The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Worries for Wick over lack of income from supporters
● Club’ s travel bill, in particular, relies on fans coming to games
Pat Miller is worried Wick Academy will not even be able to travel to games next season if matches behind-closeddoors get the go-ahead.
The Academy chairman has probably one of the largest travel bills in the league, given the distances they have to cover to meet their fixture requirements from the far north of Scotland.
However, without footfall through the door or in hospitality, which will bite more at Highland
League level, a huge source of income is going to be taken away from clubs. Added to that, there are worries games in the league may not resume this year because of the need for people in grounds.
Miller said: “There’s so many ifs and buts. My one concern, even if they let us start playing football again, are they going to let supporters in? Because financially, it wouldn’t be worthwhile (without them).
“We’re paying £17,000£20,000 on our buses and if we have nothing coming through the gate, we have nothing to pay for that.
“Then going cap in hand to sponsors when most of them have been shut down – there’s a whole ream of things it affects.
“We generate near enough half, or even more than half, of our funds through gate receipts. When you’ve got expensive bus bills like us, that’s no good.”
There will then obviously be concerns as to what can and cannot be done when football resumes, with even the most basic of tasks likely to change.
“Social distancing is not going to go away,” said Miller. “I said to our kit man the other day, something as simple as water bottles, or helping a player when he’s injured, things you expect to do naturally, will be impacted.
“If they’re saying we’re not going to have a vaccine until next year I can’t see us playing football. You live in hope – not much hope, but some.”
Miller and his caretaker manager Gary Manson are both in a state of limbo. Manson was appointed after Tom McKenna stood down in February and Miller is keen to discuss a permanent contract with the long-serving defender.
However, that has been put paid to by coronavirus.
The club was also due to hold its AGM where Miller, the interim chairman, was due to be formerly sworn in for a three-year term.
Those concerns all come before they know what the Highland League will look like when it is able to resume.
“Even now, we’re still not sure whether Brora Rangers are going to be in the league or not,” added Miller. “They’re our nearest away trip. I feel sorry for them as they’ve done all the hard work and don’t get to finish it off.”