Clarke ‘Football Is Not Our Priority’

Football came to a sudden halt in March due to the outbreak of the coronavirus with Football Association Chairman Greg Clarke saying that the season ‘might not finish’.

Speaking at a meeting today Mr Clarke said that although the FA are committed to finishing football season that might not be possible saying, ‘football is not our priority – human life is – and we will do as the government directs as the pandemic unfolds.’

Mr Clarke was also worried that the fall-out from this could mean that there was a danger of losing clubs and league.

‘May communities could lose the clubs with little chance of resurrection,’ said the FA Chairman, carrying on with, ‘In the face of this unprecedented adversity, all the stakeholders within the game from players, fans, clubs, owners and administrators need to step up and share the pain to keep the game alive. Football is a team game and now is the time for teamwork.’

After seeing team after team in the last few weeks putting non-footballing staff on temporary leave and others including players on furlough while having no monies coming in on match days I have wondered how the clubs at the lower end of the four English divisions are going to manage to keep going. I do fear for some of them.

I know I’ve said myself that a decision has to be made about what is going to happen this season sooner rather than later but I also know that whatever decision is to be made won’t be an easy one – there are a few scenario’s that have been outlined in the past month but each one won’t suit everybody.

Everything is still up in the air and most of us are still on lock-down, only going out for essential food and items to keep us going until we can go out again the following week. We have no idea when this will end and until there is a definite date when we can all go back to our normal lives (though will we ever have normal lives again I wonder?) we can’t really expect an answer to this season.

As the FA Chairman says ‘football is not a priority’ – but I do fear for those clubs in the lower leagues when we all surface again.

Keep Safe

Up The Millers.