Coronavirus outbreak could threaten future of smaller clubs
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has 'genuine fears' about a number of clubs who are already living hand to mouth
Wednesday 11 March 2020 18:14, UK
Playing games behind closed doors in an attempt to contain the coronavirus could have a major impact for smaller clubs, according to leading football finance expert Kieran Maguire.
It comes as DCMS officials and sports stakeholders, including broadcasters, met to discuss the possibility of the UK's sporting fixtures needing to be restricted, played behind closed doors or even postponed.
And although any such measures would have little impact on Premier League sides protected by a £9bn TV deal, it could have disastrous financial consequences for those further down the football pyramid.
"Clubs in the Premier League have as little as 4 per cent coming from matchday ticket sales but further down League One and League Two it's about a third," Kieran Maguire exclusively told Sky Sports News.
"To pay their weekly bills they are reliant on walk-up fans not just in terms of tickets but the likes of catering sales, hospitality and programme sales.
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"If that income source dried up I would have genuine fears about a number of clubs who are already living hand to mouth.
"If the government set a limit of a 5,000 or 10,000 gathering then the majority of those would be able to have their matches go forward.
"And of course, we could see the larger institutions such as the Premier League and FA lend a helping hand."
'League suspensions would have huge knock-on effects'
Should emergency measures see any league suspension, it will raise a number of issues going forward - particularly with Euro 2020 on the horizon.
On the potential fixture pile-up, Maguire added: "There is very little opportunity to extend the season beyond the existing fixture list.
"If Euro 2020 is abandoned then I think UEFA would have a problem because they have sold practically all the tickets
"There would be a clamour for refunds to be made and then for the 20/21 season it could be a case of the table effectively tidied up at whatever the date the season is abandoned."
