s caused major problems over the last couple of weeks with penalties given for handball when the ball has struck a players’ arm even if it wasn’t deliberate.

I have friends who work in German football so I spoke to them over the weekend. Over there it has been used for two or three years and, although there were teething problems, it has been accepted.

Over here it seems like a real sea change. But I am hearing referees are to be given more leeway to use their common sense.

I hope so because we shouldn’t have a situation where penalty decisions just don’t seem fair. Teams work so hard to score a goal, be that through set-pieces or a good build up. But at the other end, someone can smash the ball at your hand and get a penalty. That’s just not right.