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Financial challenges for clubs after the pandemic

The chief executive of Rochdale FC has asked for the EFL to be suspended: https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/rochdale-afc-chief-executive-calls-for-season-suspension-amid-match-cancellations/   I doubt whether the EFL will take their instructions from him.

However, there is no doubt that the pandemic has already ravaged matches as players succumb to the virus and the number called off will undoubtedly increase with a more frequent EFL testing regime.

On The Football League Show at the weekend, the pundits speculated that the Championship would be finished but Leagues One and Two could be decided on a points per game basis.  This caused a lot of angst last year, not least on the part of Tranmere Rovers who felt they were hard done by when they relegated.

They threatened a legal challenge, but this never happened as I suspect that there were no good grounds in law that would be recognised by a court.  Just because something is unfair doesn't mean it is illegal, provided decision-making procedures have been properly followed.

There is an issue about the long-term effects of the pandemic on football, tackled by Ian Dixon in an article for offthepitch.com.

He notes, 'As fans are permitted back to stadia, clubs will be competing against a fan base who may find the above social distance restrictions less attractive and got use to staying at home by watching matches in the comfort of their living room.  Clubs could see post virus demand for tickets and attendance levels lower. Consequently, clubs may need to consider making their product offering more attractive – so wider reaching changes may come out of the current crisis.'




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