The financial cost of the Championship sides being forced to play behind closed doors has been laid bare by a new report.
All matches at every level in England have been played behind closed doors since football returned following lockdown due to COVID-19.
And it is now estimated that some sides in the division lost over £6million as a result of having to play without spectators in attendance.
Leeds United top the lot with £6.9m in missed revenue, followed by Derby County (£5.9m) and Fulham (£5.1m), with a cheapest match day ticket reported to be £45.
Nottingham Forest (£5m) and Huddersfield Town (£4.4m) help make up a combined £80m in lost revenue in the Championship.
While at the other end, Luton Town missed out on £1.5m, Wigan Athletic on £1.56m and Brentford on £1.8m.
“With the lost matchday revenue causing many a headache for clubs, a saving grace during the Covid-19 pandemic has been the benefit of the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), which has enabled the clubs to furlough staff during the lockdown period in order to reduce costs,” a report for Business Rescue Expert read.
“However, the lost matchday revenue from seasons being cut short in Leagues One and Two and the Premier League and Championship being concluded without fans, means the true impact of the coronavirus on English football may not be seen for many months.”
Before the report adds: “Wigan’s surprising trouble brings into sharp focus the difficulty of running football clubs, from the Premier League right down to League Two.
“Premier League clubs are facing a £1bn reduction in revenue because of the coronavirus crisis, so it comes as no surprise that the government’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee has announced that it expected more clubs to follow Wigan into administration.”
