The English football pyramid will be decimated with as many as ’50-60 clubs’ going bust unless more is done to mitigate the financial impact of the coronavirus shutdown, Huddersfield Town owner Phil Hodgkinson has warned.
Professional football has been suspended since March because of the pandemic, with clubs at all levels suffering a huge financial hit from the lack of matchday revenue and freezing of other income streams. Some clubs have opted to furlough staff to limit costs, while many players throughout the pyramid have taken pay-cuts.
Efforts are being made to finish the current season behind closed doors in the Premier League and Championship, but the situation is less clear in League One, while League Two clubs have voted to cancel their remaining fixtures.
However, Hodgkinson is looking further ahead, to a ‘worst case scenario’ of next season also being played without fans, and believes the effect would be disastrous.
"The problem is not whether we finish (the) season or not, it is what happens after that," Hodgkinson told the BBC. "If we don't come to an agreement there will be no football pyramid.
"There are clubs I know of that are only still trading because they are deferring wages and [tax] and other creditors. They will need paying at some point.
"There is an absolutely real, stark probability that if something isn't agreed now within football to ensure all clubs can pay their bills and get through to the point where income is resumed, you will be looking at 50 or 60 clubs ceasing to exist."
