I don’t see full houses again even by NEXT season
Budge’s warning over the ongoing costs of Covid
ANN BUDGE believes fans may not return to stadiums in any form until the end of 2021 and fears that Scottish football will not see capacity crowds at any point next season.
The Hearts owner delivered the pessimistic prediction as the capital club trialled a new 15-minute Covid test at Tynecastle which could allow fans to attend games by the start of next term.
Budge was positive regarding the benefits of the process — supporters would self-administer the saliva-based exam on the day of the match and use the negative result to gain entry — and described it as ‘huge step forward if it can be accredited, approved and implemented’.
However, she is remaining typically pragmatic in planning for the future and confesses she is ‘astonished’ that all 42 SPFL clubs have so far survived the Covid crisis.
Budge said: ‘I’m planning on a fairly pessimistic basis and I don’t think we’ll see the beginning of
“I’m astonished the clubs are coping... I know how hard it is”
supporters coming back even in August, to be frank. Perhaps two or three months later than that.
‘I don’t see full stadiums, potentially, any time next season unless there is a real change.
‘Partial crowds aren’t the answer. We would lose money. I don’t particularly want small numbers coming in for a game unless it is part of a trial — as in, “if you can cope with this, then we move on”.
‘So it’s not a question of getting a certain number back as quickly as possible. It’s about having a pathway to plan sensibly.’
The warning will set alarm bells ringing among a swathe of clubs who are reliant on gate receipts for survival and are desperate to get fans through the turnstiles as swiftly as possible.
Budge acknowledged: ‘If we all had no supporters for the whole of next season then we would all be in dire trouble. I’m quite astonished that basically all the clubs are coping because I know how hard it must be for everyone — and it can’t go on forever.
‘A lot of it depends on the government approach and how long can it support businesses in the way that they have. Because without that, I don’t think a number of clubs would have survived.
‘Everybody is managing to keep going, but I believe the threat is still there, for sure. If this carried on for another season, I’m not sure how many clubs would be able to survive.’
Such financial challenges have become commonplace for Budge as she attempts to combat the impact of the pandemic, all while seeking to plan for a return to the Premiership.
With Hearts’ turnover already down by more than £7million, Budge sees at least three years of belt-tightening ahead.
She continued: ‘I don’t know if I can put a number on (the losses), but the previous year, we had got our turnover up to around £15m and, this year, it will be half of that — and it’s going to be a loss.
‘The objective becomes managing and containing that loss. The government support has been amazing. That’s why we are surviving, but we all know we will need to pay that back and I think it will take a minimum of three years to get back to where we were before.’
Budge was speaking as Hearts hosted a trial event for BioSURE’s ‘Vatic Know Now’ antigen test, with 37 members of the club’s staff receiving their result within 15 minutes.
The test is already enjoying a dry run at three UK airports and, at £10 a kit compared to the current £80 for a standard PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, is seen as a cost-effective alternative which could ensure stadiums are full by the start of next season.
However, Budge — speaking moments after her own negative test was confirmed — insists it would be foolhardy to suggest clubs could fork out the full amount to get fans back in seats.
She said: ‘The costs are significantly less than current testing costs, but we can’t let anybody think we’re going to pay for the test for 20,000 people. That comes into the discussion on how we work with supporters to get them back.
‘They haven’t got unlimited spend and it’s maybe quite straightforward to say it’s just another cost of your Saturday, so, instead of having a couple of pints, you have your test.
‘I don’t know how it would be funded. I’m having some conversations about that at the moment.
‘But supporters will not have the same disposable income and we have to bear that in mind and help them through the next couple of years.’