FOOTBALL needs a cure for all this tribalism, idealism and wokeism being thrown around right now — otherwise it won’t survive if this crisis lasts a year.
We are in the middle of bloodletting.
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Scenes like this, with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp showing direct rapport with fans, could be over for quite a whileCredit: AFP – Getty
Spurs supremo Daniel Levy came under fire after deciding to furlough some non-playing staff – before making a U-turnCredit: PA:Press Association
The battle between owners, players and unions is unsightly and unbecoming — but also necessary.
Arsenal and Chelsea are among a handful of clubs that have taken pay cuts which amount to £40million between 20 teams.
Fans vilify clubs taking furloughs — especially in the Premier League — but hugely profitable, multi-national businesses are also taking government money.
The anger over this is misplaced, given players resisting cuts to salvage their jobs, their clubs and their industry, is a better place for fans’ fury.
The man of all seasons, Gary Neville, said it was disgusting that Scunthorpe United chairman Peter Swann had claimed player wages should be suspended while there’s no income.
Master Neville said no other industry would talk like this. True! Every other business would already have either gone bankrupt or into administration.
Other industries are able to consider reducing their biggest cost without their workers on fixed-term contracts, are able to make redundancies and don’t have four wealthy former footballers (and a billionaire financier) to help them through this.
Perhaps this expert pundit needs to dial it back a bit.
Covid-19 has changed rules and they may take time to revert, if ever. It’s possible live spectator football as we know it will be lost not just in the short term but perhaps for 18 months.
The football world needs to step out of its usual La La Land and thinking that a light switch will soon be flicked on and everything will revert to as it was.
Covid-19 has changed the rules and they may take some time to revert — if ever.
There’s a real possibility live spectator football as we know it will be lost not just in the short term but perhaps for the next 18 months.
Football needs to think very carefully about its next moves.
In the digital age, clubs must consider how that content can be delivered.
If games go behind closed doors for the remainder of this season, the average Premier League club will lose £12m when you include season-ticket refunds.
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That figure will be much more for big clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool.
The average Championship club will lose £2.6m, while League One and Two sides stand to lose £975,000 and £510,000 respectively.
Without wanting to be a doomsday merchant, there’s a possibility that stadia will still be empty in a year’s time with social distancing burnt into the public psyche and the wait for vaccines.
Then what?
Premier League clubs, on average, will lose £50m minimum.
The Big Six will lose double that, at least.
That’s over 30 per cent of their turnover, giving the Prem a loss of £1BILLION.
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Championship clubs will lose an average of £13m (£312m combined), League One clubs £4.5m (£103.5m combined) and League Two clubs £2m (£48m combined).
So, the Football League stands to lose a minimum of £500m a year and the Premier League double that. If clubs use their brains and technology ahead of next season, they can create a broadcast platform to stream every game that isn’t on Sky or BT Sport.
This could be premium content including digital match programmes, expert pundits and the chance for fans to buy merchandise offerings, as well as offering sponsorship opportunities.
A digital season-ticket equivalent with virtual stadium noise creation.
Same money but delivered to the season-ticket holders, who by now will be in well-worn armchairs.
This is not hugely expensive or complex and perhaps creates a blueprint for the next evolution.
But, more importantly, it would generate the revenue to keep clubs afloat alongside pay cuts (not deferrals).
Of course, this may not be needed and it may all blow over? Yes, of course it will . . . if you’re living in Narnia.
For football this is a financial crisis.
It needs to be planned for and if it doesn’t, the game as we know it in this country could be changed beyond recognition — and in some parts of the country, gone.
l SIMON JORDAN’S Final Word is on talkSPORT on Sunday from 5-8pm.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
