Clubs warned of 'looming nightmare' with 60 clubs predicted to go bust

EFL clubs have been warned of a ‘looming’ economic nightmare that is about to engulf football as a result of the coronavirus pandemic – with one Championship chairman warning up to 60 clubs could go out of business.

Thepandemichasresulted in all football being suspended and while Premier League and Championship teams have returnedtosmall-grouptraining aheadofapossiblereturntoaction at the end of next month, clubs in League One and Two seem increasingly unlikely to do so.

League Two clubs have already indicated a willingness to curtail the season early with the table decided on a points-per-game basis, while clubs in the third tier are split over whether to complete the season or curtail it and use a similar measure to decide on promotion and relegation issues. Sunderland want the season to restart as it is the only way they stand a chance ofwinningpromotionthisseason having dropped out of the play-off places.

Eitherway,allgameswillbe played behind-closed-doors for the foreseeable and there is no guarantee yet when next season will be able to start or when fans will be allowed back in, with clubs facing huge lossesinmatchday,hospitality and commercial income.

Huddersfield chairman Phil Hodgkinson warned over theweekendthatupto60clubs intheEnglishfootballpyramid could go out of business if action is not taken now to reset the way the game is run.

"Let's not pretend that football didn't cause this problem, it did," he told the Yorkshire Post. “Football has created the position we are in.

“What we have now is the opportunity, with this COVID-19 pandemic, is to get football back into a place where it's runbetter.Footballhascaused this problem and football should fix it. If this isn't solved, you could be looking at 40, 50, 60 clubs in the pyramid ceasing to trade within the next six to 12 months."

Salford City owner and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville disputed that figure though speakingonTheFootballShow he made it clear clubs are facing some difficult days ahead.

Neville said: “It will be July, August, September, October wheretherealpressurecomes.

“I do think there will be clubs considering going into administration in the next few months, basically just to save themselves. I do think there is a looming nightmare economicallyfortheEFLclubs, quite a few of them. Whether it’s up to 60 I’m not sure.”