Dumbarton gaffer Jim Duffy has admitted that he fears for the survival of clubs as the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic begin to hit hard.
His League One side have already furloughed their staff as they face up to operating without the lifeblood revenue that comes from match receipts.
But with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stressing that mass gatherings are still "some months away" there is growing concern over how long our clubs can survive without revenue.
And Duffy reckons our game is now locked in a battle for its very survival.
He told BBC Sportsound : “There’s got to be fears over Dumbarton and other clubs, without going overboard about it. If you are relying on your income and nothing is coming in - no supporters, no advertising, sponsors or hospitality - how can you keep going?
“Very few clubs will be able to last six months without any income being generated.
“The survival of clubs is paramount at this stage. The initial money which has come in can help clubs go for a little while, but the uncertainty over how long a period we will have without any income whatsoever puts an unbelievable amount of pressure on so many clubs.
“So much work is being done by people who have such love for their football clubs, like the board of directors and Dumbarton and boards all over the country.
“They are spending hour after hour going through every scenario to find any way to keep their clubs alive.
“The amount of time and energy they are putting in is immense - and no-one knows whether it’s going to be successful. Ultimately, time might be the biggest factor.”
The former Hibs boss revealed that EVERY player contract at the club runs out by early June, leaving the Sons a football club without a solitary player.
He said: “All of our players’ contracts finish on June 9 but most finish at the end of May and the players are furloughed. So we’ll be able to pay them. Then we have no players. None. Every player is out of contract.
“And we have no idea when we will start back so we can’t possibly sign any players. Everything will be in limbo until some decisions are made.”
